The Needles to Ludlow Truck Trail Part 1 when included with Part 2 is a 112-mile trek across the Mojave Desert. Part 1 starts in the rugged Sacramento Mountains, and looking back east is a green band following the Colorado River. Once out of the mountains, the trail is a straight line across the sandy desert floor through the Ward and Fenner Valleys, eventually reaching the famous Route 66. The abandoned Gold Ace west Mine is a great stop to inspect the mine's artifacts and try to reconstruct what once was a thriving operation. The trail is flat and maintained, and it is unlikely you will encounter another traveler. The trail is a great route for all driving skills when taking the proper safety precautions for a stay in the hot, desolate desert.

One major warning: It is illegal and dangerous to cross railroad tracks other than at a designated roadway crossing. NS-203 is shown on all maps to cross over a busy section of tracks with no roadway crossing and is heavily used by trains in both directions. The track for this route provides a safe and short detour to a legal road crossing at the town of Essex and then continues back onto NS-203.

the second half of the Needles to Ludlow Truck Trail.
Starting at the halfway point at Route 66 near Essex, the trail
ends at Ludlow. When reaching the hills, the views
reveal an ancient landscape, untouched by man save for the road you
are on. Panoramas are far as the eye can see in all directions and
show how alone you are on this trail. BLM manages the trail and
surrounding land. Dispersed camping is plentiful anywhere along the
way using BLM camping guidelines.

This trail is rated moderate only if using the bypasses built into the
route. These bypasses provide an alternative to sections that would be
rated severe to extreme and even may be impassable. These bypasses are
not marked or signed,  An experienced driver should drive the trail
using a high clearance 4x4.