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82-557: The Coxcomb Mountains are within the easternmost area of Joshua Tree National Park . They are east of the Eagle Mountains and Twentynine Palms , north of Interstate 10 , and southeast of the Sheep Hole Mountains . The range's highest point is Spectre Peak, at an elevation of 4,482 feet (1,366 m), located within the park. It is at GPS latitude—longitude coordinates of N 34.026279, W -115.404748. The Coxcomb Mountains are

164-486: A box canyon at Cow Camp . Throughout the region, ranchers dug wells and built rainwater catchments called "tanks", such as White Tank and Barker Dam . In 1900, C. O. Barker, a miner and cattleman, built the original Barker Dam, later improved by William "Bill" Keys, a rancher. Grazing continued in the park through 1945. Barker Dam was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1975. Between

246-543: A hot desert climate ( BWh ). According to the United States Department of Agriculture , the plant hardiness zone at the Cottonwood Visitor Center at 3081 ft (939 m) elevation is 8b, with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 19.8 °F (−6.8 °C). Joshua Tree is becoming hotter and drier due to climate change. From 1895 to 2016 the annual precipitation has dropped by 39% and

328-435: A republican government in 1824, Alta California, like many northern territories, was not recognized as one of the constituent States of Mexico because of its small population. The 1824 Constitution of Mexico refers to Alta California as a "territory". Resentment was increasing toward appointed territorial governors sent from Mexico City, who came with little knowledge of local conditions and concerns. Laws were imposed by

410-477: A 10-stamp steam-powered mill. Ryan pumped water from his ranch to the mill and cut timber from the nearby hills to heat water to make steam. Most of the structures associated with the mine fell apart, and for safety reasons the National Park Service plugged the mine, which had collapsed. The Desert Queen Mine on Keys' Desert Queen Ranch was another productive gold mine. In the early 1930s, Keys bought

492-582: A campground. Shorter trails, such as the one-mile hike through Hidden Valley, offer a chance to view the beauty of the park without straying too far into the desert. A section of the California Riding and Hiking Trail meanders for 35 miles (56 km) through the western side of the park. The lookout point at Keys View, towards the south of the park, offers views of the Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea ,

574-475: A ceasefire was arranged. After an unsettled period, Alvarado agreed to support the 1839 constitution, and Mexico City appointed him to serve as governor from 1837 to 1842. Other Californio governors followed, including Carlos Antonio Carrillo , and Pío Pico . The last non-Californian governor, Manuel Micheltorena , was driven out after another rebellion in 1845. Micheltorena was replaced by Pío Pico, last Mexican governor of California , who served until 1846 when

656-515: A gasoline-powered two-stamp mill, the Wall Street Mill , and moved it to his ranch to process ore. The ranch and mill were added to the NRHP in 1975 and the mine in 1976. Some of the mines in the park yielded copper, zinc, and iron. On August 10, 1936, after Minerva Hoyt and others persuaded the state and federal governments to protect the area, President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the power of

738-531: A mission in San Diego. By 1823, the year Mexico achieved independence from Spain, a Mexican expedition from Los Angeles, in what was then Alta California , is thought to have explored as far east as the Eagle Mountains in what later became the park. Three years later, Jedediah Smith led a group of American fur trappers and explorers along the nearby Mojave Trail , and others soon followed. Two decades after that,

820-641: A petition to the governor in 1782 which stated that the Mission Indians owned both the land and cattle and represented the Ohlone against the Spanish settlers in nearby San José. The priests reported that Indians' crops were being damaged by the pueblo settlers' livestock and that the settlers' livestock was also "getting mixed up with the livestock belonging to the Indians from the mission" causing losses. They advocated that

902-471: A short, easy walk through the desert, and doing several interesting climbs in a single day is possible. The rocks are all composed of quartz monzonite , a very rough type of granite , made even more so as no snow or ice polishes it as in places such as Yosemite. Some routes are permanently closed, while others are closed temporarily to protect sensitive wildlife in certain seasons. Climbing and bouldering routes that are permanently closed include Energy Crisis,

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984-578: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is a national park of the United States in southeastern California , east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs . It is named after the Joshua trees ( Yucca brevifolia ) native to the Mojave Desert . Originally declared a national monument in 1936, Joshua Tree

