Antelope Valley, Desert region in Los Angeles County, California.
Antelope Valley is a desert in Los Angeles County and Kern County, California, stretching between the Tehachapi Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains. The high plateau covers about 7,800 square kilometers (3,000 square miles) and links two larger cities, Lancaster and Palmdale, which are both connected by several highways.
Native peoples lived here for over 11,000 years and used the area as a hub for trade routes connecting Arizona, New Mexico, and the California coast. In the 20th century, the region grew through military installations and aerospace research, including Edwards Air Force Base where the first supersonic flight took place in 1947.
Pronghorn moved freely through this region until the 1880s, giving it its current name even though the animals no longer appear here. Today the valley forms one of the few high desert areas in California that remains connected to Los Angeles by commuter rail.
Between March and May, poppy fields bloom in parts of the area and draw many visitors, who should arrive early morning or at sunset to avoid heat and crowds. The high plateau sits at about 790 to 910 meters (2,600 to 3,000 feet) and brings dry heat in summer, though nights can turn cold in winter.
In the late 1960s, part of the area served as a testing ground for lunar landing vehicles because the landscape resembles the moon surface. Apollo astronauts practiced their driving maneuvers here before actually landing on the moon.
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