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A happy couple out on a bike ride in the desert

Activities

Discover
Things to do in Town and Nearby

Surrounded by four mountain ranges, an adjacent to the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, the city of Ridgecrest offers all kinds of things to experience in town and in the surrounding region. Below are some of our favorite things to experience.  

China lake golf course golf tee and ball.

Golf Course, Pro Shop, & Restaurant

The 18-hole course features 6,832 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 72.6 and it has a slope rating of 124 on Bermuda grass.

China Lake Golf Course

China Lake Golf Course

a man bowling

Bowling, Arcade, & Bar

Sierra Lanes is a complete family recreation center with bowling, a video arcade, restaurant, and a full bar!

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Sierra Lanes

Sierra Lanes

couple hiking

Hike, Bike, & Trail run

From ancient forests to vast deserts, the area around Ridgecrest is a playground for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike.

Trails in Ridgecrest

Ridgecrest Trails

Couple's Ride

Horseback Riding, Lessons, & Boarding 

Offering English and Western riding lessons, recreatio9nal riding, and boarding services.

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C & C Training Stables

C & C Training Stables

RMES Production of Joseph musical.

Community Theatre

From the community orchestra to live musicals and plays, there's something for everyone to experience.

Find Live Theatre Events

Live Theatre

Happy Tennis Players

Community Parks

If you love tennis, pickleball, racquetball, basketball, disc golf, or looking for a place for a picnic, the Ridgecrest parks are your destination.

Map of Parks

Parks & Recreation

Maturango Museum building

Museum, Gift Shop, & Tours

Featuring the natural and cultural history of the Upper Mojave Desert, including tours to the world-famous Coso petroglyphs.

Maturango Museum

Maturango Museum

China Lake Museum Foundation airplane.

Museum, Gift Shop

A large variety of past and present US Navy aircraft, weapons, and technology are available at the Museum for close up viewing. 

China Lake Museum

China Lake Museum 

Just
A Short Drive Away

Besides the activities and events that can be enjoyed in town, there are a variety of things to experience nearby. 

Two people on a jet ski

Water Sports

Lake Isabella

Boating, Jet Skiing, Fishing, & Windsurfing

Lake Isabella is at the heart of the Kern River Valley with many activities to offer. If you love fishing, be sure to visit during the annual Fishing Derby, where you could catch one of 500 tagged trouts valued between $20-$5,000. 

Lake Isabella
People hiking at Red Rock Canyon

Great Outdoors

Red Rock Canyon

Hiking, Rock Climbing & Camping

Red Rock Canyon State Park features scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations. Each tributary canyon is unique, with dramatic shapes and vivid colors.

Red Rock Canyon
Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery

Fish Hatchery

Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery 

Boating, Jet Skiing, Fishing, & Windsurfing

The Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery, located in Independence, California, is an historic fish hatchery that has played an important role in the preservation of the golden trout, California's state fish.

Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery
Trona Pinnacles.

Great Outdoors

Trona Pinnacles

Camping, Hiking

Featured in Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, and Lady Gaga's music video, Stupid Love, the Trona Pinnacles are a unique geological feature in the California Desert Conservation Area. The unusual landscape consists of more than 500 tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet, rising from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin.

Trona Pinnacles
Kern River Outfitters rafting ride.

River Rafting

Momentum River Expeditions

White Water Rafting

Since 1980, Momentum River Expeditions has offered river rafting trips on the Upper, Lower and Forks of the Kern river. 

Momentum River Expeditions

Even
More to Explore

See other areas of interest both in town and nearby.

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