1066-406: Is a threatened reptile species that inhabits creosote bush lowlands in the Mojave Desert . The tortoise is well adapted to the arid conditions and rarely drinks water; instead, most of their water is obtained from the plants they consume. Bobcats are a dominant force in the ecosystem. The California tree frog , Pseudacris cadaverina , is found in the rocky, permanent water sources created by

1148-433: Is charged per night for each camping spot. Reservations are accepted at Black Rock Campground, Cottonwood Campground, Indian Cove Campground, and Jumbo Rocks Campground for October through May, while the other campgrounds are first-come, first-served. Backcountry camping, for those who wish to backpack , is permitted with a few regulations. Several hiking trails are within the park, many of which can be accessed from

1230-457: Is popular with rock climbers and was originally a winter practice area while Yosemite Valley and other parts of the Sierra Nevada were snowbound, but later became an area of interest in its own right. Its thousands of named climbing routes contain all levels of difficulty. The routes are typically short, the rocks being rarely more than 230 ft (70 m) in height, but access is usually

1312-450: Is sparsely forested with Joshua trees. Together with the boulder piles and Skull Rock, the trees make the landscape otherworldly. Temperatures are most comfortable in the spring and fall, with an average high/low of 85 and 50 °F (29 and 10 °C), respectively. Winter brings cooler days, around 60 °F (16 °C), and freezing nights. Snows occur occasionally at higher elevations. Summers are hot, over 100 °F (38 °C) during

1394-607: Is still visible, and only the brightest structures around the Galactic Center of the Milky Way can be distinguished; zodiacal light is visible halfway to the zenith . Birds, lizards , and ground squirrels are most likely to be seen because they are largely active during the day. However, at night, nocturnal desert animals are active. Mostly nocturnal animals include snakes , bighorn sheep , kangaroo rats , coyotes , bobcats , and black-tailed jackrabbits . The desert tortoise

1476-471: The Carmel River ." Alta California was not easily accessible from New Spain: land routes were cut off by deserts and Indigenous peoples who were hostile to invasion. Sea routes ran counter to the southerly currents of the distant northwestern Pacific. Ultimately, New Spain did not have the economic resources nor population to settle such a far northern outpost. Spanish interest in colonizing Alta California

1558-513: The Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features habitats of creosote bush scrub, ocotillo , desert saltbush , and mixed scrub including yucca and cholla cactus ( Cylindropuntia bigelovii ). Some areas of such cactus are dense enough to appear as natural gardens. The lower Coachella Valley is on the southeastern side of the park with sandy soil grasslands and desert dunes . The only palm native to California,

1640-643: The Council of the Indies planned settlements in 1744, although these plans did not take action. Don Fernando Sánchez Salvador researched the earlier proposals and suggested the area of the Gila and Colorado Rivers as the locale for forts or presidios preventing the French or the English from "occupying Monterey and invading the neighboring coasts of California which are at the mouth of

1722-633: The Kumeyaay village of Kosa'aay , which became the first European settlement in the present state of California. At first contact, the villagers provided food and water for the expedition, who were suffering from scurvy and water deprivation . The first Alta California mission was founded that same year adjacent to the village Mission San Diego de Alcalá , founded by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portolá in San Diego in 1769. Similar to

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1804-830: The Mojaves , used the local resources as they traveled along trails between the Colorado River and the Pacific coast. In the 21st century, small numbers of all four peoples live in the region near the park; the Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians , descendants of the Chemehuevi, own a reservation in Twentynine Palms. In 1772, a group of Spaniards led by Pedro Fages made the first European sightings of Joshua trees while pursuing native converts to Christianity who had run away from

1886-521: The Pimería Alta from 1687 until his death in 1711. In 1697, a Jesuit expansion into California was funded and the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó was established that same year. Plans in 1715 by Juan Manuel de Oliván Rebolledo resulted in a 1716 decree for extension of the conquest (of Baja California) which came to nothing. Juan Bautista de Anssa proposed an expedition from Sonora in 1737 and

1968-524: The green darner Anax junius , and the giant desert scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis are arthropods that can grow to be more than 4 inches (10 cm) long. The yucca moth Tegeticula synthetica is responsible for pollinating the Joshua trees after which the park is named. Animals that thrive in Joshua Tree often have special adaptations for dealing with limited water and high summer temperatures. The smaller mammals and all reptiles take refuge from

2050-543: The light pollution typical in urban areas.  In 2017, the International Dark-Sky Association designated Joshua Tree a Dark Sky Park . On clear nights around new moon , the sky darkness of Joshua Tree is rated a class 2–4 on the Bortle scale . This ranges from an "average dark sky" (class 2) in the easternmost region of the park to a sky quality typical of a rural/ suburban transition (class 4) in

2132-454: The 1769 Portola expedition first established a military/civil government, and the local political structures were unchanged. The friction came to a head in 1836, when Monterey-born Juan Bautista Alvarado led a revolt against the 1836 constitution, seizing control of Monterey from Nicolás Gutiérrez . Alvarado's actions nearly led to a civil war with loyalist forces based in Los Angeles, but

2214-516: The 1860s and the 1940s, miners worked about 300 pit mines, mostly small, in what later became the park. The most successful, the Lost Horse Mine , produced gold and silver worth about $ 5 million in today's currency. Johnny Lang and others, the original owners of the Lost Horse Mine, installed a two- stamp mill to process ore at the site, and the next owner, J.D. Ryan , replaced it with

2296-536: The 1906 Antiquities Act to establish Joshua Tree National Monument, protecting about 825,000 acres (1,289.1 sq mi; 3,338.7 km ). In 1950, the size of the park was reduced by about 290,000 acres (453.1 sq mi; 1,173.6 km ) to open the land to more mining. The monument was redesignated as a national park on October 31, 1994, by the Desert Protection Act , which also added 234,000 acres (365.6 sq mi; 947.0 km ). In 2019,

2378-534: The California fan palm ( Washingtonia Filifera ), occurs naturally in five oases in the park, rare areas where water occurs naturally year-round, and all forms of wildlife abound. Invasive plants such as cheat grass and red brome contribute to the worsening of wildfires. During wetter periods fills in below and among the pines and oak. In drier times, they die back but do not quickly decompose. This makes wildfires hotter and more destructive, which kills some of

2460-646: The Californios. In 1846, following reports of the annexation of Texas to the United States, American settlers in inland Northern California took up arms, captured the Mexican garrison town of Sonoma, and declared independence there as the California Republic . At the same time, the United States and Mexico had gone to war, and forces of the United States Navy entered into Alta California and took possession of

2542-593: The Indigenous people be allowed to own property and have the right to defend it. In 1804, due to the growth of the Spanish population in new northern settlements, the province of Las Californias was divided just south of San Diego, following mission president Francisco Palóu's division between the Dominican and Franciscan jurisdictions. Governor Diego de Borica is credited with defining the border between Alta (upper) and Baja (lower) California 's as Palóu's division , while

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2624-831: The Pinto Basin in the 1930s, suggest that they hunted game and gathered seasonal plants, but little else is known about them. Later residents included the Serrano , the Cahuilla , and the Chemehuevi peoples. All three lived at times in small villages in or near water, particularly the Oasis of Mara in what non-aboriginals later called Twentynine Palms . They subsisted largely on plant foods supplemented by small game, amphibians , and reptiles while using other plants for making medicines, bows, arrows, baskets, and other articles of daily life. A fourth group,

2706-502: The Pinto Fault along the northern edge of the park. The red-spotted toad , Bufo punctatus , is a true denizen of the desert, where it spends most of its life underground. Found from one end of the park to the other, it appears after good, soaking rains. Golden eagles hunt in the park regularly. The roadrunner is an easily recognized resident. The call of Gambel's quail can frequently be heard. The tarantula Aphonopelma iodium ,

2788-539: The San Andreas Fault, the Santa Rosa Mountains , and the city of Palm Springs . Nature walks inside the park include: Longer trails include: Due to graffiti on at least 17 sites on trails, officials have closed them to the public. The closed sites include Native American sites, Rattlesnake Canyon, and Barker Dam . They blame the increase in vandalism on the increased use of social media . The park

2870-655: The Schwarzenegger Wall, Zombie Woof Rock, the Maverick Boulder formation, Pictograph Boulder, Shindig, Lonely Stones Area #3, and the Shipwreck formation, Indian Wave Boulders (except for Native Arete), and Wormholes. As of March 14, 2018 , seasonal closures include the Slatanic Area, Towers of Uncertainty, Patagonia Pile, and Jerry's Quarry. The total visitors more than doubled from 2013 to 2019. Awareness of

