California City, California

Population 13,972

California City — which is smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert — is actually the third largest city in the state by land area. And although it spans 203 square miles, it has a population of just over 13,000 people. Compare that to San Francisco, which occupies 49 square miles, with a population of 885,000, and you begin to understand the vastness of this desert burg. And truly the big attraction — the desert tortoise — is found far outside of the populated section of the city, at the Desert Tortoise Natural Area (www.tortoise-tracks.org/wptortoisetracks). There’s a level parking area near a kiosk filled with interpretive exhibits, and barrier-free access over to the quarter-mile hard-packed dirt loop trail. Look for the tortoises near the creosote bushes that line the trail, as that’s where their burrows are located. There are also three other trails through the desert — the .4-mile Plant Trail, the .5-mile Animal Trail, and the 1.78-mile Discovery Trail — all of which are wheelchair-accessible. The best time to spot the tortoises is from March through May, in the early mornings or late afternoons.