Joshua Tree National Park ⓘ

While the Joshua Tree area has been inhabited by humans for at least 10,000 years, by the late 1920s the development of new roads into the desert had brought an influx of land developers and cactus poachers. Minerva Hoyt , a Pasadena resident who was extremely fond of desert plants, became concerned about the removal of cacti and other plants to the gardens of Los Angeles. Her tireless efforts to protect this area culminated in 825,000 acres being set aside as Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936.

The monument was administered by the superintendent of Yosemite National Park until James Cole was appointed as the first superintendent in 1940. The eastern portion of the historic Oasis of Mara was deeded to the National Park Service by the Twentynine Palms Corporation in 1950. That same year the monument's size was reduced by 265,000 acres to exclude some mining property.

As part of the Desert Protection Bill, Joshua Tree National Monument was elevated to National Park status on October 31, 1994. The bill also added 234,000 acres. The new park boundary follows natural features and includes complete ecological units such as entire mountain ranges. Previous boundaries divided these ranges along survey lines. The additions provide better resource protection with easier boundary identification and monitoring and important habitat for desert bighorn sheep. Elevations in the park range from a low of 536 feet to a high of 5,814 feet at Quail Mountain.

In 1976 Congress designated 420,000 acres within the monument as wilderness . Of the park's current 792,623 acres, 591,624 is designated wilderness.

Joshua Tree provides habitat for 813 higher plant species, 46 reptile species, 57 mammal species, and over 250 bird species. The federal register lists one park reptile, the desert tortoise, as threatened and one park plant species, the triple-ribbed milk vetch, as endangered, and one plant species, Parish′s daisy as threatened. In addition there are 49 plant species of special concern being protected within the park.

Joshua Tree has one paleontological area and potentially eight more. The park protects over 700 archeological sites, 88 historic structures, 19 cultural landscapes, and houses 230,300 items in its museum collection.

Park staff maintain 93 miles of paved roads and 106 miles of unpaved roads, nine campgrounds with 523 campsites and two horsecamps, and 10 picnic areas with 38 picnic sites. There are 32 trailheads and 191 miles of hiking trails throughout the park.

Park staff greet visitors at three entrance stations, three visitor centers, and one nature center.

Behind the scenes the park maintains two water treatment facilities, 13 solar power stations, four maintenance facilities, eight employee housing units, and 95 vehicles.

The Joshua Tree National Park museum collections document the cultural and natural resources of the park and the park’s efforts to manage those resources. The collections also illustrate the story of the park, its environment, and the people who have inhabited it.

Park holdings include small collections of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and paleontological specimens; herbarium specimens; mining, homesteading, and prehistoric American Indian artifacts; administrative archives and photographs, and fine art. Significant collections include the William H. and Elizabeth C. Campbell archeological collections, historic photographs, and prehistoric ollas.

As early California archeologists, Elizabeth C. and William H. Campbell revolutionized theories on early desert cultures and investigated archeological sites that, even today, have not been fully explored. The Campbell Collection consists of field notes, photographs, and over 65,000 lithic, ceramic, and organic artifacts collected during their wide-ranging investigations in southern California and southern Nevada from the 1920s to the 1940s.

One of the Campbells' most significant finds was sites associated with the Pinto Culture, dated at 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. The Pinto Culture is probably best represented by the Pinto point.

Indigenous groups occupied the area within the park's boundaries prior to the early 1900s. Archeological materials added to the collections from research investigations, including lithic tools, basketry, and ceramic objects, help to tell the story of early American Indian life.

It is rare for an intact basket to be found in the park. Woodrats and other gnawing creatures usually destroy these items, however the burden basket pictured on this page was found overturned on an olla in a rock shelter in 1975.

The collections contain remnants of the park's history of cattle, hardrock mining, and homesteading in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Water and mining claims, tools, and children's toys tell the story of early Anglo settlement of the park. Few artifacts remain of the ranching era, except for several photographs and an early water location notice.

After the California Gold Rush of 1849 ended, prospectors fanned out into the southern California deserts. An estimated 300 mines were developed in what is now the park. Hardrock mining tools, mining claims, historic photos, and personal items are represented in the collections.

The best known homesteading story is that of the Keys family and the Desert Queen Ranch. Material from the ranch highlights the hard work, ingenuity, and imagination required of a successful homesteading family, along with the products of daily life on an isolated homestead. Family photographs illustrate the ranch area and family activities.

The park collections hold representative study specimens from the area's unique diversity of desert flora and fauna. As a consequence of encompassing the transition zone between the Mojave and Colorado deserts, vegetation types vary from desert scrub to Joshua tree woodland and pinon/juniper forest.

The collections include 78 bird study skins, 1,309 insects, 57 mammals, 633 botany, and 25 reptile specimens.

Over 20 cubic feet of archives including land records, planning documentation, maps, oral history interviews, measured architectural drawings, and scientific research field notes document the park’s history. Field notes, photographs, and archival documents from the Campbells’ archeological work are also included.

Photograph collections are comprised of historic photographs of the area, Keys family photo albums, and Stephen Willard fine-art prints. Some of the Joshua Tree National Park Historic Photo Collection is available on NP Gallery .

Included in the research facility is a 6,000 volume research library encompassing cultural and natural resource information for the desert region. Research reports, oral history transcripts, desert studies volumes, National Park Service planning documents, video tapes, and newspaper and magazine articles are available for use.

Access is available to the collections for research that will provide public benefit and not harm the objects or documents. Loans of material may be made to institutions and agencies upon written request citing the nature of the need and the adequacy of facilities to care for the loaned material.

The museum collections and research library are open to researchers by appointment, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Work space is available but limited.

To learn more about the artifacts and history of the park, check out the online exhibit " People of the Desert " and view part of our museum collection from your computer, tablet, or phone.

Few park visitors give much thought to how national parks are established, but dedicated park boosters will probably mention the names of Ferdinand Hayden (Yellowstone), John Muir (Yosemite), and Enos Mills (Rocky Mountain) when asked to name people who promoted the founding of national parks. These were outdoorsmen in keeping with the rugged and heroic western landscapes. Asked to name a woman connected with the founding of a national park, a few might offer Marjorie Stoneman Douglas as a champion of Everglades National Park.