2952-613: The U.S. military occupation began. In the final decades of Mexican rule, American and European immigrants arrived and settled in the former Alta California. Those in Southern California mainly settled in and around the established coastal settlements and tended to intermarry with the Californios. In Northern California, they mainly formed new settlements further inland, especially in the Sacramento Valley , and these immigrants focused on fur-trapping and farming and kept apart from

3034-425: The United States and Spain, established the northern limit of Alta California at latitude 42°N, which remains the boundary between the states of California, Nevada and Utah (to the south) and Oregon and Idaho (to the north) to this day. Mexico won independence in 1821, and Alta California became a territory of Mexico the next year. Mexico gained independence from Spain on August 24, 1821, upon conclusion of

3116-488: The United States defeated Mexico in the Mexican–American War (1846–48) and took over about half of Mexico's original territory, including California and the future parkland. In 1870, white settlers began grazing cattle on the tall grasses that grew in the park. In 1888, a gang of cattle rustlers moved into the region near the Oasis of Mara. Led by brothers James B. and William S. McHaney, they hid stolen cattle in

3198-536: The age of two. The precolonial Indigenous population of California is estimated to have numbered around 340,000 people, who were diverse culturally and linguistically. From 1769–1832, at least 87,787 baptisms and 63,789 deaths of Indigenous peoples occurred, demonstrating the immense death rate at the missions in Alta California. Conversion to Christianity at the colonial missions was often resisted by Indigenous peoples in Alta California. Many missionaries in

3280-469: The annual temperature has increased by 3 °F. Because of the hotter and drier conditions, there are more wildfires in the park. The park's oldest rocks, Pinto Gneiss among them, are 1.7 billion years old. They are exposed in places on the park's surface in the Cottonwood , Pinto , and Eagle Mountains. Much later, from 250 to 75 million years ago, tectonic plate movements forced volcanic material toward

3362-630: The areas formerly comprising Alta California were ceded to the U.S. in the treaty which ended the war . In 1850, California joined the union as the 31st state . The El Camino Real trail established by the Spanish extended from Mexico City west to Santa Fe , and California, as well as east to Florida . To the southeast, beyond the deserts and the Colorado River , lay the Spanish settlements in Arizona . Spanish soldiers, settlers, and missionaries invaded

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3444-623: The central government without much consideration of local conditions, such as the Mexican secularization act of 1833 , causing friction between governors and the people. In 1836, Mexico repealed the 1824 federalist constitution and adopted a more centralist political organization (under the " Seven Laws ") that reunited Alta and Baja California in a single California Department ( Departamento de las Californias ). The change, however, had little practical effect in far-off Alta California. The capital of Alta California remained Monterey, as it had been since

3526-486: The climate was wetter until the 1930s, with the same hot and dry conditions that provoked the Dust Bowl affecting the local climate. These cycles were nothing new, but the original vegetation did not prosper when wetter cycles returned. The difference may have been human development. Cattle grazing took out some of the natural covers and made it less resistant to the changes. There are fewer Joshua tree seedlings surviving in

3608-547: The day and not cooling much below 75 °F (24 °C) until the early hours of the morning. Joshua trees dominate the open spaces of the park, but in among the rock outcroppings are piñon pine , California juniper ( Juniperus californica ), Quercus turbinella (desert scrub oak), Quercus john-tuckeri (Tucker's oak), Quercus cornelius-mulleri (Muller's oak), Cylindropuntia chuckwallensis (chuckwalla cholla), and Opuntia chlorotica (dollarjoint pricklypear). These communities are under some stress, however, as

3690-472: The decade-long Mexican War of Independence . As the successor state to the Viceroyalty of New Spain, Mexico automatically included the provinces of Alta California and Baja California as territories. Alta California declared allegiance to the new Mexican nation and elected a representative to be sent to Mexico City. On November 9, 1822, the first legislature of California was created. With the establishment of

