Print Every year, tens of thousands of people descend on a rough stretch of desert north of Joshua Tree for a weeklong off-roading festival and series of extreme races. Billed as one of the toughest desert off-roading races in the nation, the King of the Hammers event is often described as part Burning Man and part “Mad Max.” During the event, Hammertown — a temporary city complete with named “streets,” generators, team garages and food and vendor booths — rises over a dry lakebed. Hulking, souped-up vehicles traverse the rough terrain of Johnson Valley, an off–highway vehicle riding area run by the federal Bureau of Land Management.