Father Crowley Overlook — Attraction in Ridgecrest

Historical plaque inscriptions:

Padre Crowley Point In Memory of the Padre of the Desert Father John J. Crowley 1891-1940

From the snowey heights of the Sierras beyond the deep shadows of Death Valley, beloved and trusted by people of all faiths. He led them toward life's wider horizons. He passed this way.

On September 12, 1934 Father Crowley was the first priest to celebrate Mass on the top of Mt. Whitney on a portable altar outside the Smithsonian hut on the 14,495-foot peak. He was assisted by Harry Clinch, the seminarian from Fresno who was on summer leave.

This memorial marks the spot of Father J.J. Crowley’s unexpected death in September of 1940. He struck a steer that was on the highway, with his old Model-T Ford, when returning to Bishop from a trip to San Francisco.

Military Training:

Before you is part of one of the largest military aircraft training areas in the U.S. It has been used continuously since the 1930s. Much of what is now the western portion of Death Valley National Park was added under the condition that this training would continue. Rainbow Canyon, below, is used for low level navigation training. It earned it the nickname "Star Wars Canyon" due to technical flight maneuvers done here. Navigating at low altitude and high speed is a necessary skill for military pilots to develop, hone, and practice. Many tasks must be performed simultaneously while at high speeds, requiring immense technical skill. Military pilots spend hours in a simulator prior to their first low level flight, and only the most qualified pilots are given permission to fly here.

A Tribute to a Hero:

On July 31, 2019, Lieutenant Commander Charles Z. Walker died in a tragic training accident in Rainbow Canyon. He was flying a F/A-18E Super Hornet based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. He lived his dream of being a Navy fighter pilot and a graduate of the prestigious Top Gun school. LtCr Walker served as Training Officer and Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor, with over 2,000 flight hours, 465 carrier landings, and flew 9 combat missions. Over his impressive career he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, two Navy Achievement Medals, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and additional unit and service awards. He was survived by his...

My wife sent me here for my 50th Birthday, I'm a major jet geek. Star Wars Canyon has been booming in the jet photography groups. There's the Mach Loop in Wales, and this place is the next best thing. I was here 3/13-14 2019. My first day I was there from 1-5:30 and only saw 5 jets. The British gents I had talked to said it was far busier in the morning.

My 2nd day we had 14 total, but there were 3 hours in between jet sightings so there is lots of down time. There's no set schedule for these planes to fly the canyon. If you have a scanner you can punch in 315.9 and hear them "going Jedi Transition". But because of the Mts to the West you can't hear everything so you need to listen for jet rumbles. Most action flies West to East, but we had 2 jets fly East to West on Wed twice.

My first picture is from Pano point just to the left of Father Crowley Overlook. My 2nd picture is from "Saddles" further down into the Canyon where you see cars park along the road and hike up the mountain. My 3rd picture is from down the dirt road from Father Crowley's overview.

I'll be heading out here for sure again once it cools down again. Was cold and windy when we were there, needed winter gear. But this week a Panamint Rattlesnake was spotted so you need to be aware...

It’s not even fair to try and compare this to other points. This place is absolutely beautiful and will continue to stay in my memories for years to come. I’ll definitely be back out here. This is developed slightly. Bathrooms, parking lots, and a very very nice dirt road/trail to the furthest look out point!

I know a lot of you are passing through, but if you get a chance to stay past sundown, you’ll feel like your on a spaceship. The stars light up the sky, and the silence of the world is striking. Clean air, clean sky, and a very very quiet road make for one of the most incredible experiences for a road trip.

I want to share my images I took on my Sony, but the files are quite big. Photographers and videographers, this is a MUST. I took some photos here for my phone review, portfolio, and website.

Proposals, couples, anything else you want...this is nature’s gift to the artists Demanding perfect golden hour and blue...