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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Barstow

2 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Barstow, California

Updated November 30, 2022

Unusual Attractions in Barstow

Barstow, California

Painted Rocks

The cluster of boulders near Fort Irwin is covered in military insignia.

Barstow, California

Vivos Underground Shelter Network for 4,000 Survivors

Nationwide network of co-ownership underground catastrophe shelters.

Barstow, California

Rainbow Basin

Colorful sedimentary rock layers provide opportunities both for hiking and photography.

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Yermo, California

Peggy Sue's 50's Diner & Diner-Saur Park

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

7 miles from Barstow

Yermo, California

Calico Ghost Town

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

9 miles from Barstow

Daggett, California

Solar One and Solar Two

Decommissioned experimental solar facilities that pioneered solar energy technology.

9 miles from Barstow

Newberry Springs, California

Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark

The "Fun Spot of the Desert" is now a haunting ruin, and a reminder that putting a water park in a desert is a bad idea.

19 miles from Barstow

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