Joshua Tree National Park

JUMBO ROCKS

Is that Scott?

Spent bloom on a Joshua tree.

Look at the thin rock layer in this giant boulder!

                     

SKULL ROCK

Almost all of the campgrounds were situated around huge rock outcroppings. 

JOSHUA TREES

Joshua trees start growing as a single stalk.  Branching occurs when the meristem flowers are eaten by animals.

The Joshua tree is the largest variety of yucca in the United States.  The biggest tree in the park is 42 feet tall with a crown of 34 feet and a trunk 9 feet in diameter. 

In the foreground is a dead Joshua tree.  The average life span of a Joshua tree is 150 years.

KEYS VIEW

Mt. San Jacinto

Coachello Valley

Keys View Road

We had lunch under these rocks.

When I looked up from our picnic table; this is what I saw!

Balanced rocks!

INTERSECTION ROCK

Boy Scouts learning how to rock climb with the help of their scout masters.

Blooming creosote bush.

Yellow blossoms

The Silver Bell Mine operated for approximately 40 years and was very versatile; mining gold in the 1930s, lead in the 1940s, and copper in the 1950s.

Pencil Cholla

Just look at the thorns on the pencil cactus!

CHOLLA GARDEN

Jumping cholla.  Can you see all the little pieces of cactus on the ground?  When walking through the desert those will "jump" from a jumping cholla cactus onto your clothing.  That's how they spread from place to place!

Silver cholla

CHOLLA BLOSSOMS 

OCOTILLOS 

Tiny green leaves cover the branches.

This ocotillo is starting to get red flags at the tips of its branches.

One last look at the Joshua tree; finally saw some along the highway between Searchlight and Henderson, Nevada that were in bloom.

Meristems