Joshua Tree was originally intended to be called Desert Plants National Monument, and the focus on yucca brevifolia obscures just how large, expansive, and diverse the current National Park is.
Joshua Tree National Park is the meeting of two deserts, the Mojave and the Colorado. The Joshua Trees are beautiful, but they are also found extensively outside the park. The rock formations, from millions of years of faulting and erosion, bring in rock climbers throughout the world.
The area of the park was also an extensive migration route, especially for the Mojave and Chemehuevi. They have left a beautiful past in the form of archaeology and rock art. Let’s hope the crowds stay away from these beautiful sites.
Since the California Desert Protection Act change its status to a National Park in 1994, tourism has grown exponentially. The unique and fragile ecosystem is threatened by trampling, Instagram-carelessness, and vandalism. Some of what is shown in this Gallery doesn’t look the same, just a few years later. Joshua Tree’s long-term health is imperiled as long as the crowds keep coming. Let’s hope for a better future with lighter feet and more insightful minds enjoying one of the best of our National Parks.
JT150
Christmas Morning 2017
JT31
Orange Ghosts
Sunkissed Revisited
JT44
Sunrise Victory
Moon Dog
A Joshua Tree and Star Trails
Temple Complex
Fog Bow
JT Cholla Sunrise
Juniper and Monolith, Twilight
JT43
The Sphinx At Sunrise
Adobe Spark
Arch Rock Last Light
HIdden Cave
Treepost
Sunbeat
Garret's Arch
Cloudscape Mastodon Mountain Joshua Tree
Skyward
Jeremy's Arch, Black and White
Magical Rock
Twilight Buddha
Iridescent
Golden Orange
Branching Out
JT53
Desert Monsoon
Sundial
JT27
Heartbreak and Hope
Ohlson House
Coxcomb Arch, Black and White JT
Dinosaur Window JT
Ryan Ranch View, Black and White
JT163