Not many will recall Minerva Hamilton Hoyt and her tireless efforts on behalf of California desert protection. In fact, without her leadership, Joshua Tree National Park might never have become part of the National Park System. How a transplanted southern belle born on a Mississippi plantation became a staunch backer of the protection of desert landscapes is perhaps one of the more unlikely stories in the annals of national park history.

Minerva Hamilton led a genteel early life attending finishing schools and music conservatories. Her marriage to Dr. Sherman Hoyt led her away from the deep south to New York and eventually to South Pasadena where she immersed herself in southern California high society and civic causes. She demonstrated talent as an organizer of special charity events and developed a passion for gardening, which introduced her to some of the native desert vegetation commonly used in southern California landscaping. Trips to the desert instilled in Ms. Hoyt a strong appreciation for the austere beauty and wonderful inventiveness of desert plants that somehow managed to thrive in the harsh climate. She also saw the widespread destruction of native desert plants by thoughtless people who dug up, burned, and other wise destroyed so many of the cacti and Joshua trees that Minerva found beautiful.

Following the deaths of her son and husband, Minerva dedicated herself to the cause of protecting desert landscapes. She organized exhibitions of desert plants that were shown in Boston, New York, and London. She founded the International Deserts Conservation League with the goal of establishing parks to preserve desert landscapes. Hoyt was tapped by noted landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. to serve on a California state commission formed to recommend proposals for new state parks. She prepared the commission’s report on desert parks and recommended large parks be created at Death Valley, the Anza-Borrego Desert, and in the Joshua tree forests of the Little San Bernardino Mountains north of Palm Springs.

In time Hoyt became convinced that a national park was the best option for preserving large desert areas. She hired well known biologists and desert ecologists to prepare reports on the virtues of the Joshua Tree region. She was introduced to President Franklin Roosevelt whose New Deal administration became active in the establishment of national parks and monuments as a jobs-creation initiative and she developed an ally in Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes.

Minerva had a major success when President Roosevelt asked the National Park Service to prepare a recommendation on the site. Problems with the inclusion of certain railroad lands forced a reduction in the size of the proposed park from over one million acres to a more modest 825,000 in the final proposal. On August 10, 1936, President Roosevelt signed a presidential proclamation establishing Joshua Tree National Monument. Minerva finally had her grand desert park.

In deserts the presence of water, that rarest of desert commodities, allows life to flourish and provides an oasis for natural and human activity. The Oasis of Mara is a cornerstone of the Joshua Tree National Park story.

The Serrano planted 29 palm trees The oasis was first settled by the Serrano who called it Mara, meaning "the place of little springs and much grass." Legend holds they came to the oasis because a medicine man told them it was a good place to live and that they would have many boy babies. The medicine man instructed them to plant a palm tree each time a boy was born. In the first year, the Serrano planted 29 palm trees at the oasis. The palms also provided the Serrano with food, clothing, cooking implements, and housing. In addition, the palms are habitat for a wide variety of desert creatures from colorful orioles to the palm-boring beetle.

Native Americans, miners, & cowboys all used the oasis Early American survey parties arrived at the Oasis of Mara in the 1850s and found the area under cultivation by the Serrano. Corn, beans, pumpkins, and squash were all grown with the life-giving waters that rise at the oasis along the Pinto Mountain Fault. The Chemehuevi settled at the Oasis in 1867 and intermingled peacefully with the Serrano.

By 1870, prospectors attracted to California by the discoveries at Sutter's Mill had drifted into the desert looking for gold. The Anaconda Mine began operation south of the Oasis in 1874. The Lost Horse, the Desert Queen, and other claims soon followed. Trees began to be cut at the Oasis, and water siphoned away to support the growing mining operations.

On the heels of the miners, cattlemen moved to the area in the 1880s to take advantage of the high desert grasslands of the Pinto and Little San Bernardino Mountains. The McHaney brothers ran an active cattle trade that was alleged to include stolen cattle that they pastured in isolated rocky coves near Hidden Valley.

Bill McHaney became the first white settler to live at the Oasis in 1879. Later, Jack Rankin and Billy Neaves built an adobe house at the east end of the Oasis. It stood for over 40 years and served as a residence, a stage line stop, and a meeting place. The Barker and Shays Cattle Company dug a 600-gallon well around 1900 for use by the growing population. A 1902 census found 37 Serrano and Chemehuevi living at the Oasis. As more non-Indians arrived, the Indian families began to drift away, and by 1913, the Serrano and Chemehuevi were all gone.

Following World War I, the town of Twentynine Palms saw an influx of veterans suffering from the effects of gas inhalation, drawn to the area by its warm, arid climate. The establishment in 1936 of a vast stretch of the desert above town as Joshua Tree National Monument drew more people to the area. The Twentynine Palms Corporation donated the Oasis of Mara to the National Park Service in 1950 to use as its headquarters.

Today, the site still attracts people for its cultural history and natural beauty. Joshua Tree National Park works with the 15 traditionally associated tribal communities as the original stewards of the land. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work with the indigenous people in this place. We pay our respect to the people past, present and emerging who have been here since time immemorial.

The transcripts on this page result from a rock climbing oral history project. For this study, researchers spoke with Joshua Tree climbers who provided a picture of the park's rock climbing from the mid-1900s into the present day. Topics include free soloing, bolting, and the development of traditional ethics in the park. Overall, the interviews highlight the historical and cultural significance of recreational rock climbing in the park. The project's official name is the Joshua Tree National Park Historic Resource Study of Recreational Rock Climbing. This research was made possible thanks to a collaboration between the Anthropology Department of the University of California, Riverside, and the National Park Service.

Biographical Information: Sandy Esque first visited Joshua Tree in the 1980s working as an instructor and guide for Boojum Institute and Outward Bound. She has continued to visit the park up until the present time. She was an eyewitness to the early era of guide development in the park, gender relations evident in guiding practices of that era, and the park’s transition from a quiet secluded monument to a popular destination for many.

