Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park covers 1,238 square miles. This California desert country contains striking granite formations and mountain ranges rising from flat valleys about 1,800 ft to 5,800 ft. at the mountain view points. It is a vast area and sometimes reminds you of what you think a moon scape should be. We will need to come back here to explore another time. We did manage to get a general feel for the area. There are several campgrounds, and that may be the way to take it in. However you need to be prepared to boon dock and we are not ready for that yet.

We started at the west entrance visitor's center. There is a film and information available there and well worth the stop.
Here is a grove of Joshua trees. Some are huge and bushy and others quite a solitary trunk. They had a fire through here several years back and a lot of the area is in a recovery mode.
Statuary at the visitor center. It reminded me of the bobbing bird that sat on a glass of water. Some of you will remember that from years past.
We saw several rock climbers as we drove through the area. Not sure how they do it!!

This is looking down from Keys View at 5300 ft. That wonderful cloud layer in the valley is pollution from LA. On clear days you can see all the way to the mountains in Baja.
There are 2 climbers on top of that rock pile.

Amazing how the trees live. This one fascinated me as the trunk is so twisted. The winds really blow through here.

The Joshua Tree has creamy white blooms in the spring.

Here is a thicker multi branch Joshua Tree.
This is an awesome world we live in.