California also has a desert within its state borders. It is a magnificent beauty that often goes unnoticed. It was named after its inhabitants, the Mohave tribe of Native Americans. The Mojave Desert is said to be one of the driest and smallest deserts in North America. This desert covers more than 25,000 square miles and goes across four states, southeastern California, southwestern Utah, Southern Nevada and Western Arizona. The Mojave Desert lies between the Sonoran desert and the Great Basin Shrub