During WW II, this whole area...
During WW II, this whole area of the California desert was used as a desert training center for troops. These tracks in the desert varnish are from tanks and heavy trucks back then. If you drive over these today, you won't leave a track. At certain times of year, wildflowers make the trip even more worthwhile.
Mile 47.9: The left fork is the Graham Pass Road, a good road over the Chuckwallas to I-10. The Bradshaw Trail is the right fork.
Mile 56.4: A faint track leads north into the Little Chuckwalla Mountains. This road ends at a mine, but has many trails issuing from both sides of it. There are some great camping spots along here. Back on the Bradshaw Trail, in 9.9 miles you'll reach . . .
Mile 66.3: Here is the Mule Mountains Long-Term Visitor Area. During the winter months, thousands of "snow birds" bring their RVs and form a small city. A road intersects the trail here. To the left (north) is Wiley's Well, which was developed after the Bradshaw Trail days (the trail used Mule Springs, a few miles to the east, which was obliterated by flooding in the 1920s). There's a BLM campground at Wiley's Well. To the south, the road heads for some fantastic geode beds for you rock hounds. That's another story, so let's continue on the Bradshaw Trail.
Our route climbs east over the Mule Mountains, which have some interesting old mines to explore. In 10.9 miles, we reach . . .
Mile 77.2: Here our trail Ts into Highway 78. Turn left (north) onto 78, and you'll ultimately reach I-10.
The original Bradshaw Trail entered the Palo Verde Valley at today's 18th Avenue. The Willow Springs Stage Station once stood on 18th, 1 mile west of Neighbors Boulevard.
Travel east on I-10, go through Blythe, cross the Colorado River, and exit at the first opportunity in Arizona. This is the Ehrenberg exit. Head north, through the town of Ehrenberg, and in approximately 5.8 miles, you'll come to the site of La Paz on your left. It's hard to imagine the way it must have looked in the 1860s, when La Paz was a clamorous city of thousands of gold seekers. Today, only a few excavated foundations mark the terminus of the Bradshaw Trail.
The Bradshaw Trail is worth exploring. It's easy enough for the beginner, and the history and terrain are fascinating to most everyone. Summer gets very hot (110-plus degrees F), so fall, winter, and spring months are probably a better time to make the trip. Remember to take plenty of water, another vehicle, and let people know when you'll be returning.