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Joshua Tree National Park is popular with the more thoughtful traveler - there is no spectacular central attraction as is the case with many other Southwest parks, just many square miles of wild, unspoilt desert scenery. Two factors make the park special; the eerie, spiky Joshua trees which grow densely in the western half, and the extensive outcrops of huge granite boulders, up to 100 feet high. Other prime attractions are the six oases where California fan palm trees grow in their natural surroundings, all reachable by trail. This is not a place just to drive through, instead visitors should explore for a while away from the roads - climb some rocks or walk amongst the trees and cacti, but most of all spend a night here and watch the sun set. The Joshuas are especially atmospheric and spooky at dusk, when their stark, irregular outlines seem quite menacing.
Joshua Tree, formerly a National Monument, was promoted to a National Park in 1994, along with nearby Death Valley, and was extended by 230,000 acres, mainly remote mountainous regions at the south and east edges. The land lies at the transition between the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, and has vegetation and scenery representative of both. Besides the rocks, trees and oases, the park also has many hiking trails, 4WD routes, historic sites and several picturesque campgrounds.
The national park can be reached from the south by a junction of I-10, or from the north by two roads that fork off CA 62, starting from the towns of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms - see location map. But the best approach, if applicable, is the westward drive along CA 62 from Parker in Arizona, 108 miles away. This follows the Santa Fe railroad for a while, then crosses empty lands typical of the Mojave Desert with sand dunes and dried lake beds, and past rugged mountains en route to Twentynine Palms. Near the town, on both CA 62 and the parallel Amboy Road are found many abandoned buildings, at quite widely-spaced intervals over a distance of several miles, which give the whole area a rather sad, mournful air, especially near sunset. |
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Joshua Tree - Information
Joshua Tree - Photography
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Joshua Tree - Hotels
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Twentynine Palms/Joshua Tree
The 75 room & suite, AAA 3 diamond Holiday Inn Express Twentynine Palms/Joshua Tree at 71809, Twentynine Palms Highway has a desert setting with many rooms enjoying uninterrupted views south towards the Joshua Tree Wilderness. The hotel is less than two miles from the Oasis visitor center and the Joshua Tree National Park headquarters, and a mile from the town center where most of the shops & restaurants are found.
Check rates at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Twentynine Palms |
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Best Western Garden Inn & Suites
The Best Western Garden Inn is situated on the west edge of Twentynine Palms along the main road (CA 62), overlooking desert lands north & south, and next to a small residential district with shops and 3 restaurants just beyond. The center of Twentynine Palms lies 2.8 miles east and the town of Joshua Tree is 12 miles west. All 83 rooms have a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker and ironing facilities; some have views of the hotel's outdoor pool.
Check rates at the Best Western Garden Inn & Suites
Other nearby towns with hotels: Indio, Blythe, Parker
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