Mojave Sands
62121 29 Palms Hwy
Joshua Tree, CA
A decade of craft, rooms, and no shortcuts anywhere.
About Mojave Sands
Mojave Sands started as an abandoned 1940s roadside motel on Twentynine Palms Highway. Blake Simpson, who had spent his career as a furniture designer for Marc Jacobs, saw it and spent the next nine years rebuilding it from the inside out. The doors, windows, gates, beds, and furniture were designed and constructed on site. The walls are cedar plank. The concrete floors were refinished. The steel perimeter fence was fabricated to his specifications. Nothing arrived pre-made. When the first guests checked in, they were staying inside a decade of considered craft. Blake remains present at the property. Mojave Sands has been featured in AFAR Magazine and is a fixture on the short list that serious design travelers know about in the Joshua Tree area.
What Mojave Sands Is Known For
Blake Simpson spent nine years building Mojave Sands before the first guest checked in. That time shows in the tolerances: the steel gates fit their frames perfectly, the concrete floors were refinished by hand, the black walnut beds were carved on site and will not be replaced with something similar from a catalog. At rooms, Mojave Sands is one of the smallest properties in the Boutels catalog, and that scale is not a limitation. It is the point. The intimacy, the craft, and the owner's presence are things that cannot be scaled up.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Gated courtyard with koi pond
- Private patio per room
- Record player and vinyl in every room
- Custom black walnut live-edge beds
- Kitchenette in Suites 1 and 5
- Outdoor shower or bathtub (select suites)
- Free gated parking
What Guests Love
- Blake Simpson, former furniture designer for Marc Jacobs, built every major element of the property himself over nine years: beds, gates, furniture, plaster, landscaping.
- Every room has a private patio, a record player with vinyl, a typewriter, and a black walnut bed frame that cannot be found anywhere else.
- Suites 1 and 5 have a full kitchenette, making them well suited for longer stays or guests who want to cook.
- The gated courtyard with a koi pond offers a level of quiet and privacy unusual for the Joshua Tree area.
- AFAR featured Mojave Sands in their travel guide, and the property has a devoted following among design-oriented travelers.
- Free gated parking is on-site.
Worth Knowing
- Arriving after dark is harder than it sounds. The property is enclosed by a six-foot steel fence that is not immediately visible from Twentynine Palms Highway. Contact the property before check-in if arriving after sunset.
- No on-site staff is always present. The property runs with a small team and some operational moments, like getting the gate open, require a quick call or text. Blake and his team are responsive.
- The motel sits directly behind Twentynine Palms Highway, which carries truck traffic at 55 mph. Road noise can be audible. The courtyard and private patios buffer most of it.
- Rooms means five guests maximum. Availability is genuinely limited, especially on weekends.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
The Rooms divide into suites and standard rooms. Every room has its own private patio, a large walk-in tile shower with custom hardware and glass doors, a custom black walnut live-edge bed frame built on site, a record player with an eclectic vinyl selection, a typewriter, coffee service, a fridge/freezer, and a collection of books and objects assembled by Blake. Suites 1 and 5 add a kitchenette with a cooktop, sink, pots, pans, dishes, flatware, and cooking utensils. Suite 1 also has an Eames lounge chair. Some rooms feature Venetian plasterwork and industrial-style lamps. Some suites have an outdoor shower or bathtub on the private patio. Each room is different. None of them repeat.
The Grounds
The property is enclosed by a six-foot weathered steel privacy fence with a gated entry and gated parking. Inside the courtyard: a large reflecting koi pond with a waterfall wall, mature Desert Willow and Palo Verde trees, desert landscaping with cacti, sculpture, and multiple spots to sit and read or do nothing. The courtyard connects all rooms. The common areas are quiet and intentional, with a large log table, a fire brazier, and enough seating that guests spread out without crowding each other. The property is small enough that guests occasionally form impromptu social arrangements, sharing a barbecue or watching the stars together. It is also private enough to disappear entirely.
