Joshua+Tree+National+Park

By Nick R.

Joshua Tree National Park has much to offer, such as hiking, biking, and sight-seeing. The visitor center is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, if you would like to know a little about the park.

Location, Size, and Distance
Joshua Tree National Park is located in southern California, between Interstate 10, and California State Highway 62. The nearest cities and towns are San Bernardino, Twenty-Nine Palms, Palm Springs, and Indio. The parks desert terrain comes from the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. The total size has been cut down and rebuilt over the years, but the size now is 790,636 total acres. Also, the shortest length to get from my hometown to the park is 1687.16 miles, and it would take 26 hours to get there.

Park Hours
The park is open all day, for every week, for 365 days a year. So basically, it's always open. Also, the visitor center is open all year from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. So get there while you can!

Climate
The average yearly precipitation measurements of Joshua Tree National Park is about 3.56" of rain. The average temperature in spring and autumn is the most comfortable temperature, at an average high of 85°F, and a low of 50°F. The average high temperature in the summer is very hot, at 100°F, and the low is not very cold either, at 75°F. In the winter, it has an average high temperature of about 60°F, and a low of 32°F.

History


The Joshua Tree area has been occupied by humans for about 5,000 years. The Pinto People of the southwest also had homes along a slow moving river which ran into the now dried up Pinto Basin. Also, some miners and explorers came to the desert to mien for gold, and some cattlemen came to the area to build dams to create water tanks for their cattle. The Joshua Tree area became a National Monument in 1936 because of a women named Minerva Hoyt. She was a resident of Pasadena, CA, and absolutely loved desert plants. She was very concerned about the removal of cacti and other desert plants. Her acts paid off and the area became a National Monument. The National monument had many downsizes and up-sizes throughout the 20th century.B ut then, in 1994, President Bill Clinton and the United States Congress passed the bill to make the monument a National Park through the California Desert Protection Act.

Things to See
Some of the most common things to see when at the park are Bighorn Sheep, coyotes, other animals, and lots of wildflowers. Also, a trip would not be complete without seeing the park's namesake, the Joshua Trees. The trees are twisted and gnarled, and they look like they came from a Dr. Seuss book.

Things to Do
Some fun things to do at the park are Rock Climbing, Hiking, as there are lots of trails to do so, biking, and camping. Also, for kids, they can become Junior Rangers. They have an adult Ranger Program too, for understanding the park, and to add enjoyment.

Interesting Facts
Joshua Tree National Park has many faults throughout the park, such as the San Andreas Fault. Also, the park's name comes from a tree that looks likes it came from a Dr. Seuss book. You cannot use ATVs in the park, and bicycling is only permitted on paved roads, and not on trails.

Resources
[|**http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm**] [|**http://www.mapquest.com/**] [|**http://joshua.tree.national-park.com/**] [|**http://www.google.com/imghp**] [|**http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page**] [|**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park**]