Get your kicks on Route 66 with the BLM and partners

Story by Noelle Glines-Bovio, Mojave Trails National Monument Manager; and Somer Shaw, Public Affairs Specialist. Photos by Bob Wick and Somer Shaw.

Inspiration, adventure, and a stunning mosaic of rugged mountain ranges, ancient lava flows, and spectacular sand dunes can be found along Route 66 Needles-to-Barstow Scenic Byway and the surrounding BLM-managed Mojave Trails National Monument in California. The BLM Needles Field Office, along with 17 partners, recently celebrated the first anniversary of the California Historic Route 66 Needles-to-Barstow Scenic Byway designation and the sixth anniversary of the designation of the Mojave Trails National Monument.

An event, sponsored by the Needles Chamber of Commerce and California Historic Route 66 Association, was held at the historic El Garces Harvey House Hotel and Train Depot in Needles, California on Feb. 12, where the city of Needles proclaimed U.S. Route 66 a valuable tourist attraction for the area. The celebration at El Garces was a fun day filled with information sharing on the historic road. Music of the era (1950s) played for all to hear and classic cars decorated the grounds. Approximately 300 people were in attendance with 70 people enjoying a historic tour describing the Jewel of the Desert (the Harvey House) and the importance of Route 66. 

“The celebration was a great mile marker for the Mojave Trails National Monument and speaks to the success of the BLM Needles field staff and their many partners to pivot in response to the unexpected social environment of the last two years,” said Mojave Trails National Monument Manager Noelle Glines-Bovio. “Staying connected to partners in the stewardship of public lands was key in the designation of the Needles-to-Barstow Scenic Byway and continues to strengthen the ongoing partnerships the Mojave Trails National Monument enjoys.” 

The Scenic Byway, with its rich history, is part of the Mojave Trails National Monument that surrounds the 178-mile stretch, providing one of the iconic highway’s most intact landscapes along its 2,400-mile length. One of the original national transportation system highways, Route 66 was adopted in 1926 and connected travelers from Chicago to Los Angeles. Nearly 60 years of use and maintenance needs on the enormously popular highway led to its decommissioning in 1984, with many sections replaced by the Interstate system. 

Just like Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock (of the Route 66 television series) driving in their Corvette Stingray convertible, you can take to the road along the Scenic Byway and enjoy the wind in your hair and the beauty of the desert’s expansive vistas out ahead, while traveling through small historic towns and connecting to recreational opportunities along the way.