Joshua Tree National Park in the southern California high desert east of Palm Springs is an exotic arid playground that stimulates the imagination and rejuvenates the spirit.
As a world-class rock climbing mecca, its multitude of quality climbs and ideal off-season temperatures attract athletes from around the globe. And then there’s the landscape – a surreal mix of granite boulders strewn across the park like a giant’s marbles, and the namesake Joshua Trees with their whimsical spiny branches that conjure images of Dr. Seuss characters. From a photographic standpoint it’s a paradise of grand proportions, and when the sun goes down the night sky puts on a show of its own.
At the junction of two ecosystems, Joshua Tree National Park is host to both the Mojave Desert to the north in the higher elevations, and the Colorado Desert to the south. The Joshua Trees thrive in the slightly cooler Mojave Desert in the western part of the park, while the lower Colorado portion plays host to a multitude of spring wildflowers, a cholla cactus garden and the lush Cottonwood oasis near the southern entrance.
Summer temperatures can be unbearably hot, but the rest of the year is ideal for photography, climbing, hiking or just soaking up the visual experience in this otherworldly landscape.
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