Recently, there have been a whole lot of rumors flying around about the possible removal of mailboxes on the Mojave Road. As you would expect, political tensions rose, people got in fights, and petitions were signed. The odd thing was that nobody could point to a definite source of this information, though, which is why I reached out to Laura Misajet, executive director of the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association. For all those concerned, here is the real scoop.
The Mojave Road Mailbox will remain in place, however some other items that visitors may consider “tradition” will be removed but not lost.
“The Mojave Desert Preserve contacted us to give us the heads up that all the trinkets (toads, frogs, trucks, etc.) that visitors leave behind by the mailbox will be removed in March because they violate the Wilderness Act. Because the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association maintains the mailbox, we decided that we will take a small group out to the mailbox sometime in February and gather up all the objects and transport them back here to our Goffs Cultural Center. We will have a replica mailbox made for us here at Goffs and place the items we collect by the Mojave Road Mailbox by our replica mailbox. This way, the items won’t end up in the trash. We wish to respect the tradition and sentimentality of the Mojave Road mailbox and its devoted followers. Anyone will be welcome to Goffs to visit their contribution.” – Laura Misajet
Below – The Frog Collection three years ago. (It’s much larger today)
Some visitors may be disappointed in this decision, but we also feel it’s the right move. While the frogs and other trinkets may have become a novelty, the rapidly building clutter was beginning to get out of hand. It’s important to remember that the off-road trails and routes we love are seeing more traffic than ever these days. If we want to protect them for future generations, it’s necessary to take measures that reduce our impact, and small concessions like this are an easy win.
We thank the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association for their work to preserve the culture that has grown around the Mojave Road and encourage our readers to visit their museum in Goffs. To learn more about it, visit their website here.