Content Summary: Sandy describes her experience working as an instructor for Boojum Institute and Outward Bound and her visits to Joshua Tree, which is identified as the prime winter destination for climbers. She has frequented the park for many years, and can comment on the transition of Joshua Tree’s identity from a secluded natural retreat to a popular climbing destination, developments with gear and ratings, and the commercial aspect of climbing.

Biographical Information: Dave Evans has been climbing in Joshua Tree for over 45 years and was a part of the early Joshua Tree climbing scene cultured by the Stonemasters. Dave’s impressive climbing repertoire includes over 170 recorded first ascents in the park. His experience allows him to describe various climbs that are significant to the climbing culture of Joshua Tree as well as local climbers who left their mark on the sport.

Content Summary: Dave shares stories of the early Joshua Tree climbing scene in the 1970s as the Stonemasters began to take climbing to the next level, both with impressive personal accomplishments and a budding climbing community. Due to his considerable time spent in the park, Dave is also able to comment on the development of routes in Joshua Tree since the 1970s, specifying certain areas and routes that were remarkable, the introduction of controversial ethics, and contrasting elements between Joshua Tree and Yosemite National Park.

Biographical Summary: Biographical: Bob has been climbing in Joshua Tree for over 40 years and has over 350 recorded first ascents in the park. He founded the Joshua Tree climbing school Vertical Adventures in 1983, which became one of the highest ranked climbing schools in America. In addition to being certified by the AMGA as a rock climbing instructor, Bob has contributed to the AMGA Single Pitch Manual for the single pitch instructor program. He is also the author of a guidebook to the area, titled Best Climbs Joshua Tree National Park .

Content Summary: Bob recounts his time spent climbing with the group known as the Stonemasters. Important Joshua Tree climbers who pushed the envelope of the upper echelon of climbing are discussed. Various forms of climbing are seen in Joshua Tree, such as toproping and free soloing. Bob’s work with the guiding business, Hollywood, the military, and various climbing associations are discussed as well.

Biographical Information: Mari Gingery is a well-known Joshua Tree climber who has climbed in the area for over 40 years. She has written the guidebook titled Joshua Tree Bouldering, which was first published in 1993 and was one of the first guidebooks to focus primarily on bouldering problems. Mari has climbed with many partners such as Lynn Hill, who together with Mari, completed the first female-only ascent of The Shield in Yosemite.

Content Summary: Mari discusses the techniques used by the climbers to improve, which included bouldering, top roping, and repeating routes. Joshua Tree is compared to other climbing areas and is described as being the perfect practicing ground for groups of climbers. The park was a bastion of traditional climbing ethics and was not conducive to the ethics change in the 1980s.

Biographical Information: Todd Gordon is known as “the Mayor” of Joshua Tree. He began climbing in 1972 and came to Joshua Tree to climb in 1976. The nickname “the Mayor” comes from Todd’s longtime residence in the city of Joshua Tree, working as a schoolteacher since the early 1980s. He has over 600 recorded first ascents in the park, some of which include Sexy Grandma (5.9), Cleopatra (5.11), and Bonfire (5.12). Todd also has written a sport climbing guidebook to the area titled Joshua Tree Sport Climbs & Top Ropes Sites (2018).

Content Summary [1]: In this first interview, Todd describes his beginnings with climbing in his youth and the various climbing areas he has visited. Todd discusses the dirtbag climber culture as well as the climbing community that frequented his home in Joshua Tree. He also explains the changes at the park over the years as it relates to climbing ethics, popularity, and other climbing locations.

Biographical Information: David “Dave” Haber is originally from Pittsburgh but is a longtime resident of the city of Joshua Tree and has been climbing for over 40 years with his wife, Sheryl Haber. David has visited many other climbing areas and can provide perspective on the differences between other locations and Joshua Tree. He is a close friend of Todd Gordon and has climbed many routes in the park. David is a witness to the shifting culture at Joshua Tree at the end of the 20th century.

Content Information: Dave describes his path from Pittsburgh to Joshua Tree through climbing. Dave offers insight on the park’s rise in popularity from the 1980s onward, differences between routes in the park, and the history of ever-improving climbing gear. Dave’s accomplished climbing career also allows him to comment on the sport’s transition to incorporating bolts.

Interview Date: April 22, 2022 Biographical Information: Sheryl Haber is originally from the East Coast, but became enthralled with climbing in Joshua Tree after coming to the park in 1987. She has accompanied climbers such as Alan Bartlett, Dave Mayville, Todd Gordon, and her husband David Haber on a plethora of routes in Joshua Tree. Sheryl is listed in a 1999 Climbing magazine article as one of the original climbers to reach at least 1,000 unique climbs in Joshua Tree. Her experience allows her to comment on the shift in climbing ethics, the distinctive qualities of Joshua Tree climbing, and the female climber experience. Content Summary: Sheryl describes her experience becoming a climber in Joshua Tree as someone from the East Coast. She outlines the different types of climbing that Joshua Tree offers to various climbers and the idea of a Joshua Tree "local." Due to her experience of climbing in the park in the 1980s and 1990s, Sheryl is able to comment on the changing ideas in climbing ethics and the increasing appeal of Joshua Tree to international climbers.

Biographical Information: John Lauretig is a retired law enforcement park ranger who has spent time at Joshua Tree from 2000-2001 and 2011-2015, amongst many other national parks such as Haleakala National Park and Acadia National Park. He is familiar with the climbing culture that is present at Joshua Tree and the infractions that may arise as a result of such practices. Apart from being a seasoned park ranger, he is also an enthusiastic climber.

Content Summary John recalls his career working as a park ranger in various national parks, most notable of all being Joshua Tree National Park. Due to this experience, John can directly compare and contrast the characteristics of different national parks. As a park ranger, John is able to provide insight on the duties and responsibilities of rangers, the conflicts and interactions between the climbing public and the rangers, and the social culture of rock climbing as it appeared in the park.

Biographical Information: Mike Lechlinski is a seasoned Joshua Tree climber who has been climbing in the Joshua Tree area for over 50 years. He was one of the few American climbers who was invited to Germany for the Konstein international climbing festival in 1981 alongside reputable climbers of the time. Mike’s list of recorded first ascents in Joshua Tree National Park surpasses 50 routes. He has an intimate understanding of climbing techniques and the development of free soloing over time.

