Kelbaker Road Through Mojave, Okay for 2-Wheel-Drive Car?

March 3, 2008 5:52 PM

The Kelbaker Road between I-15 and I-40 in the Mojave National Park. I look online, and I find that it "mostly" paved. What does that mean? Can I drive through it safely in a standard 2-wheel front-drive sedan?
posted by meehawl to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Phone the ranger station at kelso or hole-in-the-wall (link to phone#). I toook a mostly paved rd through the mojave in a corolla (don't remeber whether it was the kelbaker) and it was fine. Check condtions on the ground though!
posted by lalochezia at 7:14 PM on March 3, 2008

Paved all the way no worries.
posted by hortense at 7:41 PM on March 3, 2008

I don't know anything about that particular road, but in my experience, the answer is yes except maybe in bad weather (snow, heavy rain). You'll just want to slow down for the bumpy bits. Roads that aren't passable by common cars get another designation, though I forget what it is, it's more explicit than simply "unpaved". Even "unimproved roads" have generally not been a problem for me.
posted by hattifattener at 10:28 PM on March 3, 2008

Best answer: I drove it last month in a Prius. Think of it as "paved but badly maintained". There are some massive potholes and a few dips and hills that could bottom-out your car if you're going substantially above the speed limit. (Also a cop or two, so avoid speeding.)

It's pitch black at night - no lights and probably no other cars. I'd make sure your car's in good shape because you're a long way from anyone who can fix it. Otherwise, no problem, and it saved us from lots of traffic further south on I-15.
posted by mmoncur at 5:01 AM on March 4, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks all!
posted by meehawl at 8:26 AM on March 4, 2008

I love that road.
posted by parilous at 9:56 AM on March 4, 2008