Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park, park in southeastern California, established as a national monument in 1936 and redesignated as a national park in 1994. The park lies at the convergence of two distinct desert regions, the lower (below 900 m/3,000 ft) Colorado Desert in the eastern half of the park, and the higher Mojave Desert, in the western half of the park. Plant life includes Joshua trees, juniper, palms, creosote bushes, octillo, and the cholla cactus. The desert’s animal life includes coyotes, kangaroo rats, bobcats, golden eagles, tarantulas, and sidewinders. The Joshua tree, for which the park is named, is an important part of the desert ecosystem, providing food and shelter for many of the desert animals. Large stands of these trees are found in the western half of the park. Also included in the park are several abandoned 19th-century mine shafts. Area, 319,647 hectares (789,866 acres).

Reviewed by: National Park Service