{{Short description|Road in California}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2019}} {{infobox street | name = Kelbaker Road | location = San Bernardino County, California, United States | maint = San Bernardino County, California | length_mi = 68.7 | length_ref = <ref name="google"/> | direction_a = South | terminus_a = {{Jct|state=CA|CR|66|road|National Trails Highway}} east of Amboy | direction_b = North | terminus_b = {{jct|state=CA|I|15|SR|127}} in Baker | junction = {{jct|state=CA|I|40}} north-northeast of Amboy }}
'''Kelbaker Road''' is a paved road in San Bernardino County, California, that serves as the primary and busiest route through the Mojave National Preserve.<ref name="LATTimes">{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-28-tr-21816-story.html | title=A Desert Jaunt Over Dunes, Hills and Lava Beds | first=John | last=McKinney | work=Los Angeles Times | date=March 28, 1999}}</ref> It also connects the communities of Kelso and Baker.<ref name="NPS">{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/kelbaker-road.htm| title=Kelbaker Road | publisher=National Park Service | access-date=February 22, 2019}}</ref> Its southern terminus is at County Route 66 (CR 66) between Amboy and Chambless. Kelbaker Road's northern terminus is at Interstate 15 (I-15) in Baker. The road then continues as State Route 127 (SR 127) northward to Nevada, connecting to SR 373, passing near Death Valley National Park.
==Route description== Kelbaker Road begins at County Route 66, part of the National Trails Highway (Historic Route 66) between Amboy and Chambless. It then travels north between the Bristol Mountains on the west and the Marble Mountains to the east to its junction at Interstate 40, north of Brown Buttes. From there, Kelbaker Road continues northeast between the Granite Mountains on the west and Providence Mountains to the east, over the {{convert|4035|ft|m|adj=on}} Granite Pass, and then north past the eastern edge of the Kelso Dunes to the community of Kelso.
From Kelso, Kelbaker Road continues north running near the foot of the Kelso Mountains. Reaching near the foot of Kelso Peak, the road then runs northwest between the Kelso Mountains to the west and the Marl Mountains on the east. Southeast of Seventeen Mile Point, the road travels parallel to Willow Wash for a few miles. Willow Wash along this section was a part of the Mojave Road or Old Government Road to Fort Mohave. The road then continues north after crossing the wash, then turns west approximately {{convert|11|mi|km}} to Baker.
The total distance along Kelbaker Road from CR 66 to I-15 in Baker is {{convert|68.5|mi|km}},<ref>[http://mapper.acme.com ACME Mapper] from map information found on mapper.acme.com, accessed April 19, 2016{{full|date=February 2019}}</ref><ref name="google"/> while the distance from I-40 to Baker is about {{convert|56|mi|km}}.<ref name="NPS"/>
===Points of interest=== Kelbaker Road is the primary route through Kelso and the Mojave National Preserve, and thus passes by or connects to points of interest such as:<ref name="LATTimes"/><ref name="NPS"/>
* Cinder Cone National Natural Landmark * Granite Mountains * Kelso Depot * Kelso Dunes
== Major intersections == {{jcttop|state=CA|length_ref=<ref name="google">{{Google maps|title=Kelbaker Road|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/National+Trails+Hwy+%26+Kelbaker+Rd,+California+92332/Kelbaker+Road+%26+Kelso+Cima+Road,+California/Death+Valley+Rd+%26+Baker+Blvd,+Baker,+CA+92364/@34.9123365,-116.1712029,10z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x80cff8b4d4d3e6c1:0xd0df9fd8786c8a1b!2m2!1d-115.6423382!2d34.560193!1m5!1m1!1s0x80cf87787df3d1e3:0x7b26f7dc5b85cdf8!2m2!1d-115.6542508!2d35.0120093!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c5bdc79162ae69:0x7f12a3df772391bd!2m2!1d-116.0750212!2d35.26537!3e0?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D |access-date=June 15, 2025}}</ref>|county=San Bernardino}} {{CAint |location=none |mile=0.0 |road={{jct|state=CA|road|National Trails Highway|name1=CR 66|city1=Amboy|city2=Chambless|city3=Cadiz}} |notes=Southern terminus of Kelbaker Road; former US 66 }} {{CAint |location=none |mile=11.4 |road={{jct|state=CA|I|40|name1=Needles Freeway|city1=Needles|city2=Barstow}} |notes=I-40 exit 78 }} {{CAint |location=Kelso |mile=33.9 |road={{jct|state=CA|road|Kelso-Cima Road|location1=Hayden|city2=Cima}} |notes=Southern terminus of Kelso-Cima Road }} {{CAint |location=Baker |lspan=2 |mile=68.5 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=CA|I|15|name1=Mojave Freeway|SR|127|dir2=north|location1=Las Vegas|city2=Barstow}} |notes=Southern end of SR 127 concurrency; southern terminus of SR 127; I-15 exit 246 }} {{CAint |mile=68.7 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=CA|road|Baker Boulevard|name1=I-15 Bus.|location1=Death Valley|location2=Las Vegas|city3=Barstow}} |notes=Northern end of SR 127 concurrency; former US 91 / US 466; roadway continues as Death Valley Road }} {{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Roads in San Bernardino County, California