MOUNTAIN PASS, CALIFORNIA

Rising Above the Desert

Mountain Pass, California is a small–unincorporated community located in San Bernardino County, California fifteen miles southwest of Primm.

With an elevation of over 4,700 feet, Mountain Pass is the highest point on Interstate 15 in California, and is more than 2,000 feet higher than the Ivanpah Valley floor.

Despite being in the Mojave Desert, Mountain Pass' elevation causes it to receive more precipitation than the low lying areas and with the lower temperatures.

The area supports more plant life including Creosote bush, Yucca, and Joshua Trees.

RELIEF FROM THE DESERT HEAT

Mountain Pass has a cooler climate than the surrounding desert valleys. Average high temperatures in the summer are near 90 degrees with low temperatures in the 60s.

Daytime highs in the winter are typically in the 50s with lows below freezing. Mountain Pass averages eight inches of precipitation per year, three inches more than Primm.

In the winter, the area receives occasional snowfall, with a modest average amount of nine inches per year.

RARE EARTH MINERALS MINE

There is a in Mountain Pass that has an interesting history. It has deposits of bastnäsite and other rare minerals.

The Mountain Pass mine once made the U.S. the world's largest producer of rare-earth minerals. You can learn more about the mine here.

THE CLARK MOUNTAINS

Mountain Pass sits at the southern edge of the Clark Mountain Range. The range extends for about fifteen miles in a southwest–northeasterly direction.

The Mountain Pass area is an interesting departure from the valley floor offering different scenery, plant life, and high mountain peaks.

If you love hiking or climbing, the area is well worth a visit!