Joshua Tree National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern California. It covers parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The park is named after the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), a plant found only in the park and nearby areas. It is about 130 miles (211 km) east of Los Angeles and approximately 78 miles (125 km) east of San Bernardino. Nearby cities include Indio, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs. The area was first made a national monument in 1936. It became a national park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act.

The park covers 795,156 acres (1,242.4 square miles; 3,217.9 square kilometers), which is slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island. It includes 429,690 acres (671.4 square miles; 1,738.9 square kilometers) of protected wilderness. The park includes parts of two deserts: the higher Mojave Desert and the lower Colorado Desert. Each desert has its own unique environment, mainly shaped by elevation. The Little San Bernardino Mountains form the park’s southwest boundary.

History

The earliest people known to live in the area that later became Joshua Tree National Park were the Pinto Culture. They lived and hunted here between 8000 and 4000 BCE. Stone tools and spear points found in the Pinto Basin in the 1930s show they hunted animals and collected plants, but not much else is known about them. Later groups included the Serrano, Cahuilla, and Chemehuevi peoples. These groups lived in small villages near water sources, such as the Oasis of Mara, later called Twentynine Palms. They relied mainly on plants for food, and also used small animals, frogs, and lizards. They made medicines, bows, arrows, baskets, and other tools from plants.

A fourth group, the Mojaves, used resources in the area as they traveled between the Colorado River and the Pacific coast. Today, small numbers of these four groups still live near the park. The Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians, descendants of the Chemehuevi, own a reservation in Twentynine Palms.

In 1772, Spanish explorers led by Pedro Fages saw Joshua trees for the first time while chasing Native Americans who had fled a mission in San Diego. By 1823, a Mexican expedition from Los Angeles, then part of Alta California, explored as far east as the Eagle Mountains, which later became part of the park. In 1826, American explorer Jedediah Smith traveled along the Mojave Trail with fur trappers and others. Two decades later, the United States won the Mexican-American War (1846–48) and took control of about half of Mexico’s territory, including California and the future parkland.

In 1870, white settlers began raising cattle on the tall grasses in the park. In 1888, a group of cattle rustlers, led by the McHaney brothers, hid stolen cattle in a canyon near Cow Camp. Ranchers built wells and rainwater collection systems called "tanks," such as White Tank and Barker Dam.

In 1900, C. O. Barker, a miner and cattleman, built the original Barker Dam. It was later improved by William "Bill" Keys, a rancher. Grazing continued in the park until 1945. Barker Dam was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Between the 1860s and 1940s, miners operated about 300 small pits in the area that later became the park. The most successful, the Lost Horse Mine, produced gold and silver worth about $5 million today. The mine’s original owners installed a two-stamp mill to process ore, and later owners replaced it with a 10-stamp steam-powered mill. Water from a ranch and wood from nearby hills were used to power the mill. Most of the mine’s structures fell apart, and the National Park Service sealed the mine for safety reasons after it collapsed.

The Desert Queen Mine on Keys’ ranch was another productive gold mine. In the 1930s, Keys moved a gasoline-powered two-stamp mill called the Wall Street Mill to his ranch to process ore. The ranch, mill, and mine were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and 1976. Some mines in the park also produced copper, zinc, and iron.

On August 10, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the 1906 Antiquities Act to create Joshua Tree National Monument, protecting about 825,000 acres. In 1950, the park’s size was reduced by about 290,000 acres to allow more mining. The monument became a national park in 1994 through the Desert Protection Act, which added 234,000 acres. In 2019, the park expanded by 4,518 acres under the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) has protected 10,290 acres within the park. These lands were once privately owned and purchased by MDLT. They also buy private land near federally protected areas and sell it to the National Park Service. MDLT has sold more land to the National Park Service than any other similar organization.

Geography

Based on the A. W. Kuchler system, Joshua Tree National Park has two main types of vegetation. Most of the park has creosote bush shrubland, while the higher elevations on the western side have juniper and pinyon pine forests.

The higher and cooler Mojave Desert is home to Yucca brevifolia, the Joshua tree for which the park is named. These trees grow in different patterns, from dense clusters to widely spaced individuals. The western part of the park also has unique geological features, such as hills of loose boulders and flat areas with scattered Joshua trees. These features, along with rock formations like Skull Rock, create a landscape that looks very different from other places. Temperatures are most comfortable in spring and fall, averaging 85°F (29°C) during the day and 50°F (10°C) at night. Winters are cooler, with daytime temperatures around 60°F (16°C) and freezing nights. Snow may fall at higher elevations. Summers are very hot, with daytime temperatures over 100°F (38°C) and nighttime temperatures rarely dropping below 75°F (24°C) until early morning.

Joshua trees cover much of the park, but other plants grow near rocky areas, including piñon pine, California juniper, desert scrub oak, and several types of cactus.

These plant communities face challenges due to changes in climate. Before the 1930s, the region had wetter conditions, but since then, the area has become hotter and drier, similar to the Dust Bowl. Human activities, such as cattle grazing, have also affected the land by reducing natural plant cover.

