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Major city · United States

Amboy

Stop for 1–2 hours: fuel, photos at Roy's, then Amboy Crater. Do not plan a night here — no working lodging, no water, no food.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Oct–Apr
avoid Jun–Sep (desert heat), Jul–Aug midday
Airports
ONT · LAS
Nights
0
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Amboy is a near-empty Route 66 settlement in the Mojave, owned by a private preservationist and kept alive by one fuel pump and the sign at Roy's Motel & Café. The real reason to pull off Interstate 40 is Amboy Crater, a 6,000-year-old cinder cone 2 mi (3.2 km) east, where the round trip on foot takes 2–3 hours. Treat it as a half-day leg between Barstow and Needles, not a destination with beds.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Amboy, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or cold drink at a Route 66 stop$3–6
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data plan, one week$20–40
  • Budget bedCampsite (Bureau of Land Management or park campground), a night, per personUS$15
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room (Ludlow, Barstow or Twentynine Palms), a night, per roomUS$120
  • High-end bedMotel double room (Ludlow, Barstow or Twentynine Palms), a night, per roomUS$220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$45 · Mid US$95 · High US$190

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Roy's Motel & Café signAmboy Crater National Natural LandmarkRoute 66 through the MojaveBNSF train watching
Airports
ONT Ontario International (About 2 h 30 min by car via I-15 and I-40; the usual rental-car start for this stretch.) · LAS Harry Reid International (About 3 h 30 min by car via I-15 and I-40 eastbound.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Amboy: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

17°C

3°C

3 rd

Feb

19°C

5°C

3 rd

Mar

23°C

8°C

3 rd

Apr

27°C

11°C

2 rd

May

32°C

15°C

1 rd

Jun

37°C

20°C

0 rd

Jul

40°C

24°C

1 rd

Aug

39°C

23°C

2 rd

Sep

36°C

19°C

2 rd

Oct

29°C

13°C

2 rd

Nov

22°C

7°C

2 rd

Dec

16°C

3°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. Amboy sits on San Bernardino County Route 66 (the old National Old Trails Highway), reachable from I-40 at Ludlow in the west or Essex/Needles in the east, or from the south on Amboy Road from Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree. There is no bus, no rideshare and no taxi. Fuel up before you commit: the pump at Roy's is the only one for many miles and is priced accordingly.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Amboy Crater

go

Door to door: 2–3 h on foot

Drive 2 mi (3.2 km) east on County Route 66, park at the trailhead, walk the lava field to the cone

Go early morning or late afternoon in warm months. No shade, no water on the trail.

Ludlow, California

go

Door to door: About 40 min

West on County Route 66 to I-40

Fuel, food and the ghost-town stretch of Bagdad, Siberia and Klondike.

Twentynine Palms

overnight

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

South on Amboy Road

Nearest town with real beds and restaurants; pairs with Joshua Tree.

Joshua Tree

overnight

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min

Amboy Road south, then Highway 62

Too far for a comfortable return the same day in summer heat.

Yucca Valley

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Amboy Road south to Highway 62 west

Useful as a supply and lodging base, not a day trip from Amboy.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

No lodging in Amboy

The Roy's motel building still stands but is derelict and not bookable. Sleep in Ludlow, Barstow, Needles or Twentynine Palms instead.

Ludlow (west)

Closest services on I-40, about 30 mi west; a few motels and truck stops.

Twentynine Palms (south)

About 1 h 30 min via Amboy Road; the nearest full-service town with hotels and food.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$40–70 excl. bed (fuel, snacks, park-free stops)
Mid
$80–140 excl. bed (fuel, meals in Barstow or Twentynine Palms)
High
$180+ excl. bed (rental car, motel base elsewhere, guided desert tour)

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room (Ludlow, Barstow or Twentynine Palms)1 × 1 night × US$120US$120
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$95US$190
Fuel top-up at Roy's (premium for the remote location)1 × US$60 · check current price and openingUS$60
Rental car, one day, compact1 × US$70US$70
eSIM or data plan, one week2 × US$25US$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$49
Trip total≈ US$270 per person per day, bed includedUS$539

2026 estimate in US dollars; Amboy has no bookable beds, so the bed line assumes a motel in Ludlow, Barstow or Twentynine Palms. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Fuel at Roy's (per gallon)Well above town prices; the next station is many miles away.$6–9 (check)
Coffee or cold drink at a Route 66 stop$3–6
Diner meal in Ludlow or BarstowTipping 18–22% is expected at sit-down places.$12–22
Amboy Crater trailNo fee, no facilities, no water.Free
eSIM or data plan, one week$20–40

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The desert, not crime, is the risk here. Heat, distance from help and no cell signal are what hurt people; hike the crater early, carry more water than you think you need, and never leave the paved road without telling someone your plan.
  • Summer midday heat is the main hazard: hiking the crater in July or August is dangerous, and black volcanic rock radiates heat into the afternoon.
  • Carry at least 1 litre of water per person per hour on the crater trail and turn back once you have used about 40% of it.
  • Cell service is patchy to absent; download offline maps and carry a paper map before leaving I-40.
  • Do not count on the café, shop or motel being open — services here have closed and reopened repeatedly. Check before you rely on them.
  • Two hikers died near Amboy Crater in 2017 after setting out unprepared in heat.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
San Bernardino County Sheriff (non-emergency)
909-387-8313
California Highway Patrol (road conditions)
800-427-7623

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AmboyAmboy

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

87520 National Trails Highway, Amboy, CAPlease take me to Roy's Motel & Café on Route 66

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • San Bernardino County Sheriff (non-emergency)909-387-8313
  • California Highway Patrol (road conditions)800-427-7623

Embassy

No consulates here. Nearest consular services are in Los Angeles; embassies are in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Fuel at Roy's, per gallon: $6–9 (check)
  • Amboy → Ludlow by car: about 30 mi west on County 66 to I-40
  • Amboy → Twentynine Palms by car: about 1 h 30 min south on Amboy Road

No cell signal in stretches of this road. Save an offline map and tell someone your route before leaving I-40.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Amboy. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Apr · avoid Jun–Sep (desert heat), Jul–Aug midday · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Fuel and water checkpoint: confirm the Roy's pump is operating before committing to the County 66 stretch.
  2. Crater trail page with heat cutoffs, water rules and a turnaround time by month.
  3. Route 66 photo-stop cluster: Roy's sign, the former school, the railroad grade.
  4. Heat and no-service arrival fixtures so the desert leg can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources