When you need a break from the flashing neon and the endless energy of Vegas, the Mojave Desert offers the perfect antidote. Just over an hour’s drive west of Vegas along Interstate 15 lies a destination that sounds like a typo – but it has a wild backstory. Welcome to Zzyzx, California – the state’s hardest-to-pronounce town and one of the quirkiest historical day trips you can take.
What’s a Zzyzx?
First things first: it’s pronounced Zy-ziks.
For decades, travelers heading between SoCal and Las Vegas have zipped past the mysterious “Zzyzx Road” exit sign. An alien landing pad? Nope – just a tale of old-fashioned American hucksterism.
In 1944, a fast-talking radio evangelist, self-proclaimed physician, and legendary con artist named Curtis Howe Springer laid claim to the land. Springer intentionally invented the name Zzyzx, claiming it would be “the last word in the English language.” That would make his new health spa the very last entry in any medical or telephone directory.
The huckster of the Mojave
Springer didn’t actually own the land. He set up shop by filing weird mining claims on federal property. With a mix of charisma and boldness, he recruited men from LA’s Skid Row, offering them food, shelter, and his “healing” mineral waters. In exchange, he asked for their labor to build his dream oasis.
Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Resort grew into an impressive desert compound, featuring a 60-room hotel, a church, a swimming pool, a castle, and even a private airstrip. From here, Springer broadcast a radio show to hundreds of stations worldwide. He mixed religious preaching and anti-alcohol crusading with aggressive pitches for his miracle cures.
If you sent Springer a donation, you might receive a bottle of Antediluvian Herb Tea, Nerve Cell Food, or his famous Hollywood Pep Cocktail – a concoction of celery, carrot, and parsley juices. Visitors came to the spa for healing, only to bathe in pools fed by a mix of natural spring water and crust from the nearby dry Soda Lake, plus Epsom salts.
The whole charade lasted an impressive 30 years until 1974, when the federal government finally caught up with him. The IRS accused him of tax evasion, the FDA went after him for false advertising, and the Bureau of Land Management evicted him for squatting on federal land.
Visiting Zzyzx, an actual desert oasis
While Springer’s medical credentials were fake, the natural beauty of the area is very real. Before it was Zzyzx, this area was known as Soda Springs. Thousands of years ago, a massive body of water called Lake Mojave covered the region. As the climate warmed, it left behind the dry mineral crust of the Soda Lake basin, but a natural spring system persisted.
Today, Zzyzx is part of the Mojave National Preserve. You won’t find an abandoned ghost town. Instead, you’ll discover the CSU Desert Studies Center, an active research facility.
While the actual buildings (including remnants of Springer’s old pool house) are private property and occupied by researchers and students, the grounds are open to the public for exploration.
What to do there
- Hike the Lake Tuendae trail: Springer excavated a palm-lined artificial pond he named Lake Tuendae. Today, visitors can enjoy an easy, 0.25-mile stroll around the water.
- Spot rare wildlife: Because of the surface water, Zzyzx is one of the top birding locations in the Mojave Desert. Look closely and you might also spot the endangered Mohave tui chub, a rare desert fish that thrives in the lake.
- Take in the history: Exhibits along the trail will guide you through the rich natural and cultural history of this strange little slice of the desert.
Whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, or just someone who wants to take a selfie next to the weirdest road sign in America, Zzyzx is the perfect detour.
