California National Parks
Photos include Joshua trees, Visitor Center and rock formations with picnic tables nearby
Joshua Tree National Park
ENTRANCES: The West Entrance, near the town of Joshua Tree, is the busiest entrance especially in the spring busy season. Enter through the North Entrance, near the town of 29 Palms, or the South Entrance, near Cottonwood, to avoid waiting in line.
- Oasis Visitor Center, National Park Drive at 29 Palms Highway
- Joshua Tree Visitor Center, 6554 Park Blvd.
- Cottonwood Visitor Center, Cottonwood Springs Road off I-10 Highway
Can 2.8 million visitors per year be wrong?
Joshua Tree National Park, where two deserts meet (Mojave Desert & Colorado Desert,) is close enough to Los Angeles and Southern California's more than 22 million residents to make it an easy day trip. The national park's annual visitor numbers would be double what they are if not for the heat blast that hangs over the Palm Desert during the months of June to October. With day time temperatures consistently over 100 degrees F., the desert is more enjoyable and ranger led activities take place during the cooler months November to May.
Located near the City of Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree gets its name from the twisted, spiky tree with bursts of tough leaves sprouting from bulbous branch ends. In the Spring, white flowers emerge. The tallest tree in the park is 40 feet high and estimated to be about 300 years old.
The 794,000 acres where this unique tree grows was designated a National Monument in 1936. In 1984 it became a Biosphere Reserve and a National Park in 1994.
People come to see this national treasure for its stark landscape, nature and hiking trails, rocks to climb, picnic areas tucked among the huge boulders and plants and wildlife. Bring your camera for bighorn sheep, mountain lions, desert tortoises, mule deer, quail, great horned owls and road runners.
Keys Ranch Tour allows visitors to see an area
of the park only accessible through paid reservations.
Listed as a National Historic Register Site, the
half mile hike takes guests to a deserted ranch
once run by Bill and Frances Keys. A ranch house,
school house, store, and workshop still stand —
and the grounds are full of old cars, trucks, mining
equipment, and spare parts.
Public restrooms, 17 campgrounds, ranger programs
and well paved roads shared by cars and bicycles
are some of the amenities to this National Park
where you need to be prepared for dangerous heat
conditions during summer months.
The main road slices through the park top to bottom, exiting on Interstate 10 just pass the Cottonwood Visitors Center. Numerous observation points, turn-outs and parking lots enable everyone to stop and inhale this beautiful place.
Oasis Visitor Center, National Park Drive at
29 Palms Highway: bookstore & exhibits, water, flush
toilets, picnic tables nearby
Joshua Tree Visitor Center, Park Blvd. at 29 Palms
Hwy: bookstore & exhibits, cafe, flush toilets
Cottonwood Visitor Center Entrance, Cottonwood Springs
Road off I-10 Highway: bookstore, water, flush toilets,
picnic tables nearby
Black Rock Nature Center: bookstore & exhibits