Content Summary: Mike outlines the end of the Desert Rats era and the beginning of the Stonemasters and competitive climbing in Joshua Tree in the early 1970. Mike also identifies the importance of Joshua Tree National Park to the development of traditional climbing and free soloing. Conflicts between traditional climbing and sport climbing as the sport developed are also discussed.

Biographical Information: Dave “Too Strong” Mayville has been recreationally climbing at Joshua Tree for over 30 years and professionally guiding for Vertical Adventures since 1988. He is credited with more than 35 recorded first ascents in Joshua Tree, among them Some Like It Hot (5.12), one of the most popular sport routes in the park. He is well known for his passion for sharing his knowledge of climbing in Joshua Tree and has been a part of the effort to replace aging bolts in the park since 1988.

Content Summary: Dave offers a perspective on the different styles of climbing employed at different points in time. Joshua Tree climbers were not receptive to the rising interest in sport climbing. Dave also speaks on the safety issues of bolting and the replacement process. Due to his experience with the guiding business, Dave is also able to comment on the cultural changes of Joshua Tree climbing as well as the demographic of park visitors.

Biographical Information: Michelle Onsaga is the daughter of John Wolfe, one of the key members of the Desert Rats group. Her childhood was often spent with the Desert Rats in Joshua Tree National Park, and as a child, Michelle helped her father with the assembly and distribution of the 1970 Joshua Tree guidebook. Due to her frequent interactions with the group, Michelle can comment on the traditions and methods employed by the Desert Rats. She has been climbing since before she can remember, and has insight on the key changes in recreational rock climbing over time.

Content Summary: Michelle narrates her experience climbing with her father, John Wolfe, and the Desert Rats in Joshua Tree National Park as a child. Her father also wrote one of the first guidebooks to the area, which Michelle helped with even in her young age. Michelle also comments on the changes to climbing over the years, as bouldering became a variation of climbing all on its own and gear improved.

Biographical Information: Kevin Powell is a seasoned climber who has been climbing for over 40 years and has climbed in Joshua Tree National Park since 1974. He has over 40 recorded first ascents in the park listed on Mountain Project, which includes the well-known Just Slightly Ahead of Our Time (5.12). He was a part of the Stonemaster group that often climbed at Joshua Tree National Park between 1970 and 1990. Kevin has also been replacing bolts since 1987, and is now part of a larger project at Joshua Tree to replace aging bolts in the park. Kevin is a professional landscape and wildlife photographer with much of his work focused on Joshua Tree National Park.

Content Summary: Kevin outlines the early Stonemaster days and the training methods used by the group. A list of remarkable routes in Joshua Tree is given, with Kevin discussing the reasons behind the names of his memorable first ascents. His involvement with the bolt replacement process is also explored.

Biographical Summary: Mike Rose was a member of the Desert Rats in the 1960s and is responsible for the artwork associated with the group (shirts, logos). Mike also helped with the development of John Wolfe’s first Joshua Tree guidebook, drawing some of the maps and diagrams that were included. He is married to Lucy Wolfe, sister of Richard, Mike, and John.

Content Summary: Mike discusses the history, activities, and motivations of the Desert Rats. The Desert Rats are described as an adventurous group, focused on the unexplored and the unexpected. Mike was also involved in the creation of John Wolfe’s first Joshua Tree guidebook, and he elaborates on John and his work with recreational climbing.

Biographical Information: Alfred Ruiz was a member of the Desert Rats in the 1960s and frequented Joshua Tree National Park with the Wolfe family to climb recreationally. He is interviewed by his son, Craig, in this interview.

Content Summary: Alfred speaks about his time with the Wolfe family and the Desert Rats and identifies Joshua Tree as an important place for the group due to its location and various climbs. The Desert Rats’ climbing habits stemmed from Richard and John Wolfe and demonstrate the beginnings of standards in rock climbing.

Biographical Information: Jeremy Schoenborn is a promising young climber who has spent much of his time climbing in Joshua Tree National Park amongst other remarkable climbing locations. He is a climber sponsored by outdoor companies such as Flophouse Resoles, Hippie Tree, and Friction Labs. Jeremy also works as a guide for Cliffhanger Guides, a guiding service located in Joshua Tree. Jeremy is a remarkable talent who has a fascination with the iconic climbs of yesteryear, especially those within Joshua Tree National Park. Content Summary: Jeremy describes how Joshua Tree played a role in his development. With his amount of experience in the park, Jeremy is able to name and describe routes that are considered “iconic” as well as provide perspective on the Bolt Wars from a modern standpoint. Climbing at Joshua Tree is examined from a contemporary position.

Biographical Information: Russ “Fish” Walling is the owner of FISH Products, a climbing gear store currently based out of Joshua Tree. He began selling “one of a kind” items out of the back of a VW van in Yosemite National Park in 1983 and now is global due to an online ordering system. Russ has been climbing in Joshua Tree for 40 years. He also has significant experience with free soloing as well as Search and Rescue procedures.

Content Summary: Russ describes the early beginnings of climbing communities in California and how climbing locations played into developing climbing identities. Joshua Tree is referred to as an important location for the sport of climbing and for the individuals of Southern California. Russ provides his perspective on improvements in climbing gear, shifting ethics in the park, and conflicts between rangers and climbers. Search and Rescue operations in Joshua Tree and Yosemite National Park are also discussed.

Biographical Information: Mike Wolfe is the brother of John and Richard Wolfe, and participated in many Desert Rat excursions; the most notable of all being climbing. Mike is able to explain the mentality towards climbing held by the Desert Rats and how that translated to the routes they climbed. Mike also comments on the early safety methods employed by the group and the importance of Joshua Tree to the Desert Rats.

Content Information: Mike describes his time spent with his brothers as a member of the Desert Rats. While the Desert Rats are mostly known from references within John Wolfe’s 1970 guidebook, Mike also details the other activities that the group participated in, such as trips to Zion National Park, mountaineering, and homemade cart racing. In terms of climbing, Mike explains the relationship between climbing and the Desert Rats.

