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From the Arizona state line to San Bernardino U.S. Highway 66 followed the old National Old Trails Highway. Leaving Needles, the road ventured a bit north, through Goffs. This railroad town remained a stop on Route 66 until 1931, when a more direct alignment between Needles and Essex was opened.
The road then headed south, through Chambless and Amboy, and then west to Ludlow, Newberry Springs and on to Barstow. There it turned south and traveled through Helendale, Victorville, through the Cajon Pass, and on to San Bernardino. A final westward track through Pasadena took the Mother Road to its final end, near Santa Monica.
It covered a wide range of geography and topograpy, including the Mojave Desert, mountains, fertile inland valleys and down to sea level and beaches at Santa Monica.
This road trip features some of our favorite places and scenes along the Mother Road. The route includes all of the best of Route 66, including drivable sections, ghost towns, classic motels and famous roadside attractions like the Wigwam Motel.
This Route 66 trip westbound from Needles to Santa Monica includes both present-day photos and vintage travel postcards.
The Byway is 178 miles through the Mojave Desert section of California Route 66 and follows segments of the National Old Trails Highway and the Santa Fe Trail. The byway connects with Arizona Route 66 All-American Road at the Colorado River, 14 miles east Needles. The byway route heads west through 150 miles of virtually undeveloped land that today appears much like it did when Route 66 was commissioned in 1926.
Our trip on the Mother Road will pass through these cities and towns as it made its way westbound across California:
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The distance from Needles to Barstow is about 165 miles; the mileage changed over the years as new alignments were opened.
Map showing approximate Route 66 location from Needles to Barstow, California
Historic Route 66 California Gateway Site
Located approximately two miles west of the Colorado River off Interstate 40, this day use and picnic area memorializes the entryway of Historic Route 66 into California. The site contains covered picnic tables, an information kiosk, visitor log book, desert plants and trees, and a wind gauge. It is operated by the the Bureau of Land Management. |
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The famous wagon in Needles![]() |
Welcome to Needles, and Historic Route 66![]() |
The building was formerly a grand Harvey House Hotel, restaurant and Santa Fe train station. The hotel and restaurant were open from 1908 to 1949. The train station closed in 1988. |
Goffs, CaliforniaGoffs, an unincorporated community about 40 miles west of Needles in San Bernardino County, is a nearly empty one-time railroad town at the route's high point in the Mojave Desert. Goffs was a stop on Historic U.S. Route 66, and jogged around the White Cottage Restaurant. In 1931 a more direct Route 66 alignment opened between Needles and Essex. A historic schoolhouse, built in 1914 and almost totally deteriorated by the early 1980s, has since been renovated to its original plans by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (MDHCA). The Goffs Schoolhouse is a one-room mission style desert school built by the County of San Bernardino to serve the growing population of the area. Through many of the 23 years it served as a school, dances were held in the building and it functioned as a branch of the county library and community center. The schoolhouse and grounds now house a museum primarily specializing in the area's mining history. Remnants of Goffs's mining days still dot the town. The Dennis G. Casebier Library houses the Mojave Desert Archives. It is a replica of the historic Goffs Santa Fe Railway Depot (1902-1956). Goffs today is accessible off Interstate 40 at U.S. Highway 95 north. A left turn onto Goffs Road, the pre-1931 alignment of US 66, becomes a desolate forty-mile stretch that served as home to several towns that have mostly vanished, including Bannock, Ibis, and Homer. Continuing west on Goffs Road brings motorists back to I-40 northeast of the town of Essex. It is located adjacent to the Mojave National Preserve. Website of the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association and MDHCA on Facebook |
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Entering Goffs, California![]() |
Casebier Library![]() |
Route 66 Roadside Attraction: The Old Schoolhouse |
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Mojave National PreserveThe Mojave Preserve features a diverse mosaic of ecological habitats and a 10,000 year history of human connection with the desert. The park features a variety of wildlife, including mountain lions, coyotes, snakes and bats. Found in the park are Joshua Trees, lava beds, and sand dunes. The National Park Service (NPS) operates the Kelso Visitor Center and the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center. For more information, visit the website of the Mojave National Preserve at NPS |
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Essex, California on Route 66Essex is a small town on the National Old Trails Highway and Route 66, and once an important railroad stop. It is one of the many desert towns that was by-passed by Interstate 40.![]() |
Route 66 MemorialBetween Essex and Chambless on the south side of U.S. Route 66 is this Route 66 Memorial. |
Road Runner's Retreat near Chambless, CaliforniaThe Road Runner's Retreat is located on Route 66/National Trails Highway between Chambless and Amboy in the Mojave Desert. The property was first developed in 1961 by Roy and Helwn Tull, and included a Googie-style gas station, auto repair shop with a tow truck service, and a cafe. The business prospered until 1972 when I-40 opened. Today, the owner is actively envisioning a new future for the property, including restoration of the iconic sign, a popular photo-op for Route 66 travelers. Ryan Anderson is the caretaker. The property is a recipient of the 2023 NPS Route 66 Cost-Share Grant Award. A work crew usually works the 3rd weekend of October on restoration projects at the site. The 6th annual work weekend in 2023 concentrated on efforts to repaint and restore the iconic 30-foot tall sign, but also worked on outside debris removal, inside cleanup and other related tasks. For more information, visit the Road Runner's Retreat website and the Road Runner's Retreat on Facebook |
Roy's Motel & Cafe in AmboyRoy's Motel and Café is a historic site on U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert town of Amboy in San Bernardino County. It functions as a 24-hour gas station, gift shop, and famous tourist attraction, due to its 1950s Googie-Style neon sign that can be seen for miles. For more information, phone 760.733.1066 |
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"Founded in 1858, Amboy provided a vital rest stop for weary sun-drenched travelers seeking a better life in California" | |
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Bicycle rider on Route 66 near Amboy, California
The Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark includes an extinct, 79,000 year old volcano, located about 1.5 miles south of Route 66. | ||
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The Ludlow Cafe ... breakfast, lunch, dinner ... next door is the Ludlow Motel
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Earlier days in Siberia, California ... seen here is a Texaco service station and post office between Ludlow and Bagdad |
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Route 66 Roadside Attraction: Bagdad Cafe, Newberry Springs, California Originally built in the 1950s, this world-famous restaurant was the location of the 1988 film "Bagdad Cafe" which became the new name of the restaurant in 1995. |
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Barstow, CaliforniaBarstow is located in the high western Mojave Desert. Several major highways including Interstate 15, Interstate 40, California State Route 58, and U.S. Route 66 converge in the city. |
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Harvey House in Barstow, California
MORE CALIFORNIA ROUTE 66 |
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Planning a Road Trip on Route 66? Here are trip planners for all eight states on The Mother Road ...
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