From the category archives:

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree Campsite Closed By Bees

July 14, 2009

A few days ago, the Jumbo Rock Campsite in the center of the National Park was closed until August 10th, due to “non-aggressive, but persistent, swarms of bees seeking moisture,” according to a park spokesman. Due to some extremely dry weather in the park lately, the bees have been swarming to try to find sources [...]

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Help Out at J-Tree

February 20, 2009

If you’ve been meaning to take a trip out to Joshua Tree but also wanted to use this time to maybe give a little something back, you might want to schedule a trip over the next few weekends. The LAist dug up some info on a series of volunteer weed-pulls occurring on Saturdays through March [...]

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Desert Blooms Incoming

February 13, 2009

If you’re looking to make a dash to view some desert wildflower blooms, now might be the time to start planning for a trip down south. The California Travel Girl tipped us off to the first wildflower report from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which is just starting to see the first flowers pop through the [...]

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e-Survivalist in Joshua Tree

May 6, 2008

This weekend, the LA Times ran a story by Dan Neil, following his adventures as he tries to make a six-day, north-south backpack through Joshua Tree National Park — weighed down with 7 pounds of high-tech gear. And that’s 7 pounds in a pack that already tips the scales at 50 pounds. Ultralight, this is [...]

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Concert for Trash Prevention

April 7, 2008

Remember that proposed trash dump right outside of Joshua Tree National Park? If you were around during the prehistoric early days of this site, you would — it’s one of the very first things I posted. The on-again, off-again legal relationship still hasn’t made any progress since the last appeal, but the coalition of groups [...]

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Welzenbach Explained

March 5, 2008

If you’ve ever been reading a trail write up and come across a phrase like “class-three bouldering,” you may have stopped and asked yourself, “What the hell does that mean?” Well, it’s called the Welzenbach System. “OK,” you say. “Now what the hell does that mean?” Tom dug up a clear, short, and wonderful video [...]

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Hiking The Maze

February 1, 2008

A newly-designated trail near the West Entrance, this loop encompasses parts of the North View, Maze, and Window Rock trails. A fantastic route that winds through large boulder formations, desert washes, slot canyons, and Joshua Tree forests, this path encompasses just about everything people love about Joshua Tree in one lightly-traveled trail. Highly recommended. The [...]

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Hiking Barker Dam Loop

January 29, 2008

A short and well-trodden nature trail in the center of the park. An easy way to get a glimpse at one of the most accessible areas of the Wonderland of Rocks, as well as seeing evidence of Native American petroglyphs. There is also a small, man-made reservoir here that will provide the rare chance to [...]

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Hiking Ryan Mountain

January 28, 2008

A straightforward, relatively easy hike up one of the most prominent, centrally-located peaks in Joshua Tree National Park. From this popular trail, hikers can get nearly 360 degree views of the entire park. This is a wonderful way to get a feel for the scope of the landscape, and a highly-recommended stop for first-timers. The [...]

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Hiking Inspiration Peak

February 20, 2007

A quick up-and-down that not only escapes the crowds at popular, drivable Keys View, but also provides better vistas of Joshua Tree National Park and its surrounding mountains. Joshua Tree, like all National Parks, has more than its fair share of cargoing sight-seers – that disproportionately loud and messy group that drives on paved roads [...]

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