"Joshua Tree NP, a plants Heaven " a Joshua Tree National Park Travel Page by JLBG

In southern California, three hours drive from Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park covers nearly 900,000 ha. It is a typical Northern America type of desert. It includes the eastern most tip of the eastern Colorado Desert and the western part of the Mojave Desert. Though separated by a mountain range, the Mojave Desert is not far from the Ocean and thus, relatively wetter. Its most characteristic plant is the Joshua tree. The eastern Colorado is more continental, drier. Its most characteristic plants are the various cactus.

Joshua Tree National Park is an actual desert but excellent roads easily reach it. In the park, most roads are paved, only a few are dirt roads with a good surface. That means that everybody can reach easily this wonderful places, the Joshua Tree National Park

I visited in March 1980 the Joshua Tree National monument. In 1994, President Clinton signed the California Desert Protection Act and Joshua Tree is now a National Park. Then, I will not try to put any practical tips but to show what it looks like as the landscape and the plants have not changed since then. If you are looking for information on the opening hours, the fees, the roads condition, etc…, visit other pages. If you are looking for photos of characteristic landscapes and vegetation, then have a look at this page.