I-10 from Mecca Hills

Coming out of Joshua Tree on the south side to Interstate 10, there are three areas nearby that are worth a visit. To the south is Mecca Hills (in this set), towards the east is Desert Center where you can either go north to Eagle Mountain or south to Corn Springs (also in this set). Further west of the interchange is the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs), which is a different set.

The Mecca Hills area seems to be not explored very much, and what exploration does happen seems to be four-wheel drive exploring. Box Canyon Road (paved) runs through the middle of the hills, and on the southern end of that road near Mecca and the Salton Sea is a graded dirt road to Painted Canyon. (adjacent pictures)

This picture is at dusk, looking west at the traffic on I-10, from Box Canyon Road. Despite the heavy traffic on I-10, the traffic on Box Canyon Road was non-existent. Over about a half hour, I saw 2-3 cars.