Interview Date : 04/12/2022 Biographical Information: Tony first came to Joshua Tree in 1973 after bouldering in Mount Rubidoux to begin technical rock climbing. Due to his extensive climbing career as a mountaineer, climber, and boulderer, Tony is knowledgeable on the topics of free climbing, bouldering, and free soloing in the park as the sport evolved. In addition to being a co-chair of the southwest section of the American Alpine Club, Tony also has a degree in Geomorphology and can expertly describe specific features of Joshua Tree rock. Content Information: Tony describes his memories of Joshua Tree as it was during the 1970s before it was established as a national park. He outlines the types of climbing employed by Joshua Tree climbers of that era and the importance of bolts, bouldering, and ethics. Tony also comments on the geology of Joshua Tree quartz monzonite and how it relates to the types of climbing present in the park.

Even before the California Gold Rush of 1849, prospectors were finding gold in southern California. As the take from the mines in the Sierras petered out, miners fanned out into the deserts. Here hot summers, scarce water, limited wood sources, and the difficulty and high cost of transporting equipment and provisions created a challenging environment in which to operate a mine. But a few hardy adventurers persevered and about 300 mines were developed in what is now Joshua Tree National Park—although few were good producers.

An exception is the Lost Horse Mine, which produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold and 16,000 ounces of silver (worth approximately $5 million today) between 1894 and 1931. When the story of the Lost Horse Mine is told, it sounds like a western campfire tale: gun slinging cowboys, cattle rustlers, horse thieves, the lure of gold, and a sticky-fingered miner.

Johnny Lang As long-time resident William F. Keys, told the story, Johnny Lang and his father drove their herd of cattle into the Lost Horse Valley in 1890, when there was “nothing but cattle and Indians.” Johnny told Keys that they had moved west after his brother and six other cowboys were gunned down in New Mexico.

One night, while camped in the Lost Horse Valley, the Langs’s horses disappeared. Next morning Johnny tracked them to the McHaney brothers’ camp near today’s Keys Ranch . According to local legend, the McHaney Gang were cattle rustlers. Keys said they told Johnny his horses weren’t there and to leave the area.

Keys goes on to say that Johnny met up with a man named “Dutch” Frank who told of also being threatened by the McHaneys. Frank said that he had discovered a rich claim but was afraid to develop it. Johnny and his father bought the rights to the mine for $1000 and called it Lost Horse. To reduce the chances of being killed by the McHaney Gang or having his claim jumped, Johnny took on three partners. After filing their claim, they set up a two-stamp mill and began processing gold.

J.D. Ryan A wealthy rancher from Montana, J.D. Ryan, bought out Johnny’s partners in 1895. The next year he found a steam-powered, ten-stamp mill somewhere near the Colorado River and had it dismantled and hauled to the mine site. To provide steam for the mill, Ryan ran a two-inch pipeline 3.5 miles, from wells at his ranch to an earth and stone reservoir near the mill. Steam engines fueled by trees from nearby mountains were used to push the water up the 750 foot elevation gain where it was boiled to power the stamp mill. Heating the water at both the ranch and the mill required a lot of wood, and the results of the timbering can be seen today in the sparsely vegetated hillsides at both sites.

Getting to the Gold The booming of the ten 850-pound stamps could be heard echoing across the valley 24 hours a day as the ore was crushed. Water added to the crushed rock made a slurry, which washed over copper plates covered with a thin film of mercury. The gold particles clung to the mercury and the debris washed away.

The amalgam of mercury and gold was smelted to separate the two metals. The mercury could be reused and the gold was formed into bricks. These bricks were carried to Banning every week, concealed in a 16-horse freight wagon. The 130-mile trip to deliver the gold and return with supplies took five days.

As the story goes, the day shift was producing an amalgam the size of a baseball while the night shift, supervised by Lang, recovered a mere golf ball. Ryan hired a detective to investigate and discovered that when Johnny removed the amalgam from the copper plates, he kept half for himself. Ryan gave Lang a choice: sell out or go to jail. Lang sold, then moved into a nearby canyon where he continued to prospect.

The Lost Horse Mine continued producing until 1905, when the miners hit a fault line and forever lost the ore-bearing vein. The mine was leased to others or left dormant until 1931, when rising gold prices prompted the processing of 600 tons of tailings (unprocessed chunks of leftover ore) with cyanide, producing a few hundred ounces of gold.

During one of the mine’s dormant phases, Lang returned and set up residence in the cookhouse. According to Keys, Lang had hidden his stolen amalgam at the mill site and, unable to get to it before Ryan ran him off, had returned to retrieve his stash. Lang sold what Keys called “pure gold bullion” on several occasions during this time. In the winter of 1925, sickly and unable to walk out for help, Johnny Lang died of exposure along Keys View Road. Two months later, Keys found his body and buried him across from the access road to the mine.

National Park Service With the creation of Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936, Lost Horse Mine came under the protection of the National Park Service. With time, the wooden portions of the cabins and the headframe of the mill collapsed. (The latter was removed for safety reasons.) During the last 15 years, the 500 foot mine shaft, with horizontal tunnels at each 100 foot level, began to collapse. The combination of unstable mine workings and earthquakes created a sink hole near the mill that eventually threatened the entire structure. Even the cable netting and concrete caps, that were installed to protect visitors, were consumed by the ever expanding hole.

“Puffing” the Mine In 1996 a new technique for capping mineshafts was tried. A plastic foam product called PUF (polyurethane foam), similar to the material used for home insulating, was injected into the hole to provide a stabilizing plug. The plug was then covered with fill to protect it from UV damage and a wooden replica of the shaft collar was constructed.

Lost Horse Mine Hike Today Lost Horse Mill is considered one of the best preserved mills of its kind in a National Park Service unit. Lost Horse is also a popular destination for visitors looking for a moderate hike. The trailhead is located off Keys View Road. The trail, which is a four-mile round-trip, follows the road developed by the Ryans to haul ore and supplies. Mine shafts are dangerous, and historic structures are easily damaged. While the Lost Horse site has been stabilized, it is still not safe to walk on.

