California Drivers Traveling to National Parks Urged to Monitor GPS Directions

California drivers who travel through national parks are urged to monitor their GPS directions before they get into a muddy situation.

According to a report, the National Park Service alerted California residents to the closure of several roads within the Mojave National Park due to flash flooding, which some mapping services might still mark as open.

“Recent road closures in Mojave National Preserve because of flash flooding highlight the risk of relying on mapping applications and driver-assisted technology. Mapping services may indicate that roads are open, but that may be inaccurate,” a release from the National Park Service reads. 

The Mojave National Preserve, established in 1994, as part of the California Desert Protection Act, is different from other national parks since many visitors will travel through the preserve to stay clear of Interstate-15 or 40, which park officials say is not practical as the preserve cannot handle the heavy traffic volumes coming from the interstate.

The preserve encompasses three of the four major North American deserts: Mojave, the Great Basin, and Sonoran.

Eight roads in the preserve are shut down due to flooding from August 26. This includes the Mojave Road, a route through the desert which is not impassable due to flooding and the mud dirt that would strand even four-wheel drive vehicles.

The hazardous road conditions are the effects of monsoon storms in the area that cause flash flooding.

The area usually experiences rainfall of approximately 3.5 inches to 10 inches, most of which happens between November and April. However, summer months will often see sudden, heavy rainfall, which causes damage to several roads throughout the preserve.

For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm.