Year Established: 1994
Annual Visitors: 3.06 Million
Size: 795,200 Acres
Firearms Information in Joshua Tree National Park
After January 1, 2013, it is illegal in California to openly carry a handgun in on of their parks. A valid California concealed carry weapons permit (CCW) is required if you will to possess a concealed firearm. No other state’s concealed carry permit will be accepted.
Any firearm or air weapon must be unloaded and stored in a case or other inaccessible location to be legally allowed in the park. Archery equipment, such as bows, crossbows, and similar devices that fire projectiles into the air are also prohibited.
Hunting in Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is a no-hunting zone. Within the park’s boundaries, shooting is strictly prohibited. The main goal was to help facilitate the transport of firearms, which is why they passed the regulations allowing concealed carry.
Additional Information About Joshua Tree National Park
Although Yucca brevifolia, a lasting emblem of the Mojave Desert, is the namesake of Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert it is by no means the only item to see there. Dozens of paths are available for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and the rocky topography makes it a rockclimbing mecca in the United States. The springtime is accompanied by a blanket of wildflowers. And the park’s ultra-bright desert night sky makes it a sanctuary for stargazing.
The park encompasses portions of two separate deserts, the Mojave and Sonoran, as it descends into the Coachella Valley close to Palm Springs. These two desert systems split the southernmost national park in California into two extremely dissimilar dry habitats. Elevation is the key to their variances.
The Colorado, the westernmost portion of the enormous Sonoran Desert, thrives below 3,000 feet on the park’s gently sloping, temperature-rich eastern border. In comparison to the higher, wetter, and more vegetated Mojave “high desert,” the Colorado appears bare and threatening. It originates in the middle of the park and sweeps eastward across creosote-covered basins. Occasionally adorned with “gardens” of flowering ocotillo and cholla cactus, it traverses the barren Pinto Basin before entering a parched, shattered-rock wasteland in the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains.
The sudden change between the Colorado and Mojave ecosystems surprises many of the 1.3 million people who pass through the area annually. Above 3,000 feet, the Mojave area comprises the western part of the park, where gigantic branching yuccas flourish on sandy plains dotted with massive granite monoliths and rock heaps. These are some of the most fascinating and photogenic geological formations found in the several desert regions of California.
Best Time to Visit Joshua Tree National Park
The best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is between the months of March to April and October to November.
Visitor Fees
$15.00 per person for up to 7 days.
$30.00 per vehicle for up to 7 days.
$25.00 per motorcycle for up to 7 days.
$55 for Joshua Tree National Park Annual Pass
Interesting in visiting multiple National Parks this year?
Consider the America The Beautiful Annual Park Pass.
This annual park pass to gets you and some friends into all U.S. National Parks for $80.
They also offer Senior, Military, and other discounts.
Visitor Centers
Joshua Tree Visitor Center
Address
6554 Park Blvd,
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Phone Number
760-367-5500
Hours of Operation
Daily 7:30 AM–5:00 PM
Be sure to check for seasonal closures.
Cottonwood Visitor Center
Address
Pinto Basin Rd,
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Phone Number
760-367-5500
Hours of Operation
Daily 8:30 AM–4:00 PM
Be sure to check for seasonal closures.
Black Rock Nature Center
Address
9800 Black Rock Canyon Rd,
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
Phone Number
(760) 367-3001
Hours of Operation
Friday – Monday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Tuesday – Thursday Closed
Be sure to check for seasonal closures.