Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is one of eight national parks in California. The lands of Joshua Tree National Park were set aside as a National Monument in 1936. In 1994 it was made an official national park and has seen visitors from all over the world. Activities available in the park range from hiking, camping, and birdwatching to some of the best rock climbing in the United States and the world. Within the park are 501 archeological sites, and 88 historical structures. The park is also home to three ecosystems found in California. These are the Colorado Desert an extension of the Sonoran Desert and is found in the southern and eastern section of the park, the Mojave Desert which makes of the northern area of the park and is home to the famous Joshua Trees from which the park gets its name, and the Little San Bernadino Mountains in the western section of the park at elevations above 4,000 feet which is home to communities of California juniper and pinyon pine. The park is also home to some of the most interesting geology in the deserts of the state of California with major tectonic and erosional forces shaping the landscape. This park really does have something for all people that are willing to get off the beaten path and search for hidden treasures.