1918 World War I creates labor shortages that result in women being hired temporarily into positions usually occupied by young men. Such is the case for Yosemite National Park's Clare Marie Hodges, the first woman ranger in the NPS.

1940 Gertrude Cooper becomes Superintendent of Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. She is the first woman superintendent in the NPS.

1964 Title VII is made law, prohibiting discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. More NPS jobs become open to women.

1978 The NPS female uniform is changed from previous versions that "did not look like a ranger," as they were usually dresses or skirts, and had smaller badges than male counterparts. Learn more about a 1960s woman's uniform in the Joshua Tree park collections, or see other examples of the uniforms worn by women over the years.

1990 Barbara Booher becomes the first Native American woman superintendent in the NPS when she takes on the leadership of Custer National Monument.

2001 Fran P. Mainella is appointed as the 16th Director of the National Park Service. Her successor is Mary A. Bomar, the only other woman to hold the position to date. Also in 2001, Gale Norton is appointed as the first woman Secretary of the Interior (NPS is an agency of the Department of the Interior).

2012 NPS Women's History Initiative is announced, a deliberate effort to improve how the National Park System tells women's stories.

Early Habitation Projectile points found along an extinct water channel in the Pinto Basin represent the earliest known human occupation of this area. Dated from four to eight thousand years ago, this Pinto culture was first described by amateur archeologists, William and Elizabeth Campbell in the 1930s.

The Campbells believed that there had been a river flowing through Pinto Basin but more recent research by geologists dispels the notion that there was either a river or a lake in Pinto Basin by the time humans occupied the area. The points collected by the Cambells are thick and triangular in shape, with notched shoulders and a broad stem. Pinto hunters attached the points to a wooden spear shaft and used a spear thrower, or atlatl, to propel the spear. Based on the relatively large number of Pinto points—as well as cutting and scraping tools—compared with the few seed-processing implements found at these early sites, it is believed that Pinto Culture was a mobile population dependent upon large game hunting and seasonal plant gathering.

The period of Pinto Culture occupation was an era of decreasing moisture, and by the end the environment was probably close to what we have today. As the Pleistocene water sources dried up, only desert adapted plants and animals survived. The archeological evidence suggests that the human population gradually adapted as well, by hunting smaller game and processing small seeds.

Today’s Tribal Groups Little evidence links the Pinto Culture with today’s tribal groups. The Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, and Serrano who followed the Pinto period had a more diversified strategy of hunting and collecting food items that included distinct changes in stone tools and increasing numbers of hard-seed milling stones.

Elizabeth Warder Crozer was born in August of 1893 into a well-to-do society where families lived in mansions flanked by lawns, gardens, and private woods. She was schooled at home by a French tutor until age fourteen, when she entered a Philadelphia women's finishing school where the headmistress prepared her students for a college education rather than the more common entrance into society and marriage. It was her last formal education, except for the nurse's training she received during World War I.

Late in the war, she met William (Bill) Henry Campbell, a military ambulance driver, at the wedding of a friend. After rejoining his unit on the Italian front, Bill was exposed to mustard gas, which burned his lungs and required an extended convalescence in the hospital. Despite the disapproval of her family, Bill and Elizabeth married in 1920, leaving Elizabeth to believe that she had been disowned and removed from any inheritance. Bill's failing health brought them across the country to Pasadena, California and later to Twentynine Palms, where his doctor believed the dry desert air would help heal his lungs.

Housing in Twentynine Palms was scarce and in 1925 Elizabeth found herself living in a tent pitched at the Oasis of Mara, looking out over the southern California desert for the first time. Bill's health noticeably improved after camping at the oasis for several weeks so they decided to homestead in the area. Joining the small number of early residents of Twentynine Palms, California, the Campbells built a small house which Elizabeth described as "a one car garage with a window on each side."

When Elizabeth's father died in 1926, she discovered that he had established a trust fund for her which supported her comfortably for the rest of her life. The small wooden house would later become the kitchen attached to a very large stone house. The trust fund also enabled both the Campbells to take an active role in the development of the community of Twentynine Palms and their new avocation-desert archeology.

Desert Archeology Elizabeth's interest in desert archeology began in 1924 when, while gathering firewood, she discovered and began collecting arrowheads from nearby sand dunes. As Bill McHaney, an old prospector who often visited their camp, told stories about Indian culture and caches of pottery, she listened carefully and took notes.

Recognizing that road improvements were bringing more homesteaders and visitors to the area and increasing the likelihood of damage to archeological sites, the Campbells contacted the Southwest Museum in Pasadena for advice and information. They began working regularly with well known archeologists Charles Amsden and Edwin Walker, and quickly began to publish their findings. Although her earliest papers were short, amateurish accounts of archaeological discoveries, they soon evolved into substantive papers that contributed to the development of regional prehistory theory.

Between 1929 and 1940 Elizabeth was the author or senior author of six articles and three monographs. Her monograph, "An Archaeological Survey of the Twenty Nine Palms Region" (Campbell 1931), was one of the first intensive surveys of the region, in part based on the information provided by Bill McHaney. In 1932 the Desert Branch of the Southwest Museum was established in Twentynine Palms in an outbuilding on the Campbells' property. Elizabeth did the writing and most of the lab work while William did the mapping and dealt with the equipment, logistics, and transportation.

Pinto Basin Site Prior to 1925 virtually no archeologist had worked in the California desert. By 1934, now deeply engaged with the desert, the Campbells and colleagues were studying dry-lake basins and the archeological sites associated with them.

Collaborating with geologist David Schraf and paleontologist Chester Stock from the California Institute of Technology, the Campbells began field work in the Pinto Basin in 1933. They discovered a heavy concentration of archeological surface sites along six miles of an ancient, dry-stream channel. Since no springs were in the vicinity, the association of the sites with the dry channel led them to conclude that those sites must be associated with an ancient river or stream that flowed sometime in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. From the Pinto site, and later work at the north end of Pleistocene Lake Mojave beginning in 1934, Elizabeth came to recognize a relationship between humans and environmental factors that could influence settlement patterns. In the spring of 1936, the new professional journal American Antiquity published her paper "Archaeological Problems in the Southern California Deserts."

