Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park was established on October 31 1994. But I remember visiting as a child sometime in the late 50’s or early 60’s, a vacation trip with my mom who loved the desert. She loved most of nature. Then on February 9, 1986 we (my partner, myself and toddler son) went to see Halley’s Comet with friends. Don’t know if I saw the comet but I do remember the son’s first steps, taken in the hotel room. That was the last visit until December 27th, 2021, when these images were made.

Joshua Tree Facts

Joshua Tree National Park covers 794,000 aces in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts east of Los Angeles. The park is named for the Yucca brevifolia, the distinctive plant that grows from southwest Utah, southern Nevada, western Arizona, and southeastern California. Mormon settlers coming through the area named the plant for the Biblical story of Joshua.

The Pinto people came to the area after the last ice age, followed by nomadic

groups of Native Americans who harvested edibles growing in the area. Then came gold miners, ranchers, and eventually tourists, artists, and musicians.

According to the US National Parks Department, the Joshua Tree habitat supports 813 higher plant species, 46 reptiles species, 57 species of mammal, and over 250 species of birds.

In 2021 there were an estimated 3,070,000 visitors to the park.