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Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > National Parks > Joshua Tree National Park |
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74485 National Park Dr, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Phone: 760-362-4367 or 800-365-2267
Fax: 760-367-7289
Open All Year
Encompassing two desert environments, six mountain ranges, and five fan palm oases, Joshua Tree National Park offers visitors a host of scenic and recreational opportunities. Both the low country of the Colorado Desert and the higher, moister land of the Mojave Desert provide the park with a wealth of flora and fauna. In addition to the Joshua Tree, a yucca plant that grows in the Mojave, you will find 17 species of cactus and a number of mammals and reptiles that have adapted to cope with their harsh desert existence. The forbidding, fascinating landscape is known the world over for its boulder gardens and outcroppings of ancient rock. Any day of the week, even in the hottest dog days of summer, you can observe an international array of climbers pitting themselves against the boulders of Joshua Tree National Park.
The human legacy in these deserts goes back to ancient Pinto culture, which relied upon hunting and gathering food along the Pinto Basin, then a verdant river valley. Even after the desert took over, Native Americans came through periodically in search of nuts and cactus fruit. With the westward expansion, miners, ranchers, and homesteaders discovered the area, and the remnants of their attempts at taming it may still be seen in the park. Mormon settlers travelling through the Mojave named the Joshua Tree, saying it resembled the biblical prophet, his hands raised to the heavens.
Initially a national monument, Joshua Tree was established in 1936 to protect the desert environment. Struggles with mining interests created a tug-of-war for its mineral-rich mountains, and over 200,000 acres of land were relinquished to private use in the 1950s. In 1994, President Clinton signed the California Desert Protection Act, which returned this land to the monument and upgraded it to national park status. It has also been designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations.
<P>There are three visitor centers at Joshua Tree: Oasis, Cottonwood, and Black Rock Canyon. Stop by the one nearest your entrance to the park to acquaint yourself with the park's history and geology. Pick up a free copy of the Joshua Tree Guide for information on park regulations and planned activities.
The main park road permits access to many of its scenic attractions, but you'll want to stop and explore on your own as your interest dictates. There are many short nature trails that originate at overlooks and turnouts. Among the best are the Barker Dam Trail at the Jumbo Rocks area, the Cholla Cactus Garden nature trail, the Hidden Valley Loop, and the paved Oasis of Mara trail. Longer trails lead to abandoned gold mines, lush palm oases, colorful canyons, and lofty mountain summits. Backcountry camping is permitted at Joshua Tree, but overnight hikers must self-register and park at one of 12 boards along park trails, and must pack in their own water and campstoves. Fires are not permitted in the backcountry. Contact the park for more details.
There are no formal bike trails at Joshua Tree, but mountain bikers are free to ride on the sparsely traveled jeep and four-wheel-drive roads that crisscross the park.
On any given day, you can watch climbers tackling Joshua Tree's abundant rock formations. While rock climbing is permitted, visitors do so at their own risk.
Guided tours of the Keys Ranch, also known as the Desert Queen Ranch, are offered every day during the fall, winter, and spring. One of the few successful homesteaders in the area, Bill Keys dug his wells by hand and developed an irrigation system that helped him grow vegetables, wheat, and fruit trees out of the arid soil. Call 760-367-5500 for further information.
There are nine campgrounds, most operated on a first-come, first-served basis, in Joshua Tree. Most sites have no water and are available free of charge. The more developed sites have water and flush toilets, but no hookups. Food, lodging, and other amenities are available in nearby communities. Pets are not permitted on trails and must be leashed elsewhere at all times.
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Archeological Sites |
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Bird Watching |
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Climbing |
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Self-guided Tours |
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Visitor Center |
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Wildflower Viewing |
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Wildlife Viewing |
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