Joshua Tree National Park
| Joshua Tree National Park | |||
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| Location: | California , United States | ||
| Specialty: | Yuccas | ||
| Next city: | Palm Springs (California) | ||
| Surface: | 3,199.59 km² | ||
| Founding: | August 10, 1936 | ||
| Visitors: | 2,942,382 (2018) | ||
| Address: | Joshua Tree National Park | ||
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The Joshua Tree National Park is a desert landscape in southeast California , the transition between the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert forms. The park is on the eye-catching, called in English "Joshua Tree" Yucca brevifolia ( Yucca brevifolia named), the largest species of the genus of yucca ( Yucca ), which also Joshua called.
In addition to the Joshua tree forests, the park features one of the most interesting geological formations found in the California deserts. Bare rocks predominate, which as a rule have broken up into individual rock formations.
Joshua Tree was declared a National Monument in 1936 and a National Park in 1994 . It is visited annually by over a million people - including thousands of rock climbers from all over the world. The Sand to Snow National Monument borders directly to the west .
Geography, Geology & Climate
Joshua Tree National Park is located in southern California, about 225 km east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs . The national park has three entrances, the main entrance near the town of Twentynine Palms , the west entrance in Joshua Tree Village, and the south entrance in Cottonwood Springs. The heights within the 3196 km² park range from 305 meters in the Pinto Basin to 1772 meters on the peaks of Quail Mountain . The area connects two types of desert, which - separated by their different altitudes - produce two different types of ecosystems. Below 900 m in the eastern part of the park is the Colorado desert , the landscape of which is characterized by bushland , cacti and fan palms . The Mojave Desert in the north-west is higher up and therefore cooler and more humid . Here, the home of is Joshua trees (English Joshua Trees ), which gave the park its name.
The monzogranite formations found in the park were formed after magma cooled and solidified under the earth's surface and was exposed after millions of years by erosion on the earth's surface. The most fascinating and spectacular rock shapes can be discovered at Jumbo Rocks, Wonderland of Rocks and Indian Cove.
The climate in Joshua Tree National Park is very dry overall, but differs depending on the altitude. On average there is around 25% humidity. The temperatures in spring and autumn are around 20 ° C during the day and around 10 ° C at night. In summer 35 ° C and more are not uncommon. During the winter months, temperatures drop slightly below freezing at night, but during the day they can reach plus 15 ° C.
history
Mormons who once crossed the Mojave Desert gave Joshua Tree Park its name. In the trees they recognized the figure of the prophet Joshua (Joshua), who with outstretched arms showed the Israelites the way to the promised land. On August 10, 1936, the park was declared a National Monument, and on October 24, 1994, the United States Congress upgraded it to the status of a national park.
During the shutdown of the US government from December 2018 to January 2019, the park suffered enormous damage because the park rangers were not allowed to come to work. Vandals have felled junipers , acacias and also Joshua palm lilies, vehicles drove through the park off the beaten track and left traces that would damage the sensitive soil in the long term, rocks were sprayed and campfires were kindled in areas not approved for this purpose. The damage could last for 200 to 300 years.
Flora and fauna
In total, the park has around 750 different species of plants. There are five natural water holes where animal life is concentrated. The largest animal is the Desert Bighorn Sheep , and numerous species of birds can also be observed. As in most desert areas, the animal world is predominantly nocturnal.
The most striking plants are the strange-looking Joshua trees (English Joshua Tree ), exclusively in the Mojave Desert occur in the northwest part of the park. The Joshua palm lily is an important part of the regional ecosystem and provides food and shelter for many desert animals. The plants, which look like cacti but belong to the lily family, grow up to 18 meters high and up to 900 years old. They bloom in April and May. There are many of these trees in the Mojave Desert, but at lower altitudes the vegetation is more of the creosote bush . The Joshua Trees got their name from Mormons who moved through the area of the park in the 1840s and said that they showed them the way to the west.
tourism
The park's tourist infrastructure is underdeveloped. The only place to stay overnight are a few simple campsites, most of which do not have running water. There are hotels in the surrounding towns. There are few roads and hiking trails.
The few streets in the park are accessible by car. The "Basin Road" leads from the south into the center of the park. The park can be reached from the north via the North and West Entrance on Park Boulevard . One of the places to visit is in the Lost Horse Valley . It is located in the center of the park and shows the flora and fauna in an impressive way.
An unpaved road in the south of the park gives an overview of its geology. The lookout point at Keys View offers a view of the Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea . There are also guided tours to an abandoned gold mine. Many spend New Year's Eve here. The park is very empty in midsummer and broodingly hot from nine in the morning, so a visit in winter is recommended.
A road that is only accessible to all-wheel drive vehicles leads through the park. It is accessible from the south on Interstate 10 and leads onto Park Boulevard in the center of the park.
There are three visitor centers that provide information about Joshua Tree National Park. There are exhibitions about the park's ecosystem, its flora and fauna, geological formations, and about the first people who inhabited this area. Park recreational activities include hiking, camping, biking, rock climbing, ranch tours, and ranger briefings.
The park is very popular with climbers (often referred to as the "J-Tree"). Originally, the park was more of a winter escape route while the areas in Yosemite National Park and Sierra Nevada were snowed in, but over time the park developed its own attraction. There are thousands of climbing routes of all levels of difficulty. The routes are quite short as the rocks are rarely higher than 70 meters and access is usually quite easy. The rock is made of rough granite as there is never any ice or snow to polish it, as there is in more northerly areas. Most routes have to be secured yourself.
literature
- Patrick Stäheli: California I - South and East; Basin and Range, Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, Death Valley, Mojave Desert, Geology and Excursions. Schweizerbart science publishers, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-443-15096-9 .
Web links
- National Park Service: Joshua Tree National Park (official site; English)
- Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park
- General information about Joshua Tree National Park
Individual evidence
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