East of San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and north of Palm Springs, in southeast California, is the Joshua Tree National Park, a U.S. national park. It bears the name of the Mojave Desert native Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia). Joshua Tree, which the United States first designated as a national monument in 1936, was changed to a national park in 1994, and Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act.

See the fact file below for more information on the Joshua Tree National Park, or you can download our 28-page Joshua Tree National Park worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

History

• The Pinto Culture, who lived and hunted in this area between 8000 and 4000 BCE, is thought to have been the first known inhabitants of the area that would later become Joshua Tree National Park. 
• They are known only through the stone tools and spear points they used to hunt and gather seasonal plants, which were found in the Pinto Basin in the 1930s. 
• The Serrano, Cahuilla, and Chemehuevi peoples were later occupants.
• All three of them occasionally resided in little towns on the water or close to it, especially the Oasis of Mara in what subsequently came to be known as Twentynine Palms by non-natives.
• The Mojaves, a fourth group, traversed the paths between the Colorado River and the Pacific coast using local resources. Small populations of all four ethnic groups can be found in the area close to the park today; the Chemehuevi-descended Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians possess a reservation there. 
• The earliest Joshua tree sightings in Europe occurred in 1772 when Pedro Fages and a group of Spaniards followed native Christians who had escaped from a mission in San Diego.
• By 1823, it is believed that a Mexican voyage from Los Angeles, in what was then Alta California, made it as far east as the Eagle Mountains, which ultimately formed the park when Mexico gained independence from Spain. A group of American fur trappers and adventurers headed along the neighboring Mojave Trail under the leadership of Jedediah Smith three years later, and others soon followed.
• White settlers started grazing cattle on the park’s lush grasses in about 1870. A group of cattle rustlers arrived in the area close to the Oasis of Mara in 1888. James B., in charge at Cow Camp, stole livestock and hid them in a box canyon with William S. McHaney. Ranchers dug wells and constructed “tanks”—rainwater catchments—across the region, like White Tank and Barker Dam.

Geography

• Based on A.W. Kuchler U.S., Joshua Tree National Park has two types of potential natural vegetation: juniper/pinyon pine potential vegetation category with a Great Basin montane forest/southwest forest probable vegetation form for the higher elevations of the park’s western side. Creosote bush probable vegetation type with a desert shrubland potential vegetation form, makes up the majority of the area.
• The Joshua tree, for which the park is named, Yucca brevifolia, has a unique habitat in the higher, more incredible Mojave Desert. It appears in various patterns, from dense forests to far-flung examples. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western portion of the park has some of the fascinating geologic features found in California’s deserts.
• Joshua trees predominate in the park’s open areas. Still, a variety of other plants can be found among the rock outcroppings, including chuckwalla cholla, pion pine, California juniper (Juniperus californica), Quercus turbinella (desert scrub oak), Quercus john-tuckeri (Tucker’s oak), Quercus cornelius-mulleri (Muller’s oak). 
• However, these towns are under some strain because the environment was wetter until the 1930s, and it is affected by the same hot, dry circumstances that led to the Dust Bowl. These cycles were not novel, but the original vegetation did not flourish when wetter cycles returned.
• In the park, fewer Joshua tree saplings are thriving. According to the high emission scenario, the park’s temperature will rise by 8° F by 2099. Due to this, Joshua tree growth would not be possible in most of the national park. The low emission scenario might result in losing 80% of Joshua tree habitats.
• Due to habitat loss and climate change, fewer desert tortoises exist. In the park, lizards are also in danger. Studies from 1908 to 1968 and 2013 to 2016 show a 43% loss in bird species.

Geology

• Flash floods that swept away the topsoil and left piles of rounded boulders, as well as groundwater that purified through the roughly rectangular joints of the monzonite and eroded the edges and corners of stone blocks, are two factors that influenced the shape of the rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park. The name “inselbergs” refers to these prominent outcrops.
• The Transverse Ranges, which primarily run east-west between the northern Channel Islands in the Pacific Ocean, west of Santa Barbara on the west, and the Eagle Mountains on the east, make up five of the park’s six blocks of mountains and can be found there. These five mountains are the Little San Bernardino, Hexie, Pinto, Cottonwood, and Eagle.
• The crustal material that created these mountains was squeezed and raised by tectonic pressures along the San Andreas Fault system. 
• The Dillon, Blue Cut, and Pinto parallel faults, which run through the park and have a history of causing earthquakes, are connected to the San Andreas Fault, which runs southwest of the park. The Coxcomb Mountains, which comprise the park’s easternmost range and generally run north-south, are a component of the Basin and Range Province.

Recreation

Camping

• There are nine designated campgrounds in the park, two of which (Black Rock Campground and Cottonwood Campground) provide water and flushing toilets. Each camping spot carries a nightly price. 
• Black Rock Campground, Cottonwood Campground, Indian Cove Campground, and Jumbo Rocks Campground are the only campgrounds that take reservations from October through May; all other campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Backpackers can camp in the backcountry if they abide by a few rules.

Hiking

• The park has several hiking paths, several of which are accessible from a campground. Shorter routes allow you to enjoy the park’s splendor without venturing too deep into the desert, like the one-mile stroll through Hidden Valley. The park’s western edge is traversed for 35 miles (56 km) by a stretch of the California Riding and Hiking Trail.

Wildlife

• Because they are most active during the day, birds, lizards, and ground squirrels are the most likely to be spotted in the park. However, desert creatures emerge to roam at night. Snakes, bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, coyotes, bobcats, and black-tailed jackrabbits are among the species that are primarily active at night. 
• In the Mojave Desert creosote bush lowlands, a threatened reptile species is called the desert tortoise. Tortoises rarely drink water since they adapt well to the arid climate; instead, they acquire most of their water from the plants they eat.
• In ecology, bobcats are a dominant force. The Pinto Fault, which runs along the park’s northern perimeter, has carved out rocky, year-round water sources that are home to the California tree frog, Pseudacris cadaverina. 
• The red-spotted toad, Bufo punctatus, spends most of its life underground and is an actual resident of the desert. It can be seen throughout the park, from one end to the other, and only after heavy, soaking rains. Traditional golden eagle hunts take place in the park. The local roadrunner can be easily identified. Gambel’s quail call is commonly audible.

Joshua Tree National Park Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Joshua Tree National Park across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Joshua Tree National Park, which gets its name from the native trees of the Mojave Desert. It was designated a national monument in 1936.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Joshua Tree National Park Facts
2. #Facts
3. Joshua Tree National Park
4. I am a Plant
5. I Want to be a Scientist
6. Plan your Visit
7. Picture Perfect
8. Joshua Trees
9. Park Ranger!
10. Diversity
11. Short Essay

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Joshua tree park known for?

This national park is known for its amazing rock formations. One of the most popular is called Arch Rock. You can find it at the end of a short 800-meter trail in the White Tank Campground.

How long do Joshua trees live?

An ancient Joshua tree in California is believed to be more than a millennium old, with an average lifespan of around one hundred and fifty years. However, these trees need to bloom due to the cold period, and their future may be at risk as climate change continues.

How old is Joshua national park?

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made Joshua Tree National Park a national monument on July 3, 1936. This means that the government will protect it. It was a huge park, larger than Rhode Island! In 1994, it became a national park with an even higher level of protection.

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