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Joshua Tree National Park

California, United States

74485 National Park Drive Twentynine Palms

(760) 367-5500

http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

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Desert Archeology © Mimi Kramer

Joshua Tree National Park, California, United States

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Date Shot: Fri, Apr 2, 2010

Camera: Canon Power Shot A560
Lens: n/a
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Submitted: Tue, Aug 31, 2010
Viewed: 7 times
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Member Comments:

Tony found this can... it had to be 100 years old.

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Priscilla Ouchida wrote on Mon, Aug 16, 2010 [ Send Email ]

We were lucky enough to see everything in bloom, including the famous Joshua Trees. We liked it so much, we went through twice!

Mimi Kramer wrote on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 [ Send Email ]

JTNP is one of the BEST destinations in SoCal and always one of our yearly camping trips. This is the first place that opened my eyes to the beauty of the desert.

Anthony David wrote on Fri, Dec 12, 2008 [ Send Email ]

Joshua Tree is one of my favorite places. I love that my cell phone does not work there.

Eric Foltz wrote on Fri, May 26, 2006 [ Send Email ]

Most nature lovers have a place that is their favorite, a place that is special, a place that they go to when they need to get away from their worries and lose themselves. Joshua Tree is that place for me. Located north of Palm Springs in California, Joshua Tree National Park lies where the high Mojave and low Colorado deserts meet. This blending of ecosystems is what makes the park unique and brings together a wide variety of plants and wildlife. I’ve been coming to Joshua Tree since the mid-seventies when it was still a National Monument. Back then I came on camping trips with the Boy Scouts. When I got to high school, I began rock climbing. This is what really kept me coming back. Joshua Tree is home to hundreds of granitic domes that protrude from the desert floor. These domes have been climbed since the 1950s and have been used as a training ground for some of the best climbers in the world. The park currently has more than 5000 climbing routes and attracts climbers from all over the world. Joshua Tree is also known for its spring wildflower blooms. During the spring, the desert floor bursts into color with lupine, goldenrush and poppies blooming throughout the park. The visitor centers can direct you to where the best blooms are. The cottonwood gate is a pretty consistent area in early season with the best light at sunset. Most of the wildlife in the park is nocturnal, but if you get out on the trails early or late in the day, you may be able to catch sight of some of the locals. The park is home to mountain lions, deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, lizards and numerous species of snakes. There is also good birding near Cottonwood during the winter. There are nine campgrounds in the park but they do fill up fast so reservations are recommended. There is a private campground at Joshua Tree Lake that usually has space if the park is full. Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree all have motels, but these regularly sell out also. The towns that surround the park have the usual compliment of fast food restaurants and small diners. I personally recommend Edchadas in either Yucca Valley or Twentynine Palms for some good Mexican food (fuel) after a long day in the park. The best time to visit is between October and May. Winters are fairly mild with the best chance of snow in December. Summers are hot and dry with temperatures in the 90-100 degree range. Photographer Notes: Joshua Tree has mountain ranges to the east and west which tend to make it hard to get really good light, but with a little planning the light can be found. The sunrises tend to be much better than the sunsets. Before or after a winter storm is usually spectacular. Sunrise: 1. Pinto Basin near Jumbo Rocks usually gets the best sunrise light. The sun comes through a notch in the eastern mountains so you can get some really good light on the rock formations in the area. This area also has some really large and bizarre Joshua Trees. 2. Cholla Cactus Garden is also a pretty good bet with hundreds of Cholla (jumping cactus) grouped together with rocky hillsides to put in the background. 3. There is a spot about three miles into the park from the west entrance where San Gorgonio Peak can be used as a background to Joshua trees and cholla. The peak is usually snow covered until May. Sunset: 1. Keys View is a good place for sunsets. The sun drops down between the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Mountains giving a fantastic view of the desert floor thousands of feet below. 2. The area around the Cottonwood entrance has really good light and great wildflowers in the spring. There are also some fairly photogenic mountains to the east that get good light.

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