James Kaiser - Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide: Joshua Tree National Park

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Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide

2019 Destination Press

Written & Photographed by James Kaiser

This book would not have been possible without the help of many generous people. Special thanks to Lorna Lange, Joe Zarki, Melanie Spoo, Michael Vamstad and the entire staff at Joshua Tree National Park. Thanks also goes out to Carrie Petree, Adam Himoff, Andrea Stern, Josia Lamberto-Egan, Maria Matijasevic, Bryan Beasley, Grant Thompson, Ryan Johnston, Scott Braman, Adam Preskill and Natalie Stone.

Special thanks to eagle-eyed readers Edward Wilson and Zach Sherman, who brought errors in previous editions to my attention.

As always, a very special thanks to my family & friends, & to all the wonderful people I encountered while working on this guide.

All information in this guide has been exhaustively researched, but names, phone numbers, and other details do change. If you encounter a change or mistake while using this guide, please send an email to . Your input will improve future editions of this guide.

Although every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained within this guide, the author and publisher do not assume and disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. If the rigors and threats of nature are in any way beyond your capabilities, do not attempt any hike in this guide. Many photos in this book depict people in precarious situations. Do not assume that any situations depicted in this book are safe in any way. All maps in this guide are based on official USGS data, but serious hikers should supplement their outings with detailed hiking maps.

I f youve purchased this book, youre going to Joshua Tree. Perhaps youre already here. If so, youre in one of the most amazing natural landscapes in America.

Joshua Tree is beautiful. Joshua Tree is grotesque. Joshua Tree is peaceful, crazy, crowded, empty, freezing, sweltering, and a million other contradictions rolled into one. Some people think its a wasteland. Others love it at first sight. The park lures everyone from elderly wildflower watchers to youthful rock climbers. Its a land of desert adventure packed into a landscape fit for Dr. Seusstwisted trees and balanced boulders speckling the spectacular scenery. Add a fresh blanket of snow and you might as well be in Whoville.

And now ... my confession: The first time I came to Joshua Tree, I hated it. I was camping with friends who invited me on short notice, and we got caught in a winter storm. I had no warm clothes, it was freezing cold, and our fire kept sputtering out. If the park was like Whoville, I was like the Grinch, with grouchy complaints flowing from a mouth that was definitely not two sizes too small. On the second night, my friends puppy, Sadie, woke up in the middle of the night, climbed onto my friends sleeping bag, and relieved herself on his face. For my money, that premeditated piddle made the entire trip worthwhile. But otherwise the trip was a bust. By the time we left, I had no love for Joshua Tree National Park.

Thankfully, I gave the park a second chance. I came back in the early spring, when the temperature was mild, and immediately experienced a change of heart. The scenery grew on me. The strange plants fascinated me. But the real revelation came at night, when billions of stars blazed overhead. I was hooked. And Ive been hooked ever since. To those of you who have ever gone to Joshua Tree and gotten lost in the stars, this book is for you.

jameskaiser.com

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Map of Joshua Tree

Introduction

S traddling the boundary between the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert in Southern California, Joshua Tree is home to some of Americas most strange and surreal scenery. The parks twisted trees, towering rock formations, and jumbled geology create a Seussian landscape that lures rock climbers, rock stars, and desert aficionados from around the globe.

At 800,000 acres, Joshua Tree takes up a vast chunk of the Southern California desert. But only two major roads run through the park: Park Boulevard and Pinto Basin Road. Park Boulevard passes through the famous Mojave Desert. Lying above 3,000 feet in elevation, the Mojave Desert in Joshua Tree occupies a slightly cooler climate filled with strange rock formations and thousands of Joshua trees. The rock formations, some as tall as twenty-story buildings, lure a steady stream of rock climbers from around the world. Joshua Trees 8,000 plus climbs make it one of North Americas premier climbing destinationsespecially in the winter months when other rock climbing meccas are covered in ice and snow.

Pinto Basin Road passes through the Sonoran Desert, which is characterized by lower elevations, hotter temperatures, less rainfall, and wide-open spaces. In Joshua Tree, much of this open space lies within Pinto Basin, a 200-square-mile gulf of land that marks one of the westernmost edges of the Sonoran Desert. Pinto Basin is massivefive of the parks six mountain ranges define its boundaries. Located just a few miles north of sprawling Coachella Valley (one of the fastest growing regions in California), Pinto Basin offers a pristine reminder of the beauty of the untouched desert. Joshua trees are noticeably absent, but equally fascinating plants such as cholla, ocotillo and smoke trees call Pinto Basin home.

Several thousand years ago, Pinto Basin was settled by early Indians. The park was later used as a seasonal home by the Serrano and Cahuilla tribes. In the mid-1800s, cattle ranchers came to Joshua Tree, followed by gold miners in the 1880s. By the 1920s, however, most of the gold in Joshua Tree had been extracted, the Indians had been forced out, and only a few hardy white settlers remained. Following the introduction of the automobile, adventurous Los Angeles citizens began day-tripping to the desert in large numbers. By 1936 Joshua Tree National Monument was established. In 1994 the Desert Protection Act upgraded Joshua Tree to national park status and added 234,000 acres to its holdings. Today Joshua Tree National Park sees over 1 million visitors each year.