All about Joshua Tree National Park

Jennifer Melroy
Last Modified April 22, 2021
First Published on January 13, 2019

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Joshua Tree National Park is one of the desert national parks sites. The park gets its named from the Yucca Breviolia Tree, also known as the Joshua Tree. The National Park spans two different deserts – the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. The park is a popular weekend getaway for those living in Los Angeles and San Diego.

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Joshua Tree National Park Profile

Region	Pacific-West Region
Park Size	792,510 acres (1,238 sq miles) (3,207 sq km) About the size the island of Makira in the Solomon Islands)
Elevation	Highest point: 5,814 ft (1,773 m) at the summit of Quail Mountain Lowest point: 1,780 feet (540 m) at the Colorado River Aqueduct
Location	Riverside County and San Bernardino County
Nearby Cities	Yucca Valley Joshua Tree Twentynine Palms
Founding Date	Joshua Tree National Monument – August 10, 1936 Joshua Tree National Park – October 31, 1994
Visitors	2.8 million (in 2017)
Busy Season	October to May
Visitor Centers	Joshua Tree Visitor Center – Open Year Around Oasis Visitor Center – Open Year Around Cottonwood Visitor Center – Open Year Around Black Rock Nature Center – Open May-October
Park Hours	Open 365 days (24 hours a day)
Entrance Fees	7-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $30 7-day Motorcycle Pass – $25 7-day Individual Pass – $15
Annual Pass	Joshua Tree National Park Pass – $55 American the Beautiful Pass – $80
Pets	Yes but best left at home. If bringing, please review the Joshua Tree Pet Policy.

Joshua Tree National Park Climate

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Average high in °F:	60	64	70	77	86	95
Average low in °F:	37	39	42	42	54	60
Av. precipitation in inch:	0.79	0.83	0.59	0.12	0.31	0.04
Av. Snowfall in inch:	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high in °F:	100	99	93	82	69	60
Average low in °F:	69	68	64	52	43	35
Av. precipitation in inch:	0.24	0.55	0.35	0.39	0.63	0.28
Av. Snowfall in inch:	0	0	0	0	0	0

Yellowstone National Park Guide

Check out nearby National Park Service Sites (less than a 4-hour drive):

Channel Island National Park
Death Valley National Park
Mojave National Preserve
Cabrillo National Monument
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

Check out nearby National Park Service Sites (less than an 8 hour drive):

Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Yosemite National Park
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Pinnacles National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
Saguaro National Park
Great Basin National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
Fort Point National Historic Site
Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Tumacacori National Historical Park
Rosie the Riveter / WWII Home Front National Historical Park
Presidio of San Francisco
César E. Chávez National Monument
Devils Postpile National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Wupatki National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Tonto National Monument
Hohokam Pima National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument
Coronado National Memorial
Pipe Spring National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Joshua Tree National Park Gear

Jennifer Melroy

Jennifer is a long time national park blogger and the founder of National Park Obsessed. She is a dedicated National Park lover who is working on visiting all 63 US National Parks. She has currently been to 58 of the National Parks. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge of the Parks with others and helping them learn to love the parks as much as she does.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LAND

On this site, we promote travel to the United States and beyond that are the traditional lands of Indigenous and First Nations peoples.

With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to these lands’ past and present people.

To learn more about the people who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land.

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