Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park, desert and wilderness area in southern California, U.S. It is situated just east of Palm Springs and adjacent communities and about 60 miles (100 km) east of San Bernardino, on the border between the Mojave and Colorado deserts. The park has an area of 1,234 square miles (3,196 square km), about three-fourths of which has been designated as wilderness. It was established as a national monument in 1936, was designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 1984, and became a national park in 1994. Park headquarters are at Twentynine Palms, just north of the park. The park is noted for its variety of desert plant life, in particular the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), a species of yucca.

Rugged bare-rock ridges of gneiss and huge granite boulders form a dramatic backdrop to the park’s flora and fauna. The eastern half of the park is in the low-lying Colorado Desert and features the Pinto Basin ringed by low mountains. The Mojave Desert, situated at elevations above 3,000 feet (900 metres), encompasses the western part of the park and is bordered on the west by the Little San Bernardino Mountains, which rise to about 4,250 feet (1,300 metres). The region’s climate is warm and exceedingly dry, with hot summers and cool winters. Daytime highs in summer often exceed 100 °F (38 °C) at lower elevations, and nighttime lows in winter often drop below freezing. The park receives an average of 4 inches (100 mm) of precipitation annually, often as brief torrential summer thunderstorms that can cause flash flooding; snow can fall at higher elevations in winter. Diurnal temperature changes are large and can be as much as 40 °F (22 °C) in a single day.

The Colorado Desert area in the east is drier, and creosote bushes are abundant, together with some cholla cactus and spidery ocotillo. The somewhat wetter Mojave Desert contains extensive stands of Joshua trees, which are unique in their appearance, with multiple arms ending in bunches of needlelike leaves. There are also five desert fan palm oases in the park, where water found at or near the surface supports these native trees. Wildflowers grow throughout the park and may begin blooming as early as February in the Pinto Basin.

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Quick Quiz: Deserts

Wildlife is diverse and relatively abundant in the park. Mammals commonly found there include mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, bats, jackrabbits, and a wide variety of rodents (notably kangaroo rats). Among the reptiles are lizards (including geckos, iguanas, and skinks), numerous snakes (with several species of rattlesnakes), and the threatened Mojave Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii. There are a few amphibians, notably California tree frogs (Hyla cadaverina) in the north. Some 250 species of birds have been sighted in the park, a great many of them transients passing through in spring or fall. Notable permanent residents include roadrunners, cactus wrens, Gambel’s quail, red-tailed hawks, and golden eagles. Among winter and summer visitors are juncos, cedar waxwings, Scott’s and northern orioles, and western bluebirds.

Joshua Tree National Park is located relatively close to the large Los Angeles metropolitan area to the west, and the central and western portions of the park are accessible by paved road via entrances in the northwest, north, and south. The number of visitors is high year-round, but usage is especially heavy in spring and fall when the temperatures are more moderate. Visitor’s centres, open throughout the year, are located at the three entrances. The park’s proximity to large urban areas has generated environmental issues, notably frequent periods when smog obscures the sky and also drops nitrogen-rich compounds onto the soil that facilitate the growth of nonnative plants. A nonnative and invasive plant species of particular concern is the tamarisk, which thrives in watered areas and crowds out native species.