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.

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.

September 27, 2016

Views from Valhalla

September 27, 2016/ Elliot Koeppel

I recently had the opportunity to meet Robert Miramontes -- rock-climber, author and photographer -- and he was kind enough to guide me to the top of Valhalla Dome. The approach we took was a bit out of my comfort zone, but the payoff at the top was well worth the adrenaline generated in getting there.

Cali49

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