Fewer Joshua tree seedlings are surviving in the park. Scientists predict that by 2099, if greenhouse gas emissions remain high, the park may become too hot for Joshua trees to grow. Even under lower emission scenarios, 80% of suitable Joshua tree habitat could be lost.

The desert tortoise population has declined due to habitat loss and climate change. Lizards and some bird species have also decreased in numbers. Studies from 1908–1968 and 2013–2016 show that bird populations dropped by 43%.

The eastern part of the park, below 3,000 feet (910 m), is part of the Colorado Desert. This area has creosote bush scrub, ocotillo, desert saltbush, and mixed scrub with yucca and cholla cactus. Some cactus areas look like natural gardens. The southeastern part of the park includes the lower Coachella Valley, which has sandy grasslands and desert dunes.

The only native palm in California, the California fan palm, grows naturally in five oases within the park. These oases have year-round water and support many types of wildlife.

Invasive plants like cheat grass and red brome increase the risk of wildfires. These plants grow densely during wet periods and do not decompose quickly during dry times, making fires hotter and more damaging. After fires, these non-native plants spread quickly, making it harder for native plants to regrow.

Fountain grass was introduced to the park in the 1990s. This grass competes with native plants for water and nutrients.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Joshua Tree National Park has a hot desert climate (BWh). The Cottonwood Visitor Center, located at 3,081 feet (939 m), is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b, with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 19.8°F (−6.8°C).

Joshua Tree National Park is becoming hotter and drier because of climate change. From 1895 to 2016, annual rainfall decreased by 39%, and average temperatures rose by 3°F. These changes have led to more frequent and severe wildfires in the park.

Geology

The park's oldest rocks, such as Pinto Gneiss, are 1.7 billion years old. These rocks are visible on the surface in the Cottonwood, Pinto, and Eagle Mountains. Later, between 250 and 75 million years ago, movements of tectonic plates pushed volcanic material to the surface, forming granites like monzogranite. These granites are found in the Wonderland of Rocks, parts of the Pinto, Eagle, and Coxcomb Mountains, and other areas. Over time, erosion exposed the harder rocks, such as gneiss and granite, in the uplands, while softer rocks were broken down into debris that filled the canyons and basins between the mountain ranges. This debris, moved by gravity and water, created alluvial fans at the mouths of canyons and bajadas where the fans overlapped.

The shape of the rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park is influenced partly by groundwater, which flowed through rectangular cracks in the monzonite and wore away the corners and edges of stone blocks. Flash floods also played a role by removing surface material and leaving piles of rounded boulders. These large, isolated rock formations are called inselbergs.

Of the park's six mountain blocks, five—the Little San Bernardino, Hexie, Pinto, Cottonwood, and Eagle—belong to the Transverse Ranges, which run mostly east to west between the Eagle Mountains on the east and the northern Channel Islands in the Pacific Ocean west of Santa Barbara. Tectonic forces from the San Andreas Fault system compressed and lifted the crust to form these ranges. The San Andreas Fault passes southwest of the park, but other related faults, such as the Dillon, Blue Cut, and Pinto, run through the park. Movements along these faults have caused earthquakes. The easternmost range in the park, the Coxcomb Mountains, runs mostly north to south and is part of the Basin and Range Province.

Recreation

There are nine officially recognized campgrounds in the park.

Many hiking trails are located within the park, and several of these trails connect to the campgrounds. A part of the California Riding and Hiking Trail runs for 35 miles (56 km) along the western side of the park. The lookout point at Keys View, located in the southern part of the park, offers a view of the Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, the San Andreas Fault, the Santa Rosa Mountains, and the city of Palm Springs.

Nature walks inside the park include:
• Hidden Valley

Longer trails include:
• Contact Mine
• Fortynine Palms Oasis
• Lost Horse Mine
• Lost Palms Oasis
• Ryan Mountain
• Ruby Lee Mill Site

Because of graffiti found on at least 17 trail sites, officials have closed these areas to the public. The closed sites include Native American sites, Rattlesnake Canyon, and Barker Dam. Officials say the increase in vandalism is linked to the growing use of social media.

The park is a popular place for rock climbers. It was originally used as a winter practice area when Yosemite Valley and other parts of the Sierra Nevada were covered in snow. Later, it became a place of interest on its own. The park has thousands of named climbing routes that include all levels of difficulty. These routes are usually short, with rocks rarely taller than 230 feet (70 meters). Access to most climbing areas is easy, often requiring only a short walk through the desert. This makes it possible to complete several climbs in one day. The rocks are made of quartz monzonite, a type of rough granite. Unlike places like Yosemite, where snow and ice smooth the rocks, the desert environment leaves the rocks rougher.

Some climbing routes are permanently closed, while others are temporarily closed to protect wildlife during certain seasons. Permanently closed climbing routes include Energy Crisis, the Schwarzenegger Wall, Zombie Woof Rock, the Maverick Boulder formation, Pictograph Boulder, Shindig, Lonely Stones Area #3, and the Shipwreck formation. Indian Wave Boulders (except for Native Arete) and Wormholes are also permanently closed.