3772-497: The division became the political reality under José Joaquín de Arrillaga , who would become the first governor of Alta California. The cortes (legislature) of New Spain issued a decree in 1813 for at least partial secularization that affected all missions in America and was to apply to all outposts that had operated for ten years or more; however, the decree was never enforced in California. The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, between

3854-758: The flag of the State of California. After the United States Navy's seizure of the cities of southern California, the Californios formed irregular units, which were victorious in the Siege of Los Angeles , and after the arrival of the United States Army , fought in the Battle of San Pasqual and the Battle of Domínguez Rancho . But the Californios were defeated in subsequent encounters, the battles of Río San Gabriel and La Mesa . The southern Californios formally surrendered with

3936-532: The government shutdown. Park botanists subsequently determined that one of three Joshua trees reported to have been cut down or damaged during the shutdown had been felled prior to the shutdown. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service . Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as Nueva California ('New California') among other names,

4018-439: The heat underground. Desert mammals make more efficient use of their bodies’ water supply than the human body. Reptiles are physiologically adapted to getting along with little water, and birds can fly to water sources when they need to drink. Nevertheless, the springs and seeps in the park are necessary for the survival of many animals. Most reptiles and many small rodents and insects go into an inactive state of hibernation during

4100-633: The higher elevations of the western side of the park. The higher and cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of Yucca brevifolia , the Joshua tree for which the park is named. It occurs in patterns from dense forests to distantly spaced specimens. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western part of the park includes some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California's deserts. The dominant geologic features of this landscape are hills of bare rock, usually broken up into loose boulders. These hills are popular among rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts. The flatland between these hills

4182-576: The homelands of the Indigenous peoples of California , people of the Great Basin , and the Pueblo peoples in the establishment of Alta California. Evidence of Alta California remains in the numerous Spanish place names of American cities such as Las Vegas , Los Angeles , Sacramento , San Bernardino , San Diego , San Francisco , San Jose , Santa Ana , and Santa Rosa . Father Eusebio Kino missionized

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4264-616: The missions until they were secularized, beginning in 1833. The transfer of property never occurred under the Franciscans. As the number of Spanish settlers grew in Alta California, the boundaries and natural resources of the mission properties became disputed. Conflicts between the Crown and the Church arose over land. State and ecclesiastical bureaucrats debated over authority of the missions. The Franciscan priests of Mission Santa Clara de Asís sent

4346-584: The most rugged and sharply perpendicular mountains within Joshua Tree National Park . Being in the park's wildest and least-visited northeastern corner, their relative isolation protects their wilderness habitat. The range is in the ecotone where habitats merge from the higher elevation Mojave Desert ecoregion and the lower elevation Colorado Desert of the Sonoran Desert ecoregion. This Riverside County, California -related article

4428-448: The mouths of canyons, and bajadas , where the alluvial fans overlapped. The rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park owe their shape partly to groundwater , which filtered through the roughly rectangular joints of the monzonite and eroded the corners and edges of blocks of stone, and to flash floods , which washed away covering ground and left piles of rounded boulders. These prominent outcrops are known as inselbergs . Of

4510-456: The national park service which is more than any other similar organization. According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation types, Joshua Tree National Park has two categories, a creosote bush potential vegetation type with a desert shrubland potential vegetation form in most of the area, and a juniper / pinyon pine potential vegetation type with a Great Basin montane forest /southwest forest potential vegetation form on

4592-543: The northern port cities of Monterey and San Francisco. The forces of the California Republic, upon encountering the United States Navy and, from them, learning of the state of war between Mexico and the United States, abandoned their independence and proceeded to assist the United States forces in securing the remainder of Alta California. The California Republic was never recognized by any nation and existed for less than one month, but its flag (the "Bear Flag") survives as

4674-571: The park expanded by 4,518 acres (7.1 sq mi; 18.3 km ) under a provision included in the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) has conserved 10,290 acres (4,160 ha) within the park. These inholdings were private ownership within the national park that they were able to purchase. They also acquire private properties bordering federally protected properties. MDLT has sold 25,801 acres (10,441 ha) of acquired private property to

4756-555: The park includes parts of two deserts, each an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation: the higher Mojave Desert and the lower Colorado Desert . The Little San Bernardino Mountains traverse the southwest edge of the park. The earliest known residents of the land in and around what later became Joshua Tree National Park were the people of the Pinto Culture, who lived and hunted here between 8000 and 4000 BCE. Their stone tools and spear points, discovered in

