Many of you who follow my blog know I'm a National Park junkie. One of my goals is to visit as many US National Parks as I can. So when travelling someplace, I always check to see if there's one nearby.
Late last October brought me to Orange County, California for my aunt's 85th birthday party. After a little research, I discovered Joshua Tree NP was a mere 2 1/2 hour drive away.
At first I really didn't know much about Joshua Tree NP. It wasn't on my "must visit" radar until I started reading posts from
this blog. The blog author is a frequent visitor and takes amazing photos of the landscape and night skies over JTNP.
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| Yahoo, I made it! |
I couldn't pass up an opportunity to check another NP off my list, so I decided to rent a car and brave the Southern California traffic. Although I live in a rather large city, Portland was a drop in the bucket compared to the densely populated Los Angeles metro freeways. But I bolstered my courage and successfully got through all the congestion in one piece. After an hour or so of white-knuckle driving, I left the suburbs behind for the Mojave Desert's desolate plains.
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| These trees are like nothing I've ever seen before |
Encompassing over 795,000 acres in Southern California, Joshua Tree NP is located in an empty corner where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Desert. Named for the large number of unique spiky Joshua Trees that grow here, this park's landscape also features otherworldly jumbles of granite boulders, popular with rock climbers. Hiking, camping, and night sky viewing are some of the other activities visitors can enjoy.
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| Split Rock |
My plan was to enter the park at the town of Twentynine Palms, located on its northern border. Most of the park's popular attractions were situated in this area and the town was large enough to have services. Upon arriving, I grabbed lunch from a nearby supermarket and stopped by the National Park headquarters to purchase my pass and obtain a park map. Due to extremely hot summer temperatures, the HQ office was full of warnings about having adequate water before venturing into the park. Even though it was late October, and temps were in the mid 50's, their ominous words made me double check that all my water bottles were full.
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| Desert scenery |
Time to see the park! From Twentynine Palms I took a road southward for several miles through barren country. Homes were scattered about, their front yards landscaped with nothing but rock and a few cactus. Upon reaching the North Entrance Station, I excitedly pulled over to get a photo by the park sign. Another couple was there doing the same thing, so we traded cell phones and took pics of each other.
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| More desert scenery |
From the North Entrance, I continued my drive along appropriately named Park Boulevard. Upon spotting my very first Joshua Tree, I couldn't help but pull over to take a photo. Little did I know there would be plenty of opportunities further into the park.
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| Interesting rock shapes |
At the first junction, I impulsively turned right and followed this road to a picnic area called Live Oak. In need of a spot to eat lunch, I bumped over a short gravel driveway to a parking lot with picnic tables and a pit toilet. The tables were all occupied, so I continued to a deserted second parking area. I sat in the back of my car with the hatch raised and enjoyed my deli sandwich while checking out the landscape.
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| Mineral vein running through the rock |
Across the gravel drive was a big patch of Joshua trees. Like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, these trees were like nothing I'd ever seen before. I admired their spiky green "leaf" clusters and fibrous bark. Multiple branches sprouted from the trunks, reminding me of arms on a Saguaro cactus.
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| As you can see, the Joshua trees are quite tall |
Built to withstand a hot, harsh desert environment, the Joshua trees are really not true trees, but a species of yucca. As a way to conserve moisture, their waxy, spiny leaves expose very little surface area. Joshua trees grow at a sluggish rate of one inch per year, and can eventually reach heights of 40 feet. Cream-colored flowers bloom in the early spring months, and from these the tree will grow branches.
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| Prickly close-up |
Another interesting tidbit I learned - the Joshua trees are thought to haven gotten their name from a group of Mormon settlers crossing the Mojave Desert in the 19th century. The tree's role in guiding them through the desert combined with its unique shape reminded the settlers of biblical story where Joshua kept his arms extended for a long period of time, enabling the Israelites to conquer Canaan.
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| A whole forest of J-trees |
After finishing my sandwich, I drove to the road's opposite side to check out another picnic area named "Split Rock." True to its name, this place featured a gigantic boulder sporting a huge crack down the middle. I hiked a short distance around the area, taking in the barren, rock-strewn landscape. A few low, brushy shrubs were beginning to show a bit of autumn colors.
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| J-trees with the Little San Bernadino Mountains in the background |
Further down the road from Split Rock, I stopped at Sheep Pass campground. There was a lot of interesting looking rocks here, so I decided to park in the day use area and have a walk around.
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| A short trail |
The huge boulders that littered the landscape were tan colored. I thought at first they were all sandstone, but after a bit of research learned the formations were composed of granite. The rocky piles strewn throughout the park were formed by magma rising from deep within the earth and intruding into the overlying rock. After cooling and crystallizing, the granite formed many cracks and continued to uplift. Groundwater worked into the granite, widening the cracks and rounding sharp edges. Eventually the surface soil eroded, leaving heaps of these monoliths scattered throughout the land.
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| Colorful scrub brush |
I enjoyed hiking through the boulder fields at Sheep Pass. User trails snaked around the rock piles, and no one seemed to mind visitors climbing them. I puffed up a smaller boulder just to get a panoramic view from on top.
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| More desert color |
From Sheep Pass, I drove to another road junction. One direction took visitors to an overlook called Keys View. I wanted to check that out, but sadly the road was closed for construction that day. So I turned and headed back northward towards a place called Hidden Valley. I made a few stops at pullouts along the way, hopping out to photograph more of the desolate, but very interesting landscape. It was here that I found the largest concentration of Joshua trees. There were entire forests spread across this empty land. Barren peaks of the Little San Bernardino Mountains rose far in the distance. Although there were a few trailheads and numerous hiking trails, due to my limited time and the fact I was alone, I opted not to wander very far from the parking lots.
