Fossil Falls — Local services in Ridgecrest

I'm writing this review hoping to save others from the challenging experience we had. While the destination offers some geological interest, the difficult access and modest payoff make this a hard spot to recommend for most visitors.

[Access & Drive] The drive to Fossil Falls Lookout is genuinely brutal. The road conditions are rough enough that we ended up parking at a small turnoff and walking the final 0.3 miles rather than risk our vehicle further. There appeared to be alternative routes, but without clear signage or reliable information, we stuck with the main approach and regretted it.

[The Lookout] Once you finally reach the lookout, the views are decent but not spectacular enough to justify the difficult journey. The fossil formations are interesting from a geological perspective (although hard to find at this exact spot), but the overall experience feels underwhelming given the effort required to get there.

[Parking] Limited parking options, and as mentioned, we had to stop short of the actual destination due to road conditions. Come prepared for a walk regardless of where you manage to park.

[Recommendations] Unless you're specifically interested in geology or enjoy extremely rugged outdoor challenges, I'd suggest exploring other more accessible scenic spots in the area. If you do decide to visit, bring a high-clearance vehicle and expect to do some tough walking.

[Final Recommendation] For most visitors, the difficult access outweighs the modest rewards. There are likely better ways to spend your time exploring the region's other natural attractions.

As a final note, I am open to the idea we went down the wrong road, however, when we did reach the lookout, everything said "Fossil Falls Lookout". Again, maybe a different path we missed but poor signage makes it hard to know.

Should you visit Fossil Falls Lookout, I hope you have better luck with the access route and a more enjoyable experience than we had!

PS - In my frustration I forgot to take any photos or...

Fossil Falls is a fun place to stop for a couple of hours. Once off the highway, there is about a 5 minute drive (road is graded, not paved) to the parking site where there are a couple picnic tables and a bathroom. The hiking trail is pretty gentle with a few rocky spots... it is fine for most kids and adults, but may be hard for people who already have trouble getting around. At first the trail looks like its not getting anywhere, but keep going and you'll find the falls and canyon, its just not visible from the road. My kids loved it and at ages 6 and 3 didn't need much help getting around. They wore bike gloves, knee and elbow pads which helped them avoid scrapes climbing over the rough rocks. Don't forget to bring sun hats, sunscreen and cold water as...

Visited here on the first day of November/20. Fossil Falls is an easy hike and it’s super cool. It is free to see the falls and use picnic tables. Only 0.5 out & back and It’s really close to 395 highway. Fossil falls have no water running though, but it is unique geological feature, with a spectacular formation lava flow sculpture by rushing water and wind. Throughout the area, black volcanic rocks are piled up inviting me to climbing and investigating of geologic oddities and lizards that inhabit them. I found one fossil. The sunset on the mountains is incredible, 360 degrees phenomenal views. It made more captures posted on my journey. It’s definitely worth coming off the highway, stretching your legs and be eyes witness such cool...