Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
About
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is a California state park managed by State Park and Recreation, about 9 miles from the town of Hayden. It sits within the Mojave National Preserve, so the preserve and the recreation area make a natural pairing for a trip to the area. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Mitchell Caverns weather station, at about 4,350 feet, show April highs around 68°F and October highs around 74°F, while July highs average about 92°F. The closest trail is the Mary Beal Nature Trail, about a mile away. Barber Peak Loop Trail, Rings Loop and the Barber Peak Connector Trail all lie within about 8 miles.
Park size
5,859 acres
Location
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
California
Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Mar–May. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–77°F and lows of 45–58°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mitchell Caverns, CA weather station, 3 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan54° high40° low
- Feb55° high41° low
- Mar62° high45° low
- Apr68° high50° low
- May77° high58° low
- Jun87° high69° low
- Jul92° high73° low
- Aug91° high72° low
- Sep85° high68° low
- Oct74° high57° low
- Nov62° high47° low
- Dec53° high40° low
Where it is
- Mojave National Preserve · National Park Service
- Providence Mountains State Recreation Area · Public land
- Nearest town
- Hayden, California · 9.1 mi
- Managed by
- State Park and Recreation
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Mojave National Preserve as of Oct 9, 2026:
NPS Visitor Wi-Fi
Information · posted Sep 24, 2026
Kelso Depot Visitor Center closed
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Delays up to 1 hour are possible at Kelbaker Road Railroad Crossing near Kelso Depot
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Do not pick up hitchhikers
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Hart Mine Road Closed
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Mary Beal Nature TrailHiking1.2 mi
- Barber Peak Loop TrailHiking8.2 mi
- Rings LoopHiking8.4 mi
- Barber Peak Connector TrailHiking8.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
