Ridgecrest, CA

Ridgecrest is a desert city of 28,000 in California's Mojave Desert, serving as the civilian hub for China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. Located 150 miles northeast of LA, it's reached via Highway 14 north to Highway 178 west, or Highway 395 for north-south travel. The city sits at 2,300 feet in the Indian Wells Valley, completely surrounded by mountain ranges.