Ridgecrest (population  24,927 [2000 census] elevation 2289') is scenically nestled in the upper Mojave Desert , in the Indian Wells Valley, between the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley. 

    Within half an hour drive to the west you can be in the nearby Sierra whose 8,000'+ ridge towers over a mile above town.  To the northwest14,027' Mt Langley can be seen over the shoulder of 12,123 ' Olancha Peak and from the Spangler Hills south of the city, 14,494' Mt Whitney can be seen over the shoulder of Langley. 
    To the northeast can be seen 11,029' Telescope Peak which towers over -282'  Badwater in Death Valley.  (The lowest point in the Western Hemisphere). The vertical drop  from Telescope to Badwater in a couple miles  is even greater then the 10,500' drop from Mt Whitney down to Lone Pine in the nearby Owens Valley. 
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Ridgecrest  Area