A Revolutionary Approach Although not fully appreciated by the archeological community of the time, Elizabeth discovered that archeological features were associated with certain topographic formations, especially water sources. She suggested that a thorough study of the relationship of artifacts to topographic features would lead to placing artifact assemblages in their proper chronological order, and possibly shed light on their antiquity-an environmental approach to archeology with geology as the foundation.

Mainstream American archeology of the 1920s and 30s was rooted in the examination of prehistoric technological development. Elizabeth Campbell's approach to archeology was outside that mainstream. Essential to her theoretical model is a relationship between prehistoric humans and their changing physical environment, especially water in the desert.

Today Elizabeth's work appears so fundamental as to be unexciting, but during her lifetime her theories must have appeared experimental and unproven. The Campbells legacy includes field notes, photographs, and site notations along with thousands of well documented artifacts curated at Joshua Tree National Park and the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

The information above was adapted from a paper by Claude N. Warren, Prof Emeritus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A Cautionary Tale The Campbells did not consult with Native American communities during their archaeological studies or removal of artifacts. Today, scientists consult with Native communities to protect cultural materials. They do not collect materials but instead track them by going back over time. The Campbells moved science forward, but at the expense of living Native communities.

The Homestead Act of 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, allowed for anyone above the age of 21 years old to claim up to 160 acres. This meant that potential land ownership was available even to marginalized groups including single women, freed slaves, and immigrants. The act was open to thirty states, including California, between 1863 and 1976. (Alaska was granted a ten-year extension.) In order for a homesteader to receive a land patent, the individual would have to establish a sustained development for five years. Veterans only had to “prove-up” for three years. When the establishment period was over, the homesteader had to have two friends or neighbors vouch in a local newspaper. Afterwards, the patent for the land was granted to the homesteader. In total, 270 million acres, or 10% of all land in the United States, were settled under the Homestead Act. However, for Native Americans, homesteading added a complicating layer to an already tense situation. Learn more about Native Americans and the Homestead Act .

Homesteading brought people to the area in and around what is now Joshua Tree National Park. Several wet years beginning in 1912 provided for crops good enough to attract people to the area. However, the rains didn’t last. Several more years passed with little or no rainfall and the crops failed. Homesteaders drilled water wells, but most were unsuccessful. In many cases, water had to be hauled several miles even for household purposes. Conflicts between homesteaders and ranchers over water rights became common. Veterans of World War I, suffering the effects of mustard gas, came hoping to benefit from the dry desert climate. Later, because of the hard times created by the depression, some people sought out a rural lifestyle where they could raise their own food without relying on unstable markets and inflated prices.

Life in the desert presented many challenges. Summers were extreme for those used to more temperate climates. The work was hard and neighbors far away. Few homesteaders met the challenge. Many farms and small homesteads were abandoned, leaving behind the tiny cabins which still can be seen in some places today.

One family that not only survived but thrived in the desert was the Keys family. For more information about them, take a guided tour of their ranch .

With over 250 species of birds recorded from Joshua Tree National Park, it is understandable that the park affords a rewarding place to study them. This is especially true during the winter months when migrants abound.

The vast majority of our recorded bird species are migrants and vagrants. Lying astride the inland portion of the Pacific flyway, the park serves as a rest stop for many migrants. The aquatic areas of Barker Dam and the Desert Queen Ranch attract many types of waterfowl on their way to the Salton Sea, birds that would not otherwise be seen in the desert. Rest stops are important for most migratory birds for purposes of water intake and for metabolism of fat reserves, which may not keep pace with energy use while they are actually in flight. Many of our migrants are actually residents of the nearby mountains, from which they fly to escape the heavy winter snows.

Although most birds require drinking water almost every day, this is not such a limiting factor as might be supposed. There are many springs and seeps in the park, which are readily accessible to animals that can fly to them. The chief limiting factor for birds in the desert is food. Birds require relatively large amounts of food daily, especially during the breeding season. Thus, it is understandable that there are only 78 species of birds known to nest and raise young in the park.

The park is an attractive place to sight and watch birds. The lack of dense vegetation makes birds much easier to see here than in most national parks. Golden eagles hunt in the park regularly. The roadrunner, of cartoon fame, is an easily recognized resident. And the call of Gambel's quail is a noteworthy sound of the desert. Check out our Birds album on Flickr .

The herbarium have contributed to many discoveries over the past 20 years—including seven newly described species!

Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant diversity—there are nearly 800 s pecies of vascular plants found here. Nearly half of these are annual plants, like many of the wildflowers that bloom in spring.

From desert lavender and creosote to palm trees and pine trees, the park has a spectacular number of trees and shrubs. Shrub assemblages here are among the most diverse vegetation types in North America. Joshua Tree is also known for its numerous species of cacti and rare plants .

The park is home to many species of ferns, mosses, and liverworts—also known as bryophytes . Many species of lichens can easily be found growing on the famous rock formations of the park.

The diversity of the plant life found in Joshua Tree National Park provides ample opportunities for study and enjoyment. The park's herbarium documents nearly all of the plants found here. The herbarium's records are available to search online.

With a spectacular diversity of plants and plant communities , it's no wonder the original name proposed for this area in 1930 was Desert Plants National Park!

Joshua Tree is home to two deserts: the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert. These areas are occupied by different combinations of vegetation. The Colorado Desert, a western extension of the vast Sonoran Desert, occupies the southern and eastern parts of the park. It is characterized by stands of ocotillo plants, ironwood trees, palo verde trees, and teddy bear cholla cactus. The southern boundary of the Mojave Desert passes through the park. It is the habitat of the park’s namesake: the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Extensive stands of this peculiar looking plant are located in the western half of the park. The park has a third primary ecosystem located in the westernmost part of the park above 4,000 feet (1,220 meters). The Little San Bernardino Mountains provide habitat for a community of California juniper, Muller’s oak, and pinyon pine.

