Nov 12, 2016
Joshua Tree National Park
Love the turtle.
Yesterday we spent the day at Joshua Tree. Just us, the girls and a few thousand other visitors. It was a first visit for us. It never occurred to us that yesterday being Remembrance Day was a holiday for everyone. Everyday for us is a holiday, well at least till May when we get back to work. The plus was that there was no charge to enter the park because of the holiday, so we saved $20.00. However we were shocked that the girls were not allowed paws down on the ground other than the campground areas or 100 feet from a parking area. We have carry bags for them but even that was not allowed so that really did affect our visit. There is no way we could have left them back at the RV for over 7 hours on their own, especially as Carmeh needs to eat at certain times during the day. We also never leave them for over five hours. So we did the best we could, sometimes taking turns staying with the car while the other went and checked out a trail. I do have to say how disgusted we were at all the dog poop laying on the ground in the campgrounds. No wonder they don’t want pets in the park. A few people are ruining it for others.
Joshua Tree is a transition between two deserts.
Throughout this vast park you can see examples of both the Mojave and the Colorado desert landscapes.
It seems that every few miles along the road there is a new vista.
Of course Joshua trees are predominate throughout the area.
Did you know that Joshua trees really aren’t a tree? They are a member of the agave family as they have a fibrous interior.
If one looks closely there are may types of animals in the park including Bighorn Sheep, iguanas, tortoise, kit fox and many many more species as well as a variety of birds. I only saw three wieners.
Each rock formation is more unusual than the next.
Quite fascinating.
They call this prehistoric rock art.
The girls were not as impressed as we were.
Way up high at 5185 ft at the Keys View point we were treated to something we never thought we would ever see. That dark line mid photo that goes from left to right is the San Andreas Fault. Who gets to see the actual fault line? We later found our that our RV park here sits in the fault line!
To the left of the previous photo you can see the Salton Sea which is 35 miles away and that is despite all the haze in the air.
We read that these boulders were formed about 250 million years ago before the time of the dinosaurs. Time prevents me from explaining the process but in short form, cracks in the rocks and water are the keys to the appearance of the rocks today.
Some of the boulders appear to have been carved into a variety of shapes. One can see faces, animals and there is even a Skull Rock which I thought was pushing it a bit.
This is called Arch Rock. I was ill prepared to walk the over .5 miles to see it. I was in walking shoes but with open toes which did not work on the up and down thick gravel path. One can actually walk around to the left down and up and under the arch. I was happy to just get to see it.
One of the many box canyons in the area.
Such unusual terrain.
We truly enjoyed our day at Joshua Tree. There are several campgrounds but the majority are for a maximum of 25 feet including your tow car. I did speak to a Ranger before we left and was able to obtain the list with actual site numbers in the specific campgrounds that would accommodate an overall length of 35′. There are even a few that will take a 38 – 42′ maximum length. So we would be able to get our RV in, although Colin would rather not try to negotiate the tight turns, but not our car. So we will have to wait until the girls are no longer with us before we return. I had so hoped that we could camp in the park and leave the girls in the RV while we checked out the various trails. But you might be able to try it. The cost is $18.00 – $20.00 per night to camp.
Wish I could share more sunset photos with you but we have not had any sunsets to speak of. You just might have to wait till we get to Mexico for the next sunset photo.
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We enjoyed touring there quite a few years ago and loved it it is a wonderful area.
Nice rocks……..And the 3 “Hot Dogs”……..The weather looks swell also….Snow forecast for Wednesday up here…
David
Ooh, this is one of the few places I “missed” during my RV travels. Thanks for the visit!
Unfortunately, US national parks are not dog friendly. You’ll encounter this rule all over.
That fault line pic is amazing!
The irony is, I saw more dogs on the trails at Joshua Tree than any other National Park I have visited. At least six on one hike alone.
For future reference, there is some fairly decent boondocking at the north end….long as it’s not raining, as it’s in a dry lake bed.
We were there in April with my cousin and her husband and we stayed at Jumbo Rocks within the park. An absolutely cool place to camp. We loved our few days there and need to go back and see some of the areas that we didn’t get too.
We saw Skull Rock and you are right, they were pushing when they named that one.
Glad you enjoyed your visit there. Unfortunately most of the National Parks only allow dogs in the campground and they aren’t allowed on the trails anymore, which is a shame but I understand why. 🙁
Ruth
If you want to take a nice drive, there is the Box Canyon road, which goes south of I10 when you exit Joshua Tree NP. The road ends up in Mecca south of Indio and Palm Springs. Very nice scenery. Bikers take this route as it is all down hill from the I10. People boondock along this road also, but you would have to check the weather forecast to ensure there is no rain.
Contessa, I also love the turtle in your first picture AND the pic of the three wieners you saw AND the pic of you with your yellow shirt, peeking out under your big straw hat. 😉 Very cute!!
I cannot remember when you expect to be in Mexico, but I’m sure looking forward to the beautiful sunsets you have there.