Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [248]
Pinto Basin Road crosses the park from top to bottom, forking away from Park Boulevard near the North Entrance Station and winding down to the Cottonwood Entrance off I-10. Driving it, you'll pass from the higher Mojave Desert into the lower Colorado Desert, across the "transition zone" snaking through the middle of the park, a fascinating melting pot where the two climates are both represented. Stop to marvel at the Cholla Cactus Garden (see "Hikes," below) or the Ocotillo Patch, where the spidery, tenacious desert shrub sports flaming red blooms following spring rains. At the park's southern end, you can explore the lush Cottonwood Spring or see relics of World War II training maneuvers (see "Historic & Man-Made Attractions," below). Driving from end to end takes between 45 and 60 minutes.
Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
A multitude of ranger-led seminars and guided hikes are available. They change annually, but might include topics such as "Meet the Joshua Tree," "Clever Desert Plants," "Rock of Ages," and "Oasis Walk," as well as guided hikes on many of the park's popular trails and evening campfire talks on weekends. Throughout the wildflower blooming season, and especially during Easter week, special walks visit the most abundantly flowering areas.
The Park Service also conducts guided tours of the historic Keys Ranch (see below). From approximately November to May, tours run several times daily ($5 adults, $2.50 kids 6–11). Contact the visitor center for a seasonal schedule; tours operate much less frequently during the hot summer. Plan to arrive early—these events are popular, and groups are limited to 25. You can make advance reservations by calling ☎ 760/367-5555.
Visitors can go more in-depth by enrolling in a workshop offered by the Desert Institute, 74485 National Park Dr., Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 (☎ 760/367-5535; www.joshuatree.org). The Institute's course catalog covers subjects ranging from desert survival and orienteering to poetry and basket weaving; workshops typically run one to three sessions and cost $50 to $150.
Historic & Man-Made Attractions
Miners and ranchers began coming in the 1860s, including the McHaney brothers, who established the Desert Queen Ranch. Later on, former Rough Rider Bill Keys acquired it, and he lived on the property, now known as the Keys Ranch, until his death in 1969. Many of the ranch structures have been restored to their Keys-era condition, painting a compelling picture of how one hardy family made a home in the unforgiving desert. Admittance is limited to official Park Service tours (see above).
You can find petroglyphs near Barker Dam, where an easy 1.1-mile loop hiking trail leads to a small artificial lake framed by the Wonderland of Rocks. After scrambling a bit to get atop the dam, you'll find a sandy path leading to the "Disneyland Petroglyph" site. Its wry name stems from the fact that a movie crew once retraced the ancient rock carvings to make them more visible to the camera, defacing them forever. If you investigate the cliffs along the remainder of the trail, however, you're likely to find some untouched drawings depicting animals, humans, and other aspects of desert life as interpreted by long-ago dwellers. You'll see additional petroglyphs along the 18-mile Geology Tour Road, a sandy, lumpy dirt road accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles or hardy mountain bikers.
During World War II, George S. Patton trained over a million soldiers in desert combat at several sites throughout the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Tank tracks are still visible in the wilderness around the former Camp Young, near Cottonwood Springs. The Camp Young Memorial marker is 1 mile east of Cottonwood Springs Road, just before the park entrance; an informational kiosk there gives details of the training maneuvers and daily camp life. To learn more, you can visit the General Patton Memorial Museum (☎ 760/227-3483) in Chiriaco Summit, on I-10 about 5 miles east of the Cottonwood Entrance.