Joshua Tree National Park
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Joshua Tree National Park
The park is located in Southern California
Joshua Tree National Park is a unique desert environment full of surprising beauty combined with great outdoor adventure. From desert oasis to mountains and dramatic rock formations, your next family vacation will be memorable. You will enjoy hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, camping under the stars, biking, horseback riding and many more activities. Keep reading for more Joshua Tree National Park information.
Uniqueness
Two deserts, two large ecosystems whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation, come together at Joshua Tree National Park. Below 3,000 feet, the Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the Joshua tree. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western part of the park also includes some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California’s deserts. Five fan palm oases also dot the park, indicating those few areas where water occurs naturally and wildlife abounds.
Joshua Tree National Park consists of nearly 800,000 acres set aside to protect the unique assembly of natural resources brought together by the junction of three of California’s ecosystems. The Colorado Desert is a western extension of the vast Sonoran Desert. The southern boundary of the Mojave Desert reaches across the northern part of the park. Joshua Tree’s third ecosystem is located in the western most part of the park above 4000 feet. The Little San Bernardino Mountains provide habitat for a community of California juniper and pinyon pine.
The plant diversity of these three ecosystems is matched by the animal diversity, including healthy herds of desert bighorn and six species of rattlesnakes. The park lies astride the Pacific flyway of migratory birds, and is a rest stop for many. It was for this unusual diversity of plants and animals that Joshua Tree National Monument was set aside on August 10, 1936.
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