The experience of driving across the Mojave Desert is often interrupted by an exit sign for Zzyzx Road. The name, pronounced “Zye-zix,” immediately captures attention due to its unusual spelling, which features three z’s and an x. This short stretch of pavement in California’s San Bernardino County leads to a settlement that has a history involving an ambitious entrepreneur, a fraudulent health spa, and a successful transformation into a scientific research facility.
Location and Physical Characteristics
Zzyzx Road serves as Exit 239 off Interstate 15, the main highway connecting Southern California and Las Vegas. It is located in a remote area of the Mojave Desert, about seven miles south of the small town of Baker, California. The road itself runs south from the freeway for approximately 4.5 miles, leading to the Zzyzx settlement.
The drive begins on a paved surface but eventually transitions to a dirt and gravel path for the final segment. As the road progresses, it skirts the western edge of Soda Dry Lake, an alkali salt flat that was once part of the ancient Lake Mojave. The location sits within the boundaries of the Mojave National Preserve.
The Story Behind the Name
The bizarre name was entirely manufactured by a man named Curtis Howe Springer, a self-proclaimed doctor and charismatic radio evangelist. Springer arrived in the area, formerly known as Soda Springs, in 1944 and filed dubious mining claims on approximately 12,000 acres of federal land. His motivation for creating the name Zzyzx was purely alphabetical: he wanted the name of his new venture to appear last in any English index or directory, ensuring it was always the final entry.
He used his radio platform to promote the site, claiming the spring water and his herbal concoctions offered cures for various ailments. Springer, who had no medical training, was later dubbed the “King of Quacks” by the American Medical Association. He constructed a resort complex, including a hotel, a cross-shaped pool, and an artificial body of water he named Lake Tuendae.
The resort operated for three decades, attracting hundreds of guests seeking alternative therapies. His fraudulent use of the land, which was only permitted for mining claims, led to a legal battle with the Bureau of Land Management. The government finally evicted Springer in May 1974, reclaiming the land. The United States Board on Geographic Names officially approved Zzyzx as a place name in 1984.
The Desert Studies Center
Following Springer’s eviction, the Bureau of Land Management entered into an agreement with the California State University (CSU) system in 1976. This partnership transformed the former health spa into the California State University Desert Studies Center (CSUDSC), a permanent field station for academic research. The center provides a unique setting for students and researchers to study the surrounding Mojave Desert environment.
The site, situated at the natural Soda Springs oasis, offers access to diverse ecosystems, including alkali salt flats, creosotebush lowlands, and perennial wetlands rare in the arid region. The facilities, which include repurposed buildings from Springer’s resort, provide lodging and laboratory space for up to 70 people. Today, the artificial Lake Tuendae serves as a refuge habitat for the endangered Mohave tui chub fish.