The native vegetation communities at Joshua Tree are threatened by a variety of stressors. Urban expansion around the park adds to habitat fragmentation and the increased threat of invasive plants. Elevated soil nitrogen is increasing non-native grasses at the expense of native vegetation. Non-native plants change plant community composition and diversity. They also decrease the availability of water and can increase fuel loads and the risk of a fire. Increased coverage of grasses can increase fire size, frequency, and intensity. Many native plant species are not adapted to fire, and recovery is slow to nonexistent. Park staff estimates that invasive plants exist throughout most of the park. There are also invasive insect pests, such as tree-boring beetles, that could enter the park from the transport of firewood. The threat of invasive plants will likely increase from the cumulative effect of several other resource stressors: increased boundary encroachment, regional development, climate change, and social trailing vectors. Climate change compounds the effects of most stressors on native vegetation. Increased mortality of Joshua trees, pinyon pine, and other sensitive vegetation in the park is expected with a hotter and drier climate. Learn more about the effects of climate change on Joshua Tree.

The chief obstacles to survival in the desert are lack of water, shortage of food, and extreme temperatures. Mammals, including humans have the ability to maintain a constant body temperature regardless of external conditions. This has advantages and disadvantages in the desert. Mammals can endure a large range of air temperatures, but are unable to tolerate even a small change in body temperature without encountering problems.

When most mammals get hot they perspire, and the evaporation of this water cools them down and helps maintain a constant body temperature. Some mammals use panting to produce the same effect. Both methods work well, but they have an important drawback for life in the desert. They involve substantial loss of water. Where water is in short supply, animals must minimize water loss. Thus, few desert mammals use perspiration or panting as their main method of keeping cool.

Because scarcity of food in the desert limits the number of large mammals that can be supported, most desert mammals are small. Being small has its advantages and disadvantages. Rodents can burrow into the ground or hide in rocky crevices to avoid the mid-day heat. But their small body size means that they can gain or lose body heat rapidly. Many of them plug the entrance to their burrows to keep out the hot, desiccating air.

Most small mammals make the most of the positive side of being small, spending the day in burrows and emerging at night when the temperature drops to a more comfortable level. The larger mammals, such as mule deer and mountain sheep stay close enough to springs to be able to drink daily.

A few desert mammals, such as the round-tailed ground squirrel, a diurnal rodent, enter a state of aestivation when the days become too hot and the vegetation too dry. They sleep away the hottest part of the summer. They also hibernate in winter to avoid the cold.

Many of our Joshua Tree mammals are paler in color than their relatives in more moderate environments. Pale colors not only ensure that the animal will absorb less heat from the environment, but help make it less conspicuous to predators in the bright, pallid landscape.

Most desert mammals are herbivores and derive water directly from the plants they eat. Some, like kangaroo rats, have extreme adaptations enabling them to live without ever drinking water. They have super efficient kidneys that extract most of the water from their urine and return it to the blood. And much of the water that would be lost in breathing is recaptured in the nasal cavities by specialized organs. If that weren’t enough, kangaroo rats actually manufacture water metabolically from the digestion of dry seeds! Check out our Mammals album on Flickr .

Reservation Camping The majority of the 500 campsites in the park are available by reservation. Reservations can be made the same day or up to 6 months in advance and can be booked on recreation.gov . Book your site before entering the park. Cell service is very limited in Joshua Tree National Park.

Reserving a site is highly recommended if you plan to camp on a holiday, a weekend, or any day of the week in the spring. Our busy spring season runs from October to May.

Summer Status: While reservation campgrounds are typically open year-round, partial or full closures may occur during the summer months. An annual campfire ban will be in effect from June 15 until October 1.

To stay up to date, select the campground you're interested in below for current hours and information.

First-Come, First-Served Camping Hidden Valley, White Tank, and Belle Campgrounds are first-come, first-served. To secure a campsite, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show site occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. The fee is $25 per night.

Can't Find A Campsite? The park has become an extremely popular destination in recent years. Due to this popularity, all park campgrounds are usually full on weekends from September through May. If you arrive too late to get a site in a designated campground, you have the following options: Camp on Bureau of Land Management land outside the park. Go to a private campground or stay in lodging in gateway communities. Please contact area chambers of commerce for information. Sleeping in your vehicle overnight along the roadside or at a roadside pull off is not allowed, and violators may be subject to a citation. For more information, visit our Camping Outside of the Park page.

Group Sites There are three areas that have group campsites: Cottonwood , Indian Cove , and Sheep Pass . Group sites can accommodate 10-60 people. Reservations may be made up to 6 months in advance for Cottonwood, Indian Cove, and Sheep Pass. Cottonwood and Sheep Pass Group Campgrounds are for tents only. Indian Cove Group Campground can accommodate small RVs or trailers, with a maximum combined length of 25 feet.

Equestrian Camping Black Rock and Ryan Campgrounds have designated horse camps. You must have a horse to book an equestrian site. Ryan is closed in the summer months. See the horseback riding page for more information.

Regulations Visit our Camping Regulations page to learn more about general rules, pets, quiet hours, and fires/firewood. Attaching lines to vegetation, including Joshua trees and junipers, is prohibited. Hammocks, slacklines, and other horizontal ropes must be tied to rocks and climbing bolts, and are not permitted in campgrounds .

Frequently Asked Questions How do I get campsite reservations? Reservations are required at the following campgrounds: Indian Cove, Black Rock, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, Cottonwood, Sheep Pass Group Campground, Cottonwood Group Campground, and Indian Cove Group Campground. Campsite reservations can only made on recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Reservations be made up to six months in advance (subject to availability). How do I get a first-come, first-served campsite? When you arrive at a first-come, first-served campground (Hidden Valley, Belle, or White Tank), look for an open site. If you find a vacated site without equipment, move into the site and set up camp. How do I pay for a first-come, first-served campsite? After occupying an open campsite, proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. The fee is $25 per night. We only accept debit and credit card payments for campsites.

99 sites. $35 per night. 4,000 feet in elevation. Water, flush toilets, tables, fire grates, and a dump station.

62 sites. $35 per night. 3,000 feet in elevation. Water, flush toilets, tables, fire grates, and a dump station.