The total number of visitors to the park more than doubled between 2013 and 2019. More people visit the park in the spring because of the wildflower bloom.

Over 250 bird species live in or visit the park. Some birds that stay in the desert year-round include the greater roadrunner, cactus wren, northern mockingbird, LeConte's thrasher, verdin, and Gambel's quail. About 78 bird species nest and raise their young in the park. Many migrating birds stop at Joshua Tree during the winter to feed and rest. These birds travel along the Pacific Flyway, a path that runs inland through the park. Some birds also move from mountain areas to avoid winter snow.

A 2006 USGS bird checklist recorded 239 bird species in the park.

Joshua Tree is a popular place in Southern California for amateur astronomers and stargazers. The park is known for its naturally dark night skies, which are far from the light pollution common in cities. In 2017, the International Dark-Sky Association named Joshua Tree a Dark Sky Park.

Fauna and flora

Joshua Tree National Park is home to about 2,145 species of plants, fungi, and animals, according to the biodiversity database iNaturalist. These include more than 250 bird species, 50 mammal species, 40 reptile and amphibian species, and nearly 1,000 invertebrate species that live within the park and its nearby areas. During the day, visitors may see birds like Gambel's quail and the greater roadrunner, as well as lizards, snakes, chipmunks, and California ground squirrels. Diurnal raptors such as golden eagles, ravens, red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls, and turkey vultures can be seen hunting, resting on rocks, or searching for food. At night, owls like the American barn owl, great horned owl, long-eared owl, and northern saw-whet owl become active to hunt small animals. Bats also fly at night, feeding on insects or nectar from plants, which helps control insect populations and pollinate plants. Species of bats found in the park include the big brown bat, California myotis, canyon bat, little brown bat, Mexican free-tailed bat, Nyctinomops bat, pallid bat, Townsend's big-eared bat, and the western bonneted and western yellow bat.

Many larger mammals in the park rest in burrows, caves, or other sheltered areas during the hottest parts of the day. These animals are often most active during sunrise and sunset, resting at other times. Nocturnal mammals include the American badger, black-tailed jackrabbit, bobcat, coyote, desert bighorn sheep, gray fox, kangaroo rat, mountain lion, mule deer, and ringtail. American black bears are occasionally seen in the park, likely traveling from nearby areas like the San Gabriel Mountains. However, no black bears live permanently in the park because its desert environment cannot support them long-term.

Herpetiles, which include reptiles and amphibians, are common in the park. Snakes such as rattlesnakes, kingsnakes, coastal rosy boas, ground snakes, shovelnose snakes, desert nightsnakes, and racers can be found. Banded geckos are active at night. The desert tortoise, a threatened species, lives in the lowlands of the Mojave Desert. It gets most of its water from eating plants like the creosote bush and prickly pear cactus. The creosote bush is also a favorite food for the chuckwalla, a large lizard. Amphibians, though fewer in number, live near water sources. The California tree frog is found in areas with permanent water, such as those near the Pinto Fault. The red-spotted toad spends most of its life underground, waiting for rain to emerge and reproduce.

Larger arthropods like the tarantula species Aphonopelma iodium, the green darner dragonfly, and the giant desert scorpion can grow longer than 4 inches (10 cm). The yucca moth pollinates the Joshua trees, after which the park is named.

Animals in Joshua Tree have special traits to survive the desert’s dry conditions and hot summers. Small mammals and reptiles hide underground to escape the heat. Desert mammals use their bodies to store water more efficiently than humans. Reptiles require little water, while most birds can fly to find water when needed. Hidden springs and seeps in the park are essential for all animals. Many reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and small mammals enter a state of inactivity called hibernation or torpor during winter. In contrast, winter is a great time for birdwatching because the park serves as a stopover for migratory birds traveling to warmer areas.

Wilderness

The park covers a total land area of 790,636 acres (1,235.4 square miles). Of this, 429,690 acres (671.4 square miles) are set aside as wilderness areas and managed by the National Park Service (NPS) according to the Wilderness Act. The NPS requires visitors to register at specific places called registration boards when camping overnight. Other rules include using a camp stove instead of open fires, which are not allowed, and following Leave No Trace camping rules, which mean you should take all your trash with you when you leave. Bicycles are not allowed in wilderness areas, but horses are permitted. However, a permit is needed for riding horses in the backcountry. Cell phone signals are weak or not available at all, so you shouldn't rely on them while visiting the park.

Vandalism

On April 1, 2015, graffiti artist André was found guilty and fined for damaging a boulder in the park. André had shared photos of his artwork online. Casey Schreiner (of the hiking blog Modern Hiker) and some of his followers helped the National Park Service find and identify André’s vandalism. Before being found guilty, André had threatened people who were reporting the vandalism.

During the 2018–2019 government shutdown, only eight park rangers were working. During this time, reports of vandalism increased. Visitors reportedly cut down Joshua trees for firewood, started illegal campfires, drove on unpaved roads, and painted rocks with spray paint. Park botanists later found that one of three Joshua trees reported as damaged during the shutdown had actually been cut down before the shutdown began.