Cali49

Let's go see what we can find

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park - Places of interest, hidden spots off the beaten path.

Joshua Tree National Park

“Yeah, Desert Sky - Dream beneath the Desert Sky”

— Bono

A drive through Joshua Tree National Park might take a couple hours, viewing the park from the road. An exploration of the park would take a lifetime. Joshua Tree National Park has over 550,000 acres of wilderness filled with a variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Every now and then, man intrudes in this wilderness and leaves his brief, passing mark among the surreal geologic features that cover the landscape. Let’s go see what we can find.

February 01, 2017

Quail Springs Valley Pumphouse - Joshua Tree National Park

February 01, 2017/ Elliot Koeppel

The parking area at Quail Springs is also a great spot to stage a hike out into the desert, because the desert holds many secrets, and Quail Springs Valley guards them closely. Have you been to the White Cliffs of Dover? Have you seen the Desert Gold of lost mining camps? Perhaps you've heard of John Samuelson's Rocks? Or the famous Boy Scout Trail? All these and many other amazing secret and some not-so-secret places can be visited in the Quail Springs vicinity.

December 13, 2016

Skull Rock Nature Trail - Joshua Tree National Park

December 13, 2016/ Elliot Koeppel

One of the nicest things about these nature hikes in JTree are the interpretive signposts along the way. They give information about the rock formations, the plants, the animals and the weather, making a hike along them informative as well as fun.

December 02, 2016

White Cliffs of Dover - Joshua Tree National Park

December 02, 2016/ Elliot Koeppel

The White Cliffs of Dover is a well-known rock climbing formation located less than one mile south of the parking area at Quail Springs picnic area. Not used to doing things the easy way, I drove a bit south of QS and parked in a pullout on the west side of Park Blvd. This jaunt was a spur-of-the-moment idea. I was actually heading towards Jumbo Rocks, but caught a nice view of the cliffs as I was driving past, so decided to hike out to them to see what I could find.

November 12, 2016

101 Things to See in Joshua Tree National Park

November 12, 2016/ 101 Things to See in Joshua Tree National Park/ Elliot Koeppel

Having explored many regions of the park over the past few decades, I thought I'd put this post together about some of my favorite sites and sights. Narrowing it down to only 101 was challenging....

November 03, 2016

Desert Queen Ranch, Part 2 - Joshua Tree National Park

November 03, 2016/ Keys Ranch/ Elliot Koeppel

Put the Desert Queen Ranch, aka Keys Ranch, on your list of things to see on your next visit to Joshua Tree National Park. It's a glimpse back in time to a hardier era, and into the mind of one of the area's most notable early-day settlers, Bill Keys. The Ranch is only accessible via Ranger-guided tours, and generally only on the weekends. Check in at any of the visitor centers located at the park entrances to make a reservation.

Cali49

Joshua Tree National Park, the California Gold Country, forgotten places in the Mojave Desert. These are a few of my favorite things.