Joshua Tree National Park – Summer 2019
Joshua Tree National Park is located in Southern California and encompasses over 790,000 acres of desert landscape. The park was designated as a national monument in 1936 and was later upgraded to a national park in 1994.
The region has a rich history, dating back thousands of years. The first inhabitants of the area were Native American tribes, including the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, and Serrano. These tribes relied on the region’s natural resources, including the Joshua trees, for food, shelter, and medicine.
In the late 1800s, homesteaders and ranchers began to settle in the area, and mining operations were established. However, the harsh desert environment made life difficult for these early settlers, and many eventually abandoned their homes and businesses.
In the early 1900s, the area began to attract artists and writers, who were drawn to the unique landscape and solitude of the desert. Many of these artists established studios and homes in the region, including the famous author and journalist, John Burroughs.
In 1936, Joshua Tree was designated as a national monument by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in order to protect its unique desert ecosystem and natural beauty. In the following decades, the park’s popularity grew, attracting visitors from around the world.
In 1994, Joshua Tree was upgraded to national park status, making it one of the newest national parks in the United States. Today, the park is a popular destination for hiking, rock climbing, camping, stargazing, and wildlife viewing, and it remains an important site for scientific research and conservation efforts.
We entered the park from the West Entrance and shopped at the Visitors Center. This was the first time we got out of the car since we passed Los Angeles. This is when we realized that it was summer in the desert. Not hot and humid like in the midwest in the high 90’s but like 114 degree F. Crazy hot. It was a good thing that we had plenty of water and food with us. There was not water in the park past this point for many miles.
Our first stop was Barker Dam / Key’s Ranch. This was a chance to get out the car, go for a short hike and experience the summer heat of the Southern California Desert.
Wall Street/ Barker Dam
Keys View
From Barker Dam we worked our way up the mountain to to enjoy lunch and a beautiful view of the Palm Springs valley and a quick picnic lunch.
Along The Way - Keys View to Chola Gardens
Skull Rock
Chola Gardens
By this time we were going for about eight hours and ready for the four hours back to Camarillo. We stopped at the visitors center to get the stamp for our National Parks Passport to signify that we have been there and done that.
