Joshua Tree National Park

A drive through Joshua Tree National Park might take a couple hours, viewing the park from the road. An exploration of the park would take a lifetime. Joshua Tree National Park has over 550,000 acres of wilderness filled with a variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Every now and then, man intrudes in this wilderness and leaves his brief, passing mark among the surreal geologic features that cover the landscape. Let’s go see what we can find.

Elliot Koeppel 8/31/24 Elliot Koeppel 8/31/24

Hidden Valley Found! - Joshua Tree National Park

I pulled into a rather large parking lot near where my research had led me to believe was near an entrance to the famous “Hidden Valley” of Joshua Tree National Park.... I was determined to be the first to find the secret valley where desperado outlaws stashed their stolen cattle.

Elliot Koeppel 6/16/24 Elliot Koeppel 6/16/24

Queen Valley Prospects Camp - Joshua Tree National Park

Hiking to Nolina Ridge, will I make it? Are those gold mines? What’s with all the wildflowers?

Elliot Koeppel 2/6/21 Elliot Koeppel 2/6/21

Gold Mines & Pinyon Pines - Joshua Tree National Park

Most folks who park at the Desert Queen Mine/Pine City parking area generally head off to see the mines, or maybe Eagle Cliff hideout, or out to Pine City. But being in a contrarian mood, I decided to head southeast into the ruff, to see what I could find.

Elliot Koeppel 12/11/20 Elliot Koeppel 12/11/20

Hall of Horrors Sunset - Joshua Tree National Park

Elliot Koeppel 12/4/20 Elliot Koeppel 12/4/20

Geology Tour Road, Revisited - Joshua Tree National Park

I can remember traveling along the bumpy road in a Dodge Dart, stopping at the points indicated while someone read the description of what we were looking at.

Elliot Koeppel 11/11/20 Elliot Koeppel 11/11/20

PC - The Boogie-Man - Joshua Tree National Park

The Boogie-man, long known to visitors of the monument, is at the edge of the main road, peeking over a rock as you pass by

Elliot Koeppel 7/16/20 Elliot Koeppel 7/16/20

Lucky Boy Vista - Joshua Tree National Park

Next time you’re in Joshua Tree National Park, be sure to set aside two hours and hike the “out and back” Lucky Boy Vista Trail. It’s a hike where the reward (the vista) far outweighs the price (effort expended to get there). This trail is on my Top Five list of short hikes in JT.