Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park 4 comments

Where Is It: The Park is 140 miles east of LA, or 215 miles southwest of Las Vegas.

The Birth: The area was designated a National Monument in 1936, and then became a National Park in 1994.

Size: 790,636 acres

# Visitors: 1,383,340 in 2013. Attendance peaked in March/April, and was at its lowest in September.

Plants: From the Park’s website:

With nearly 750 species of vascular plants, Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant diversity. No wonder that when the area was first proposed for preservation in the early 1930s, the name suggested was Desert Plants National Park.

Joshua National Park provides habitat protection for 44 plant species determined to be rare. Most of these rare plants are threatened beyond our boundaries by mining, off-road vehicle use, industrial scale solar development, and increasing urbanization throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Animals: From the Park’s website:

Despite the impression that the desert is lifeless, many animals make their homes in deserts. Birds, lizards, and ground squirrels are most likely to be seen because they are largely active during the day. However, it is at night that desert animals come out to roam. Mostly nocturnal animals include: snakes, bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, coyotes, and black-tailed jack rabbits. Dusk and dawn are good times for viewing many kinds of animals, both those just going to bed and those just getting up.

Choices: From National Geographic.com:

The west and north park entrances are at the towns of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. From Los Angeles, take I-10 east to Calif. 62 (Twentynine Palms Hwy.) to Twentynine Palms (about 140 miles total). The south entrance is located at Cottonwood Spring, approximately 25 miles east of Indio off I-10. Call +1 760 367 5500 for recorded directions. Airports: Palm Springs, Los Angeles.

Fees: $15 for a vehicle 7-day pass.

Staying There: There are 9 campgrounds in the Park. Individual sites are $10-$15/night. Some require reservations; campsites do fill up in peak season.

Contact Info:

74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597

Visitor Information 760-367-5500