We had no preconceived notions of what Joshua Tree National Park would be like. When you visit to Yellowstone, you expect geysers. When you visit the Everglades, you expect swamps and alligators. When you visit Joshua Tree, I guess you expect trees of some sort. That’s probably my midwest/east coast ignorance talking. Anyway, let’s visit!
We had done our research and decided to stay on BLM land south of the park entrance. There were campgrounds in the park, but we are pretty much too long to fit into any of the sites unless you have the ability to size a site up first. There was also BLM camping north of the park. But up north you are basically camping in a dirt parking lot next to strip malls. Ugh.
We camped where the yellow star is way south. The park consists of two distinct regions. The Colorado Desert is at a lower altitude and has an abundance of creosote bushes. cholla cactus and ocotillo. The Mojave Desert is where the Joshua Trees are. Clicking on this map will get you to the “real” version on the National Park Service website.There was a utility company dirt road that ran along the south edge of the park. That is how we approached our free campsite. And this was our home for the next four nights. A site with a view! It was just off the dirt road in an area where others had stayed before us. It’s popular and FREE! We did have some neighbors, but few and far between. If they were running generators, we couldn’t hear them! Once again, our solar worked great at charging up our batteries during the day.
Let’s visit the park. I’m going to say upfront, my pictures don’t do justice to this beautiful place.
Colorado Desert
Near the south visitor’s center was an oasis.
Cottonwood Spring, a water source populated with Fan PalmsThe Bajada Nature Trail was at a low enough elevation AND the area had enough rainfall that the wildflowers were in bloom.
Wildflowers in February. Nice!
We came upon the Cholla Cactus Garden…….which came with a warning. The sign read:
Warning!
This Cactus is Hazardous. Do Not Touch For Your Safety And The Protection Of The Resource. Travel Is Restricted to The Trail. No Pets.
Note the provided First Aid Kit. We opted to NOT touch the cactus. But based on the existence of the sign, I can only assume others had.
The Cholla Cactus were beautiful!
We also spotted coyote at the side of the road. I wonder if these were the ones howling at night and keeping me awake.
I took a video of the Pinto Basin that covers much of the Colorado Desert to try give a sense of the vastness. I think I failed. Too bad all you can hear is the rumble of our Jeep’s diesel engine. You can also view the video at https://youtu.be/f4AuyueXXOY.
Mojave Desert
We had to travel through the Colorado Desert portion of the park to get to the Mojave Desert and the Joshua Trees. It was a 45 minute drive. But the peace and quiet at the south side of the park make the drive worth it.
We drove north into the park and found wide expanses of Joshua Trees. The trees were complimented by various rock formations.The Joshua Tree can grow up to 40 feet high at the rate of 1 inch a year. I had Jim take a picture of me standing next to one so you can get a sense of scaleWe took an early morning hike that featured Joshua Trees, large boulders, and a view of the snow capped San Gorgonio Mountain (8294 feet). We at between 4000 and 5000 feet in the parks. This hike blew my mind. We were in the desert and I was staring at snow.Just breathtaking!
We had no idea, but rock climbing and bouldering are both HUGE attractions at Joshua Tree. There were climbers everywhere.
We drove to the top of Key’s View and could see Indio, Palm Springs, the Salton Sea and GASP! The San Andreas Fault!!!!! I had no idea the Blue Flame was parked within 15 miles of the fault. Fortunately, nothing happened. But it did give me pause to consider how the Blue Flame would do in an earthquake. I think quite well. Heck, driving the RV down the highway is akin to your house being in a non-stop earthquake!
We saw all that we could of Joshua Tree National Park. Everyone should visit at least once. Just keep in mind, the north entrances are the busiest due to the high population density up there and the nearness of the Joshua Trees and rock climbing. We really enjoyed the south side instead…I’d rather drive 45 minutes than sit in line for 45 minutes at the park entrance. Rain can also have affect your visit. Due to the heavy rains that kept us in Indio a couple of extra days, some of the 4×4 dirt roads were closed. Still, it was a GREAT time! Check another National Park off our list!
We did find one 4×4 road that was open. Jim loved the challenge of driving down it. I didn’t. I think the Grand Forks Mud Episode of 2018 is still too fresh in my mind.
Thanks!!! What different “stuff.” I’ll take some of those Joshua Trees —- no leaves to rake!!! Jim does like a challenge 🙂