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| This tree was most striking in the afternoon sunlight |
Due to its broiling hot summer weather, I'd heard that the busy time for Joshua Tree NP was the fall to winter months. But crowds were minimal this weekday in late October. The only place that was really bustling was the parking area for a place called "Skull Rock" (which I visited later that afternoon on my return through the park.)
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| Rocky landscape |
After spending all afternoon exploring places along the main park road, I headed back east towards the road I'd driven in on. Still having a bit more daylight left, I turned down the main north-south park route, called Pinto Basin Road. Passing a parking area for the Heart and Arch Rock trail, I decided there was time for one more short hike before I needed to find a place to photograph sunset.
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| Heart rock in late afternoon sun |
A short, one-mile path wandered through the barren landscape. After crossing a small wash and climbing up the other side, I came upon a large boulder in the shape of a heart. Late afternoon sun illuminated the granite face a golden hue. It was really cool to come across such an interesting-shaped large rock in the middle of a desert. Having the place to myself, I hung out for several minutes photographing Heart Rock from many different angles.
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| Heart rock sunburst |
From Heart Rock, a side trail led to another large stony feature called Arch Rock. It took a bit of climbing up a large rocky ridge to reach, but I arrived at this well known landmark just as the low angle afternoon sun was lighting it up brilliantly. Good timing for sure! Another very interesting formation. I was glad I'd decided to make the quick trek to check out both.
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| Arch Rock |
Upon reaching my car again, I noticed the sun was starting to descend towards the horizon. It was time to find a good area to photograph sunset. I'd originally thought about setting up at the Cholla Cactus Garden, a few miles down the road, but I wasn't sure I had enough time to get there. So I drove a short distance south from the Heart Rock Trailhead before noticing a roadside pullout. Small Joshua trees rose from the desert floor and a few large rocky hills could be seen in the distance. Night was now fast approaching - this would have to do.
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| Sunset over the park |
Sunset wasn't spectacular. I'd hoped the few clouds hanging around the horizon would turn colors in the setting sun, but instead old sol sank below the cloud layer and that was that. However, it was an interesting experience being in the desert at sunset. The air grew quite chilly. A few coyotes yipped in the distance. The quiet calm of my surroundings was quite peaceful. However, I was getting hungry and was eager to check in to my motel and get dinner. So back along the park road I drove, heading towards Twentynine Palms.
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| A few colors in the clouds |
I wasn't super impressed with Twentynine Palms. There weren't a lot of places to eat, and the brew pub I finally chose was loud, crowded, and expensive. The Best Western I stayed in was a bit shabby. The parking lot was dimly lit and the outer door to the room corridor (usually requiring room key access) was left wide open. A group of men congregated underneath my second floor window, talking loudly for at least an hour. As a female traveling alone, this place didn't feel very safe at all. I made sure my room door was bolted tight before retiring for the night.
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| Sunrise at Cholla Cactus garden |
The next morning I decided to capture sunrise over the desert, so it was an early wake-up call. After checking out of the motel and a quick trip to Starbucks for breakfast, I headed down the dark park road towards Cholla Cactus Gardens. A park brochure suggested this was a good place to catch sunrise and it was one of the few attractions I didn't visit the day before.
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| Morning light over the Chollas |
Chollas are a tree-like plant with thousands of spiky needles growing from its branches, commonly found in the SW deserts of the US. I'd heard that you don't want to get very close to a cholla, because their spines easily detach and will stick deep into one's skin. Due to the ease of attachment, they are sometimes referred to as "jumping cholla."
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| Mountains and Chollas |
I was the first vehicle in the parking area and due to the cold and darkness, I sat in my car until the sky began to lighten. Then I ventured out into the cholla garden, being careful not to get too close to any of the cacti. Luckily, the park had constructed a boardwalk for the first quarter mile and that provided a bit of distance between visitors and the cholla spikes. The cactus garden was quite impressive - thousands of spiky plants stretching across the vast empty plain, anchored by tall, barren mountains. After a disappointing sunset the night before, sunrise redeemed itself with a lovely orange glow in the sky. Sun rays backlit the cholla spines, creating interesting photographic effects. Once the sun had risen beyond the horizon, I lingered in the cholla field, taking copious photos. It was a beautiful and fascinating place.
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| Backlit spikes - don't want to touch those! |
The rest of my morning was spent retracing the same drive from the prior day. After having blah, overcast skies most of yesterday, today I was graced with a lovely blue atmosphere. So much better for photos, I revisited several places just to capture the landscape with nicer light.
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| Blue sky day |
I ended my morning with a stop at the National Park Visitor Center and Oasis of Mara, located on the outskirts of Twentynine Palms. The oasis was underwhelming. There were a few palm trees that hid a small pond underneath and half of the trail encircling the area was closed for construction. Then it being late morning, I headed back to Orange County, to hopefully miss rush hour traffic.
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| Bendy J-tree |
Although Joshua Tree NP was a fascinating place, I realized right away I wasn't a desert person. It was so barren and bleak - a very inhospitable environment. I can only imagine how sweltering it must get during summer months. I'm not a hot weather person and much prefer the green, forested environment of my beloved Pacific NW. However if I ever return I'd like to see JTNP in the spring when the cacti are in bloom.
