Skip to content

Desert Lighthouse

Desert Lighthouse, seen from above at true elevation

Desert Lighthouse is a lighthouse in California, at a modelled elevation of 749 m. Slocum Mountain stands 1,541 m to the north, 23 miles off. The nearest named place is Lynx Cat Mountain, a peak 2.2 miles away. California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Scenic Byway passes 7.9 miles off. 80 named places lie within 25 miles, 30 of them named summits.

The story

Desert Lighthouse is a full-size functioning lighthouse in the Mojave Desert near Hinkley, California, United States. It was built in 2017 by artist Daniel Hawkins after nearly 10 years of planning and unexpected setbacks.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q64665961, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

How to reach it

Coordinates34.95750, -117.21267

80 named places within 25 miles

Peaks: 30
  • Lynx Cat Mountain: 2.2 mi
  • Red Hill: 2.5 mi
  • Mount General: 4.7 mi
  • Iron Mountain: 6.7 mi
  • B Hill: 10.8 mi
Parks: 27
Artworks: 5
  • Mom: 13.7 mi
  • 64: 21.3 mi
  • the tank man: 21.3 mi
  • Chief Iron Horse: 21.3 mi
  • Chinese Dissident: 21.4 mi
Attractions: 4
  • Rosita: 11.0 mi
  • CALICO: 19.8 mi
  • Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch: 19.8 mi
  • New Jack City (Rock Climbing): 24.2 mi
Museums: 4
Springs: 3
  • R Z Spring: 17.1 mi
  • Bird Spring: 17.4 mi
  • Sweetwater Spring: 20.5 mi
Historic sites: 3
  • Husky Monument: 18.8 mi
  • Daggett: 19.6 mi
  • Daggett Garage: 19.7 mi
Nature reserves: 2
  • Harper Dry Lake: 6.3 mi
  • Rainbow Basin/Owl Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern: 11.0 mi
Ghost towns: 1
Natural arches: 1
  • Kramer Arch: 20.9 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Desert Lighthouse. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Slocum MountainN 2°1,541 m23.4 mi
Stoddard MountainSSE 164°1,480 m18.6 mi
Calico PeakE 83°1,384 m21.3 mi
Lane MountainENE 59°1,380 m18.0 mi
Calico PeakE 83°1,370 m21.4 mi
Fremont PeakNW 320°1,362 m21.4 mi
Quartzite MountainS 190°1,338 m24.3 mi
Black MountainSSE 167°1,274 m23.1 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:5318:2819:01
June solstice05:3619:2920:07
September equinox06:3818:1418:47
December solstice06:5416:0316:42

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: Feb–May, Sep–Nov.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F475157637181878678675546
Precip in0.81.00.60.30.10.00.30.20.30.30.40.8

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Barstow, 12 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/10606646325

More lighthouses in California

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Desert Lighthouse.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens