Colorado and Mojave Deserts

Currently In:  Desert Springs, CA
Next Up:  Redlands, CA and then on to Sequoia and Death Valley National Parks
                 Later in April we will be in Hollister, CA and Yosemite National Park


Another National Park!  Oh my!
This plant (it really is a yucca) is called a Joshua Tree.  Hence, Joshua Tree National Park.

The Mormons named the plant after Joshua because they thought it looked like his hands raising toward the heavens in prayer.

We saw more desert plants in the Colorado Desert section- some have started blooming!

Cholla Garden

Jumping Cholla up close

Ocotillo - it's in bloom!

Claret Cup Cactus

The Mojave desert section has interesting rock formations including Jumbo Rocks.

Jumbo Rocks

Arch Rock

Skull Rock

We took a hike along the Hidden Valley loop trail.  The trail winds around some huge boulders and legend has it that cattle rustlers used it as a hideout.

Rock scramble on our hike

Cattle grazed here

We saw these guys at the end of our hike.  Yikes!

Here is the view on top of Key View, and elevation of 5200 ft.  We saw 2 snow capped mountains from this point: San Jacinto and San Gorgonio with the valley and desert below. Pretty cool.

There are a couple of places at Joshua Tree where groundwater hits a fault plane and creates an oasis. Johnny and I visited the Oasis of Mara and enjoyed the palm trees and greenery.

It was a long but great day at another National Park!