Trona

Moonscape Mining

State: California County: San Bernardino County Founded: 1913 Abandoned: Declining Peak Population: 7,000

Trona is an industrial town that extracts minerals from Searles Lake. The nearby Trona Pinnacles are otherworldly tufa formations used in many sci-fi films. Peak population was 7,000; about 1,600 remain.

Plan Your Visit

Best Time: Fall-Spring

Difficulty: Easy

Time Needed: 1-2 hours

Quick Facts

  • Trona Pinnacles
  • Sci-fi film location
  • Searles Lake minerals

Location

Address: Trona, CA

Coordinates: 35.7667, -117.3667