The White Cross World War I Memorial stands on Sunrise Rock beside Cima Road in California’s Mojave National Preserve. World War I veterans erected the original cross in 1934 to honor American soldiers who died in the war; Congress formally recognized it in 2002 as the White Cross World War I Memorial. Following a lengthy constitutional dispute and a 2012 settlement, the one-acre memorial parcel was transferred to the California Veterans of Foreign Wars, making it private property surrounded by National Park Service land, although two entrances remain open for public access (National Park Service [NPS], 2024a). Travelers can view the memorial while exploring the Sunrise Rocks region, located across Cima Road from the Teutonia Peak Trailhead. Because the preserve is remote and has limited services and unreliable cellular coverage, visitors should carry water, fuel, and a current NPS map, and check road and weather conditions before traveling (NPS, 2026).
The memorial’s high-desert setting offers science-minded visitors a close look at the Cima Dome ecosystem, where Joshua trees, Mojave yucca, blackbrush, native grasses, and seasonal wildflowers grow among granite outcrops. Approximately one-quarter of the surrounding Joshua-tree woodland burned during the 2020 Dome Fire, making the landscape an important place to observe ecological disturbance and long-term desert recovery (NPS, 2021). Wildlife in the wider preserve includes threatened desert tortoises, desert bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, horned lizards, rattlesnakes, Gambel’s quail, and golden eagles; tortoises are most likely to emerge during mild spring or fall conditions and after rain (NPS, 2026). Visitors should observe animals from a distance, avoid disturbing vegetation, and drive slowly because tortoises and other wildlife may cross preserve roads.
References:
National Park Service. (2021). Cima Road. U.S. Department of the Interior.
National Park Service. (2024a). White Cross World War I Memorial. U.S. Department of the Interior.
National Park Service. (2026). Mojave National Preserve. U.S. Department of the Interior.
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