New to off airport flying, I want to take the Cessna 150 to a few dry lake beds this fall, but was unsure if the recent rain two weeks ago would affect the landing conditions. How long do you guys wait to land on a dry lake bed after a rain? I'm looking to organize a lake bed camp/fly in for a few pilots who've never done it before!

I would go spend some time to become an expert about the lakebeds you want to play on before taking other people. If you can inspect by driving, so much the better.


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Most of my favorites are in restricted airspace. El Mirage is not though.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZnFxVh2Y6Xwy774T2

Can't really help on when to suggest lakebed use. I'd agree that I'd inspect it in person before landing or encouraging others to land. ...and the shore is usually vastly different than the center in ways that are often counter-intuitive.

-Glen N168C

Thanks guys. I was thinking of Soggy Dry Lake, near Big Bear, or Mirage, possibly Cinder Cone. I might drive out there, if only LA wasn't in the way!

If I see cars and motorcycles driving around then I usually will land. I am never the first out there.

Tim

There's a couple of nice dry lake beds north of Baker, CA. But I think the Bacon Strip north of Ludlow is probably the best.

El Mirage Dry Lake will be the best place to start IMHO

Without any doubt whatsoever, the very very first thing you need to do is to make the acquaintance of "Fiddler" (or Flying Fiddler) on this BCP forum. He has become a very good authority on this stuff, and he has themost recent, accurate knowledge of all the off-airport stuff in the Mojave Desert. He is skilled, safe, and very well familiar with this type of flying. He has also taken it upon himself to become a flight leader and "tour guide" for this type of flying in this area. He is definitely the place to start.

In general, the lighter color of the lakebed the drier it is. It often takes a good week or more after a real good rain for it to dry out. If you fly there, have enough fuel to fly over the lake bed, and turn around to go back to Brian Ranch or Victorville or Apple Valley if the lake is wet. There is no more fuel at Hesperia, as of the last time I was there 6 months ago.

One of the reasons El Mirage is the best starting point is that on any given weekend there are all sorts of vehicles, go-karts, lakebed race cars, R/C airplane flyers, etc. If they are driving around on the lake then that is a good sign as far as dry/wet.

Get with Fiddler and he will show you the ropes.

Cinder Cone is pretty and exotic looking, and usually dry, but it is very close to the lee side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The winds and turbulence there can be pretty significant. A stock 150 can be not enough airplane in the winter time / wave season.

Thanks for the reference there EZFlap!

And SoCalJesse, feel free to PM with any questions.

I’m looking for any guidance/advice/mentoring or anything to do with off airport landings in SoCal and points North and West
Willing to drive out and listen. Look. Watch and learn
New Pilot looking to go to a taildragger
And want to start off on the right foot

Thanks

Thought I would bump this post since it looks like nobody has posted in awhile.
I landed in the Soggy Dry Lake on the 4th of July 2025. My boys and I set off a bunch of fireworks at dusk. Nobody was around except a few off road vehicles. I might have gone to El Mirage except I might have been hassled for the fireworks. I haven't been yelled at yet personally but I've heard the El Mirage is starting to give a little static to pilots that land there.

We should have a bluegrass picking party at some point. Maybe bring Pops Dory outta the woodwork with his mando. I know a bass player with a skywagon. I pick on the guit-fiddle myself. If we are desperate for someone to make fun of, I can even round up a banjar pilot, but he's also a 121 pilot so he has twice as much to be brutaliized for.

Fiddler wrote:Thanks for the reference there EZFlap!

And SoCalJesse, feel free to PM with any questions.

Thanks for the bump. This area is my play ground. Landing at Soggy is a pretty simple endeavor.
However, be sure it’s dry. It can be deceiving and hold water that you may not be familiar with.
Low pass is required and pick your touchdown spot. Wheel tracks can be fairly deep.

Some great slow-mountain flying to the south also. Have fun.