Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [303]
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JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
Like a scene from a Dr Seuss book, the whimsical Joshua trees (actually tree-sized yuccas) welcome visitors to this 794,000 acre (321,000 hectare) park at the convergence of the Sonora and Mojave Deserts. Wonderfully shaped rocky outcroppings (mostly quartz monzonite) draw rock climbers while the flats and oases attract day-hikers, especially in spring when many trees send up a huge single cream-colored flower. The mystical quality of this stark, boulder-strewn landscape has inspired many artists, most famously the band U2, which named its 1987 album The Joshua Tree.
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ORIENTATION
I-10 parallels the south side of the park. Twentynine Palms Hwy (Hwy 62) follows the north side, through the towns of Yucca Valley (population 20,330), Joshua Tree (population 4,200) and Twentynine Palms (population 30,500).
Unless you’re day-tripping from Palm Springs, orient yourself in one of the latter two towns. Both are basically stretches along Twentynine Palms Hwy, but Joshua Tree has more soul and is favored by artists and writers. Twentynine Palms (named after the original 29 palm trees behind the visitor center) also serves the nearby Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (the world’s largest marine facility at over 900 sq miles, or twice the footprint of the city of Los Angeles). Don’t disparage US troops here, and don’t freak out over the occasional kaboom.
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INFORMATION
Pick up food and gasoline in the towns of Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms. In Joshua Tree, Coyote Corner (Map; 760-366-9683; 6535 Park Blvd; 9am-7pm) dispenses camping supplies, maps, books and helpful information.
Emergency
For emergency assistance, call either 911 or 909-383-5651 from any telephone in the park. You’ll find emergency telephones at Hidden Valley Campground and the Indian Cove ranger station. For first aid, contact a ranger.
Internet Access
Beatnik Cafe Click here for details and full review. Public use computers cost $2 per 15 minutes.
Internet Resources
National Park Service (www.nps.gov/jotr) The NPS website has extensive information on the park, from activities and accessibility to weather and wildflowers.
Tourist Information
The park has several official visitor centers ( 760-367-5500; www.nps.gov/jotr):
Black Rock Nature Center (Map; 8am-4pm Sat-Thu, noon-8pm Fri, closed Jun-Sep) In the northwest corner of the park.
Cottonwood Visitor Center (Map; 8am-4pm) A few miles inside the park’s southern entrance.
Joshua Tree Visitor Center (Map; Park Blvd, Joshua Tree; 8am-5pm)
Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce (Map; 760-366-3723; www.joshuatreechamber.org; 61325 Twentynine Palms Hwy; 10am-3pm Mon-Fri)
Oasis Visitor Center (Map; National Monument Dr, Twentynine Palms; 8am-5pm) Stock up on books and maps, and talk to a ranger at park headquarters, just outside the park’s northern boundary.
Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce (Map; 760-367-3445; www.29chamber.com; 73660 Civic Center; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat Sep-May, 9am-3pm Mon-Fri Jun-Aug)
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SIGHTS
Park admission is $15 per vehicle, payable at any entry gate, good for seven days and including a map/brochure and the seasonal Joshua Tree Guide. There are no facilities besides restrooms, so gas up and bring food and plenty of water.
The most whimsically dramatic conglomeration of rocks is known locally as the Wonderland of Rocks area, while the biggest trees are near Covington Flats. To see the transition from the high Colorado Desert/Sonoran Desert to the low Mojave, drive along Pinto Basin Rd.
Those who enjoy history and local lore should take the 90-minute walking tour of the Desert Queen Ranch (Map; reservations 760-367-5555; by tour only adult/child $5/2.50; tours 10am & 1pm daily Oct-May), around 2 miles northeast of Hidden Valley Campground up a dirt road. Russian immigrant William Keys built a homestead on 160 acres here in 1917 and over the following 60 years he