4838-596: The park lies along an inland stretch of the Pacific Flyway . Other species descend from their usual habitats in the mountains to escape winter snow. Birdwatching spots include fan palm oases , the Barker Dam, and Smith Water Canyon. Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley also provide good birdwatching, with a different range of species due to the lack of water, including the ladder-backed woodpecker and oak titmouse . A USGS bird checklist from 2006 contained 239 species in

4920-728: The park's six blocks of mountains, five—the Little San Bernardino , Hexie , Pinto, Cottonwood, and Eagle—are among the Transverse Ranges , which trend generally east–west in locations between the Eagle Mountains on the east and the northern Channel Islands , in the Pacific Ocean west of Santa Barbara , on the west. Tectonic forces along the San Andreas Fault system compressed and lifted the crust material that formed these ranges. The San Andreas Fault itself passes southwest of

5002-440: The park, but related parallel faults, including the Dillon, Blue Cut, and Pinto, run through the park, and movements along them have caused earthquakes. The easternmost range in the park, the Coxcomb Mountains, runs generally north–south and is part of the Basin and Range Province . Nine established campgrounds exist in the park, two of which (Black Rock Campground and Cottonwood Campground) provide water and flush toilets. A fee

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5084-428: The park. Joshua Tree is a popular observing site in Southern California for amateur astronomy and stargazing, along with nearby Anza-Borrego Desert State Park . The park's elevation and dry desert air, along with the relatively stable atmosphere in the region, often make for excellent seeing conditions. The park is well known for its naturally dark night skies , which are far away from and largely free of

5166-538: The park. It is forecasted that by 2099, under the high emission scenario, the park will increase in temperature by 8 °F. This would make most of the national park unsuitable for Joshua tree growth. Under the low emission scenario, 80% of suitable Joshua tree habitat could be lost. The desert tortoise population has decreased due to habitat loss and climate change. Lizards in the park are also at risk. Bird species have declined 43% according to studies conducted in 1908–1968 and 2013–2016. Below 3,000 feet (910 m),

5248-421: The present-day U.S. states of California , Nevada , and Utah , and parts of Arizona , Wyoming , and Colorado . The territory was re-combined with Baja California (as a single departamento ) in Mexico's 1836 Siete Leyes (Seven Laws) constitutional reform, granting it more autonomy. That change was undone in 1846, but rendered moot by the outcome of the Mexican–American War in 1848, when most of

5330-596: The province wrote of their frustrations with teaching Indigenous people to internalize Catholic scripture and practice. Many Indigenous people learned to navigate religious expectations at the missions with complex social behaviors in order to maintain their cultural and religious practices. In 1784, the Spanish established the first rancho, Rancho San Pedro , as a 48,000 acre site for cattle grazing . Nine ranchos were subsequently established before 1800. Spanish, and later Mexican, governments rewarded retired soldados de cuera with large land grants, known as ranchos , for

5412-461: The raising of cattle and sheep . Hides and tallow from the livestock were the primary exports of California until the mid-19th century. Similar to the missions, the construction, ranching and domestic work on these vast estates was primarily done by Indigenous peoples , who learned to speak Spanish and ride horses. Under Spanish and Mexican rule, the ranchos prospered and grew. Rancheros (cattle ranchers) and pobladores (townspeople) evolved into

5494-408: The region's geology. More than 250 bird species inhabit or visit the park, including resident desert birds such as the greater roadrunner , cactus wren , northern mockingbird , LeConte's thrasher , verdin , and Gambel's quail . About 78 species nest and raise their young within the park. Many migrating species spend only a short time feeding and resting at Joshua Tree, mainly in the winter, as

5576-429: The site of this mission, subsequent missions and presidios were often founded at the site of Indigenous villages. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded at the Tongva village Toviscanga and the Pueblo de Los Ángeles at the village of Yaanga . The first settlers of Los Angeles were African and mulatto Catholics, including at least ten of the recently re-discovered Los Pobladores . Mission San Juan Capistrano

