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.
Snow in the Desert? - Joshua Tree National Park
Yes, it can snow in Joshua Tree National Monument. And when it does, it turns the desert landscape into a magical winter wonderland. Something that if you ever get the chance to see in person, move heaven and earth to do so.
The Sawtooth Ascent - Joshua Tree National Park
And this one seems to create a jagged, sawtooth-like set of steps that lead from the bottom of the pile up towards the right. Why haven’t I ever tried to climb those steps to see what’s on top, I asked myself.
“I dunno.”
Toys in the Desert - Joshua Tree National Park
So a few weeks ago, Joshua Tree National Park called me and said, “Hey, you haven’t been here for a while. C’mon out. Use that America the Beautiful Pass. Hike. Take some pictures. Relax. The rocks miss you.”
Chasing the Light - Joshua Tree National Park
My plan was to stick around to see the moon rise and maybe get a picture, and then watch the eclipse process. But before that would happen, there were a couple hours to fill. What to do, what to do…..
Live Oak Picnic Area - Joshua Tree National Park
I can’t remember ever having visited this area without taking a picture of the namesake Live Oak. But it happened on this trip. However, I did get a picture from underneath it while enjoying its welcome shade.
Stirrup Rock Afternoon - Joshua Tree National Park
The Stirrup Rock area out at JT is somewhat of a lesser known, dare I say, “secret” area in the park that doesn’t get a lot of visitors.
Samuelson’s Rocks - Joshua Tree National Park
Chances are good that most visitors to Joshua Tree National Park have never seen them, let alone even know they exist. And of those who do set out to find this elusive and evocative site, many of them never return.
Barker Dam Nature Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
It had been over ten years since I last saw any water in Barker Dam, so when I heard reports that the recent monsoons had filled the dam up, I knew I wanted to get out and take a look.
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.
Diamonds & Sun Pictographs - Joshua Tree National Park
The temperature was in the high 90s and I had just finished wandering around the outskirts of the Wonderland of Rocks, so why not go hiking deeper into the Wanderland in search of a cool pictograph site?