It's surprising that no one has posted info about the navy base. It takes up such a huge amount of the area and blocks access to lots of interesting sites. Many interesting historical sites locked away within the confines of this enormous military base.
Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Installations Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles (240 km) north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest, Inyokern, Trona and Darwin. The main gate of the installation is located at the intersection of Inyokern Road (Highway 178) and China Lake Blvd. in the city of Ridgecrest.
LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Weapons_Station_China_Lake