Joshua Tree National Park

Experience Joshua Tree National Park!

Here in the heart of our downtown business district, National Park Drive leads visitors south to the Park Headquarters and main Visitor Center of this magnificent National Park  where golden eagles soar above massive heaps of multicolored boulders and groves of Joshua Trees reach toward the blue vastness above with arms clothed in clusters of dagger shaped dark green leaves.

The 794,000 acre Joshua Tree National Park encompasses two large ecosystems primarily determined by elevation; the Colorado and the Mojave Deserts.  Here in the Mojave section, slightly higher, cooler and wetter, is the special habitat of the undisciplined Joshua Tree, which gave the park its name.  It is said that Mormon visitors to the area, seeing groves of immature two-armed  plants, likened them to the biblical Joshua reaching up to God.

The Park may be visited year round; each season demonstrates a different personality.  Visitor centers, ranger stations, entrance stations and  wayside exhibits are located along main roads leading into and through the Park.  Rangers are at hand to help ensure an enjoyable, safe visit and to provide information about weather and road conditions, back country use, the nine campgrounds with over 530 individual campsites and the nineteen group campsites.

There are ranger conducted activities such as walks, hikes and campfire talks, and several picnic areas for day use only. Those who prefer to motor through will drive along well maintained paved roads.

Visitors are cautioned to carry plenty of water and to be aware of canyons and washes where flash floods can occur after sudden rainstorms.  Most important--while boulder piles are attractive to children,  weathering can cause loosening of the rock particles.

Anyone wishing to ask about current programs or to obtain further information about the Park may write to:  Superintendent, J.T. National Park, 74485 National Park Drive, 29 Palms, CA 92277, or call (760) 367-7511, or visit the Joshua Tree National Park Official Web site!

Map of Joshua Tree National Park

Want to Learn How to Rock Climb?

The following three rock climbing schools are availble in the Twentynine Palms area. Call or email today to expand your horizons and see the world from the top!

Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School

Phone: 800-890-4745

Uprising

Phone: 888-254-6266

Vertical Adventures

Phone: 800-514-8785

Learn more through classes at The Desert Institute

The Desert Institute is the adult educational field program offered by the Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park.

The Desert Institute offers field classes in Joshua Tree National Park (several with the option of college credit), community lectures, and custom designed programming for adults.

The Institute has courses in cultural history, natural science, survival skills, and the arts for adults to explore in-depth the natural wonders of the park with expert instructors and runs four lecture series with various partners in Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs. There are two class semesters, fall and spring, with the courses scheduled on the weekends, ranging from one to three days.

For the most recent list of classes, click here.