Chiriaco Summit, California: Lost Desert Camp Monument
Camp Young was a massive desert training camp built during World War II. Today nothing remains except the desert, and one lonely monument.
- Address:
- Cottonwood Springs Rd, Chiriaco Summit, CA
- Directions:
- I-10 exit 168. Drive north on Cottonwood Springs Rd for a quarter-mile. Turn right at small brown "Camp Young" sign onto dirt road. Drive one mile. Monument is on the left. The dirt road may flood in rainy weather.
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During World War II the desert around Joshua Tree National Park was used a massive training ground for troops bound for North Africa. These men were housed in tent cities in the desert. No permanent structures were built (to keep it as close as possible to field conditions) so very little is left of any of these wartime training camps. Camp Young, though the HQ, is no exception. Nothing remains except low rock outlines marking where tents were placed. A monument placed by E Clampus Vitus gives information, as well as the Patton Museum just down the road.
[John Kostka, 04/21/2018]Nearby Offbeat Places
General Patton Memorial Museum, Chiriaco Summit, CA - 4 mi.
Bombay Beach: Odd Art, Bombay Beach, CA - 22 mi.
Iwo Jima in the Desert, Twentynine Palms, CA - 32 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
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