This is a gaunt land of splintered peaks, torn valleys, and hot skies. And at every step there is the suggestion of the fierce, the defiant, the defensive. Everything within its borders seems fighting to maintain itself against destroying forces. There is a war of elements and a struggle for existence going on here that for ferocity is unparalleled elsewhere in nature.
The Desert, John C, Van Dyke, 1901
The locations to the south of Nevada State Route 164 are encompassed within the real world’s formal boundaries of the Mojave National Preserve, which differs from the general Mojave Desert distinction of the entire area.
couriers always spot the post offices
It is difficult to determine the scale used by the game, when trying to find these locations. I did my best to triangulate from known locations – such as Mojave Outpost and Nipton, but may need some wiggle room due to the vastness of the space. I have spent many days of my life lazily zigzagging back and forth through this beautiful part of the world by Jeep and on foot, and I love to share the sights.
Locations
# 151 / 154 – Crescent Canyon west / east
# 152 – Mojave Drive-In
# 153 – Bradley’s shack
# 431 – Interstate 40
Location Details
# 151 / 154 – Crescent Canyon west / east – In the area, there are many informal areas called mining districts, one of which is is called Crescent. It forms a canyon between the McCullough and Crescent Peak ranges.
this is why we cant have nice things
There is a canyon immediately to the south of Mountain Pass named Macedonia Canyon. There is also a Crescent Peak northeast of this location and a railroad bridge spanning a canyon which is not accessible by vehicle and is a wild two hour loop hike. In addition, there is a canyon further south of Mojave Outpost called Hole-in-the-Wall, named after the unique rock formations.
As an aside, in game, the railroad tracks end somehow underneath the railcar, and turn into a road to the edge and then again on the other side. There is no evidence of broken tracks down below in the canyon that I could find. You can see the weird transition below.
huh
In comparing to a real world map, the location roughly coincides with the ghost town of Ivanpah. It is not a town anymore, and all that remains is the railroad signage. There used to be a house and outbuildings by the curve in the road, but as of January 2020, they have been torn down.
The way I like to drive out here is not by Ivanpah Road, but the offroad trails that cut across the Mojave preserve. I swear I find something new every time I come out here. From Morning Star Mine Road hang due east by Sixmile tank, heading northeast a bit later. It will spit you out right by the tracks, and is one of the most beautiful (slow, bumpy, crazy) drives. Definitely needs 4×4 but not necessarily higher than normal clearance.
# 152 – Mojave Drive-in – There are no drive-in movie theaters in this area in our world, only Nipton Moore Road, following the railroad tracks south through the Mojave Preserve. There are a few mines that have detritus similar to the Old World Blues satellite. They surround the ghost town of Moore, California, which like Ivanpah, is not as much of a town as a railstop.
# 153 – Bradley’s shack – I have to admit that upon entering this shack in-game, the rigged shotgun didn’t kill me, but it made the real-life-me jump a foot in the air. In our world, I found a similar shack around the Billy Boy Mine area, just without the addition of the Old World Flag. However, in aligning with the real world map, the location would be close to Dove Spring, close to Castle Peaks North.
Please use caution here! This area most assuredly requires 4×4, as I keep saying over and over, but this region is particularly challenging to traverse. The roads, if you can call them roads, are fairly sketchy – super narrow, rutted, big rocks, and washed out in places. I would recommend only trying to make it out here if you have not only a designated 4×4 and also a companion with a similar vehicle. There is no cell reception or anyone for miles and miles. Consider outfitting one of the vehicles with a winch and accompanying tools, especially in winter.
When I was on my way back to NV-164, one such road degraded under the weight of my Jeep and nearly flipped toward the driver’s side down a massive embankment. I have only foggy panic memories of how I got out of there – an instinctive shift into 4L is likely what saved me. My hands were shaky for long while afterwards. Please stay safe!
nice, flat, not-eroding pavement
# 431 – Interstate 40 – Below this terrifying area, Interstate 40 runs east to west, running along the south border of the Mojave Preserve. One of the Mojave signs are located here, where it intersects with Kelbaker Road. The location was only mentioned in-game, but I figured I would mention it since I always drive by here anyway. It is a good place for a photo with the sign, because it faces south. The other signs face north, which means taking a photo into the sun, which sucks for photos.
The Lucky Thirty Kate 