Arriving at Check In:

EVERYONE must stop at the Check In gate, including re-entering attendees/volunteers/staff. We do not have a dedicated exit or re-entry lane (for anything other than emergencies) on opening day (which is Wednesday), so plan accordingly if you’re already on site and need to run an errand that day.

Have your ticket (printed is best, or saved as an image on your phone in case you don’t have reception), with valid, government-issued photo ID. (US state ID, passports, and military ID are accepted.)
This event is strictly 18+, and if you are not 18 by the day you are checking in, you will not be admitted.

Once in an entry lane, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR LANE! Cutting back and forth is dangerous and slows everyone down.

DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH THE GATE WITHOUT STOPPING.

Security will pursue any vehicle that does not stop at the gate.

All vehicles are subject to search by our team.

Please listen to the Check In Team and Staff! We are there to get you into the event as fast and safely as possible.
If we are telling you to move your vehicle, please move your vehicle!
If we tell you to get back in your vehicle, please get back in your vehicle! If we tell you to stop, stop!

5mph please! We are out there for a long time and breathe enough space dust as it is, please don’t make us unnecessarily breathe more, even if there’s no line. Volunteers are also often in the lanes, please keep us safe!

You do NOT have to be in costume or themed vehicles to enter the event. You can arrive in your normal clothes and change once you’re settled in your camping spot.

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DO NOT APPROACH FROM THE EAST SIDE OF ROSEWOOD or CLAYMINE.
If you try to come in from the east, you will not be able to enter the event from that direction.
Instead, you will be routed to the end of the line of cars coming from the WEST end of Rosewood Blvd.  (We keep the east approach open as much as possible for emergency vehicles and staff members on official business).  Trying to enter the event from the wrong direction will get you rerouted all the way around and to the back of the line to the west, so please don’t waste your time.

FOLLOW ANY/ALL ROAD SIGNS AND STAFF INSTRUCTIONS

We cannot overstate this one enough.
Our volunteer crew takes time to mark areas of concern with signs indicating rough roads, speed limits, sand hazards, and other important things. These signs are there to HELP YOU. If you ignore them, you may end up stuck in a spot you can’t get out of, or on a road you’re not supposed to be on. Please, please, follow any/all roadsigns and staff instructions.

Wasteland Weekend opens to all ticketed attendees at 7am on Wednesday, September 30th.
After that, the gate is open 24 hours until the event ends.

The road leading to the event (Rosewood Blvd.) is a dirt road, so please drive slowly and carefully.

The road is relatively flat with some usual dirt road bumps and dips. Rosewood is split into two sides, like a two lane street.  Use the SOUTH lane on Rosewood, it is better for most non 4WD vehicles.
Also, as of Sept. 20th 2023, the road has been freshly graded. We put significant time and money into fixing it after the heavy rains over the summer. It’s now better than it was at NEO 2023.
Almost any vehicle should be able to travel it without trouble, as long as you follow any/all signs and staff instructions.

Once you have arrived at Check In, please follow any/all signs and instructions from staff.

When approaching correctly from the west, you WILL be able to bypass the line of cars IF everyone in your vehicle has already checked in and already have their wristbands. This only applies to Thurs – Sat.

Closest Airports:

Ontario (ONT), Burbank (BUR), and San Bernardino (SBD).

Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 2.5 hours away from the site (not including traffic).

Directions:

From Los Angeles:

Take I-5 Freeway north. Merge onto CA-14 towards Palmdale.
About an hour later, you’ll take a be in Mojave, CA.
Turn right at the light onto CA-58 BUS E (signs for Las Vegas/Barstow)
About six minutes later (after you’ve passed the Mojave Space Port), you’ll make another right hand turn to merge onto CA-58.
Follow CA-58 eastward for about 20 miles (30 minutes).
Take the lefthand turn onto California City Blvd. and follow for about 6 miles (12 minutes) to Rosewood Blvd.
Turn right onto Rosewood Blvd.
Follow Rosewood Blvd (carefully) for about 6 miles (14 minutes), keeping to the posted speed limits and following any/all signs
You’ll arrive at our front gate (right hand side).

From San Diego:

Take I-15 Freeway north. Take I-215 towards Riverside. Merge back onto I-15.
Once over the mountains, look for exit 141. Merge onto US-395 North towards Bishop/Adelanto.
An hour later, you should come to CA-58 at Kramer Junction.
Turn left at CA-58 and head west for about 22 miles.
DO NOT TURN AT CLAYMINE ROAD, no matter what Google Maps tells you!  IT LIES.
Continue on CA-58 up to California City Blvd.
Turn right onto California City Blvd. and follow for about 6 miles (12 minutes) to Rosewood Blvd.
Turn right onto Rosewood Blvd. It’s a dirt road, so please drive slowly and carefully and keep to the right lane.
Follow Rosewood Blvd (carefully) for about 6 miles (14 minutes), keeping to the posted speed limits and following any/all signs.
You’ll arrive at our front gate (right hand side).

From Central/Northern California:

Take CA-58 through Bakersfield and over the Tehachapi pass towards Mojave/Barstow.
Follow CA-58 eastward through Mojave.  Keep going east  for another 20 minutes or so.
Turn left onto California City Blvd. and follow for about 6 miles (12 minutes) to Rosewood Blvd.
Turn right onto Rosewood Blvd. It’s a dirt road, so please drive slowly and carefully and keep to the right lane.
Follow Rosewood Blvd (carefully) for about 6 miles (14 minutes), keeping to the posted speed limits and following any/all signs
You’ll arrive at our front gate (right hand side).

From Las Vegas:

Take I-15 South towards Los Angeles.
In Barstow, take exit 179 to merge onto CA-58 west towards Bakersfield.
Follow CA-58 west through Kramer Junction, and then for another 22 miles.
DO NOT TURN AT CLAYMINE ROAD, no matter what Google Maps tells you!  IT LIES.
Continue on CA-58 west up to California City Blvd.
Turn right onto California City Blvd. and follow for about 6 miles (12 minutes) to Rosewood Blvd.
Turn right onto Rosewood Blvd. It’s a dirt road, so please drive slowly and carefully and keep to the right lane.
Follow Rosewood Blvd (carefully) for about 6 miles (14 minutes), keeping to the posted speed limits and following any/all signs
You’ll arrive at our front gate (right hand side).

The surrounding area looks filled with “roads,” but most are not finished, usable, or exist at all.  Any roads other than the highways and major streets represented in Google Maps are purely dirt roads for city planning use only. Do not try to use them to get to the event, because you’ll either get lost, stuck, or sent to the back of the proper line anyway.

Some suggestions from long-time Wastelanders are to set your initial GPS/map guidance to a location in Mojave or California City, and then follow the above map/written instructions to get to site. Some examples are:
the Jack in the Box in Mojave located at 15536 CA-14, Mojave, CA 93501
the Best Western on California City Blvd. located at 10386 California City Blvd, California City, CA 93505
and/or Starbucks located at 9678 California City Blvd, California City, CA 93505
and then follow the directions to site from there.