The Experience
Arriving at Mojave Sands after dark can be disorienting: the six-foot steel fence is not immediately obvious from the road and the entry is not signposted in the conventional way. First-time guests should contact the property before arriving if they plan to check in after sunset. Once inside, the courtyard does its work quickly. The koi pond runs. The desert quiet is real. Days at Joshua Tree National Park or the Integratron give way to evenings in the patio with a record playing and no particular agenda. Blake or a staff member can suggest where to eat and what to do, and those suggestions reflect years of actually knowing the area. The scale means guests have the courtyard largely to themselves. There is nothing here that was not put here on purpose.
Details
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mojave Sands have EV charging?
No, Mojave Sands does not have on-site EV charging. The Road Trip Planner map shows public chargers near the property.
What is there to do near Mojave Sands?
Joshua Tree National Park: 15 miles, about a 30 minute drive. The Integratron: 7 miles, about a 15 minute drive. Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace: 8 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
How far is Mojave Sands from Joshua Tree National Park?
Joshua Tree National Park is about 15 miles from Mojave Sands, roughly a 30 minute drive.
How far is Mojave Sands from The Integratron?
The Integratron is about 7 miles from Mojave Sands, roughly a 15 minute drive.
How far is Mojave Sands from Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace?
Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace is about 8 miles from Mojave Sands, roughly a 15 minute drive.
Is Mojave Sands pet friendly?
Yes. Mojave Sands welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
Can I book a single room at Mojave Sands?
Yes, all rooms are available to book individually. The property is not available as a whole-property rental only.
Does Mojave Sands have a kitchen?
Suites 1 and 5 have a full kitchenette with a cooktop, sink, pots, pans, dishes, flatware, and cooking utensils. The three standard rooms have a fridge and freezer but no cooktop.
How far is Mojave Sands from Joshua Tree National Park?
About 15 miles to the west entrance, roughly a 20 minute drive.
What is the check-in process at Mojave Sands?
Blake or a staff member meets guests at check-in. If arriving after dark, contact the property in advance. The gated entry can be hard to locate without guidance.
Does Mojave Sands have parking?
Yes, free gated parking is on-site within the fenced courtyard.
What makes Mojave Sands different from other Joshua Tree accommodations?
Blake Simpson designed and built the majority of the property himself over nearly a decade, including the beds, gates, steel fencing, and landscaping. One of the most intimate and design-specific properties in the high desert.
Does Mojave Sands have a pool?
Mojave Sands does not have a pool. The property has a shared courtyard.
Does Mojave Sands include breakfast?
No. Breakfast is not included at Mojave Sands.
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Things to Do Near Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park
0.4 miles away
Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, dotted with twisting Joshua trees and giant granite boulders.
Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum
1.3 miles away
A free, ten-acre desert field of more than a hundred monumental sculptures built from salvaged, found materials by pioneering assemblage artist Noah Purifoy.
Pioneertown
12 miles away
A frontier town built in 1946 as a movie set you could actually live in, where the false-front saloons hid real ice cream parlors and cowboy stars owned the street.
Desert View Trail
12 miles away
The Desert View Nature Trail near the Jumbo Rocks campground in Joshua Tree National Park is a 1.3-mile self-guided loop with interpretive signs explaining desert ecology, geology, and specific plants.
Pioneertown Mountains Preserve
14 miles away
Twenty-five thousand free-to-explore acres of red-rock canyons, granite boulders, desert springs, and Joshua trees above Pioneertown, the uncrowded flip side of nearby Joshua Tree.
Cabot's Pueblo Museum
17 miles away
Cabot Yerxa homesteaded this patch of desert and spent the last quarter century of his life, from 1941 to 1965, hand-building a rambling four-story pueblo out of salvaged and reclaimed materials, with 35 rooms, 150 windo...
The Integratron
7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
7 miles, about a 15 minute drive. An acoustically perfect dome built in 1954 by ufologist George Van Tassel, now operated for sound bath sessions. One of the high desert's most singular structures, and the sound baths are genuinely worth the hour.