29 Palms Adventure Itinerary: Desert Training Center, Mojave Trails National Monument

Plan your visit to 29 Palms, California, and discover America's most formative period in military history at the Desert Training Center in Mojave Trails National Monument!

Mojave Trails National Monument is home to some of the most well-preserved Desert Training Center training sites and camps, preserving one of the most extraordinary achievements in U.S. military history, and serving as a living memorial where the public can learn about this extraordinary chapter in America’s military history.

Established in March 1942 by General George S. Patton and his staff, the Desert Training Center was an 18,000 square mile area largely in southern California’s Mojave Desert region, and western Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, where U.S. Army troops trained before heading to the harsh deserts of North Africa. Between April 1942 and April 1944, more than 1-million soldiers and 60 armored, infantry and artillery divisions, and fighter pilot and heavy bomber squadrons trained here, participating in what is considered some of the most realistic war games ever conducted, under the harshest conditions imaginable. In a very real sense, many battles of World War II were won on these desert lands.

When planning a visit to explore this area of the monument, please do your part to honor, protect, and conserve this special area and know that the removal of artifacts, use of metal detectors, and OHV activity is prohibited.

Start planning your adventure to 29 Palms today and discover California's Mojave Desert: https://visit29.org/explore/mojave-tr....