The Joshua Tree National Park is a fascinating place to visit in southern California. It’s a huge territory containing over 1,200 sq. mi. (3,200 sq. km), about one-third of it a designated wilderness area, accessible by foot or on horseback. Mountains run through its southwestern edge. What little rain it receives is unpredictable. A good paved road runs through the western part, and there are drivable unpaved roads, plus a number of hiking trails of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. There is also a mile-high lookout point (Key View) that offers a breathtaking panorama of the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault. It is the main destination for most casual visitors.

The Park overlaps two ecosystems, that of the higher elevation Mojave Desert and that of the lower Colorado Desert, each with its own characteristic vegetation. It is named for the “Joshua Tree”, a most unusual plant found almost exclusively in the Mojave Desert section. It can reach 40 feet (12+ m) in height, and lives hundreds of years. There are also five oases populated by fan palm trees and, surprisingly, large animal and bird populations. For complete information go to: http://www.joshua.tree.national.park.com .

We were only able to visit the north-western portion of the Park this time, but we plan to see the rest of it on our next trip to California.