Things to do nearJoshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park encompasses roughly 800,000 acres where the higher, wetter Mojave Desert meets the lower, hotter Colorado Desert, a convergence that produces one of the most ecologically layered landscapes in the American national park system. The park takes its name from the Joshua tree, a distinctive yucca species that early Mormon settlers reportedly named after the biblical figure Joshua, its upstretched branches suggesting a prophet pointing skyward. The park was first designated a national monument in 1936 and elevated to national park status in 1994, protecting not only the iconic trees but also ancient Native American petroglyphs, historic gold mine ruins, and a remarkable diversity of desert flora and fauna including roadrunners, coyotes, bighorn sheep, and the threatened desert tortoise.

Climbers travel from around the world to scale the park's monzogranite formations, and the area offers more than 8,000 documented climbing routes across all skill levels. Hikers can choose from short nature walks like the Cholla Cactus Garden loop to the strenuous 35-mile California Riding and Hiking Trail.

The Oasis of Mara near the Twentynine Palms entrance offers a shaded walk through a genuine desert oasis with a documented history of human habitation stretching back thousands of years. The convergence of extreme geology, ecological variety, cultural history, and accessible wilderness makes Joshua Tree National Park one of the most distinctively rewarding destinations in the California desert.