Ridgecrest-Inyokern Sanitary Landfill

Ridgecrest-Inyokern Sanitary Landfill on Bowman Road is the local burial site for municipal and commercial trash - not a neighborhood drop-off. Expect a working landfill environment with heavy trucks, large tipping areas, and open piles rather than a tidy recycling center.

Drive up to a gate/booth and you’ll see a scale; landfills typically charge by weight, so be prepared to stop for weighing on the way in and again on the way out. After weighing, follow the traffic flow toward the active dumping area - there’s usually room to pull up, back in, and unload, then drive past the scale to be weighed out. The site looks like big compacted cells and cover dirt, with heavy equipment moving around and occasional dust or odors on windy days. Weekends and seasonal cleanups draw longer lines, and commercial trucks are a common sight.