Gateway to Death Valley. Home of the darkest skies in Southern California. Where the Mojave meets the Sierra β and NAWS China Lake guards the horizon.
From the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere to the highest peak in the contiguous US β all within 90 minutes of Ridgecrest.
Ridgecrest grew from a frontier settlement into one of the most strategically vital cities in California. Its story is written in gold rushes, world wars, Native American heritage, and the relentless spirit of the high desert.
Step outside the city limits and the Milky Way appears like a river of light. Ridgecrest sits in one of the least light-polluted zones in Southern California.
Plan a Stargazing TripNaval Air Weapons Station China Lake is one of the most significant military research, development, testing and evaluation facilities in the world β located right outside Ridgecrest.
The installation spans over 1.1 million acres of the Mojave Desert β larger than the state of Rhode Island β and represents over 85% of the U.S. Navy's land-based weapons research capability.
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