Johnson Valley, California

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Johnson Valley
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Johnson Valley
Location in California
Coordinates: 34°24′12″N116°35′33″W / 34.40333°N 116.59250°W / 34.40333; -116.59250 Coordinates: 34°24′12″N116°35′33″W / 34.40333°N 116.59250°W / 34.40333; -116.59250
Country United States
State California
County San Bernardino
Population
 (2000)
  Total2,181
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
92285
Area code 760

Johnson Valley is a small unincorporated community in San Bernardino County in Southern California between Victor Valley and Morongo Basin areas of the High Desert region of California. It is north of Highway 247 in the Mojave Desert, and north by northwest of Yucca Valley. It is bordered by the San Bernardino Mountains to the south, Lucerne Valley to the west, and Landers to the east.

Contents

Geographically, Johnson Valley is the eastern portion of Lucerne Valley (referring to the geographical valley formation rather than the unincorporated town), opening up to the Homestead Valley in the southeast to the communities of Flamingo Heights, Landers, and Yucca Valley.

Twilight just after sunset looking into the hillsides of Johnson Valley, California Demon Valley, California.jpg
Twilight just after sunset looking into the hillsides of Johnson Valley, California

Population

Defined as a ZCTA (ZIP-Code Tabulation Area, 92285), the combined population of Landers plus Johnson Valley (which share the zip code) is approximately 2,200 residents as of 2013. [1]

Points of interest

Johnson Valley, famous for the Chemihuevi Native Indian "Willie Boy" incident in 1909, [2] is home to desert areas such as Rock Corral and a number of indigenous petroglyphic sites in the northernmost areas of Chaparral Desert landscapes south of Pisgah Crater. Johnson Valley is bordered by Landers to its south, and is the western gateway to Big Bear Lake, California.

Recreation

Johnson Valley OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) area is a tract of BLM-managed land set aside for recreational use by residents and off-highway enthusiasts. The OHV area is bordered by Interstate 40 at its northernmost point, at Highway 247's northern leg to Barstow at its western border, and at Emerson Dry Lake/US Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at its easternmost border. Off-Road Enthusiasts participate in a course known as "The Hammers", a triangular off-road track at Bessemer Mine Road at the southern point of Soggy Lake. King of the Hammers, an off-road desert race, utilizes trails found in "The Hammers". Expansion plans of the US Marine Corps AGCC Base include annexing parts of the OHV area, which may permanently close access to the track.

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Yucca Valley is an incorporated town in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 20,700 as of the 2010 census. Yucca Valley lies 17 miles (27 km) west of Twentynine Palms, 27 miles (43 km) north of Palm Springs, 62 miles (100 km) south of Barstow via State Route 247 and 55 miles (89 km) east of San Bernardino.

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The Mojave River is an intermittent river in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the time, except for the headwaters and several bedrock gorges in the lower reaches.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amargosa Valley</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 247</span> Highway in California

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucerne Valley, California</span> Census-designated place in California, USA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Hammers</span> Off-road race in Johnson Valley, California, US

King of the Hammers is an off-road race that combines desert racing and rock crawling. This race is held in February on Means Dry Lake at Johnson Valley, California, United States. The race is broadcast live on Ultra 4 Racing's website. King of The Hammers race week has expanded from one race. It is now a series of five races that run throughout the week. The races include a Can AM UTV event on Sunday, the ULTRA4 vs. Rock Bouncer shootout on Monday, the Every Man Challenge Race on Wednesday, and the Toyo Desert Invitational on Thursday.

References

  1. http://factfinder.census.gov/ Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine US Census FactFinder application, using 92285 as a search term. Accessed June 6, 2010.
  2. "The Willie Boy Story".