5658-417: The surface at this location and formed granites, including monzogranite common to the Wonderland of Rocks, parts of the Pinto, Eagle, and Coxcomb Mountains, and elsewhere. Erosion eventually exposed the harder rocks, gneiss, and granite, in the uplands and reduced the softer rocks to debris that filled the canyons and basins between the ranges. The debris, moved by gravity and water, formed alluvial fans at

5740-408: The trees that would have otherwise survived. When the area regenerates, these non-native grasses form a thick layer of turf that makes getting a roothold harder for the pine and oak seedlings. Fountain grass was introduced to the park in the 1990s. This grass competes with native grasses for water and nutrients. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Joshua Tree National Park has

5822-504: The unique Californio culture. By law, mission land and property were to pass to the Indigenous population after a period of about ten years, when the Indigenous people would become Spanish subjects. In the interim period, the Franciscans were to act as mission administrators who held the land in trust for the Indigenous residents. The Franciscans, however, prolonged their control over the missions even after control of Alta California passed from Spain to independent Mexico, and continued to run

5904-437: The use of a camp stove (since open campfires are prohibited) and employing Leave No Trace camping techniques (also known as "pack it in, pack it out"). Although bicycles are not allowed in wilderness areas, horses are, but a permit must be obtained in advance for travel in the backcountry. Cellular signals are weak to non-existent and should not be depended on while visiting the park. On April 1, 2015, graffiti artist André

5986-526: The western regions near Palm Springs . In the easternmost regions of the park, visitors with optimal vision can expect to see the Andromeda (M31) and Triangulum (M33) galaxies with unaided eyes. The central Milky Way appears highly structured to the naked eye from this site, and zodiacal light appears as a faint yellowish glow when visible. In the western regions of the park, the Andromeda Galaxy

6068-485: The wildflower bloom in the spring has brought increased visitation. The paved main road allows visitors to drive to major attractions and through the park. The unpaved roads may require a vehicle with high ground clearance , and four-wheel drive . An example is the Geology Tour Road in the center of the park. Visitors with a four-wheel-drive vehicle can use this road for a self-guided tour with stops that describe

6150-584: The winter. However, winter is the time of greatest bird concentrations in the park, because of the presence of many migrant species. Of the park's total land area of 790,636 acres (1,235.4 sq mi; 3,199.6 km ), 429,690 acres (671.4 sq mi; 1,738.9 km ) are designated wilderness and managed by the National Park Service (NPS) in accordance with the Wilderness Act . The NPS requires registration for overnight camping at specific locations called registration boards. Other requirements include

6232-572: Was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula , it had previously comprised the province of Las Californias , but was made a separate province in 1804 (named Nueva California ). Following the Mexican War of Independence , it became a territory of Mexico in April 1822 and was renamed Alta California in 1824. The territory included all of

6314-612: Was convicted and fined for vandalizing a boulder in the park. André posted photos of his vandalism on social media. Casey Schreiner , of the hiking blog site Modern Hiker, and some of his readers aided the National Park Service in tracking down and identifying André's vandalism. Before the conviction, André had attempted to silence the reporting with legal threats. During the 2018–2019 federal government shutdown , reports of vandalism spiked as visitors allegedly chopped down Joshua trees, set illegal fires, drove off-road, and spray-painted rocks. Only eight park rangers were on duty during

6396-483: Was founded at the Acjachemen village of Acjacheme . Mission San Fernando was founded at Achooykomenga . As the Spanish and civilian settlers further intruded into Indigenous lands and imposed their practices, ideas of property, and religion onto them backed by the force of soldiers and settlers, Indigenous peoples formed rebellions on Spanish missions and settlements. A major rebellion at Mission San Gabriel in 1785

6478-552: Was led by the medicine woman Toypurina . Runaways from the missions were common, where abuse, malnourishment, and overworking were common features of daily life. Runaways would sometimes find shelter at more distant villages, such as a group of runaways who found refuge at the Vanyume village of Wá'peat , the chief of which refused to give them up. Many children died young at the missions. One missionary reported that 3 of every 4 children born at Mission San Gabriel died before reaching

6560-494: Was redesignated as a national park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act . Encompassing a total of 795,156 acres (1,242.4 sq mi; 3,217.9 km ) – slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island – the park includes 429,690 acres (671.4 sq mi; 1,738.9 km ) of designated wilderness . Straddling San Bernardino and Riverside Counties,

6642-555: Was revived under the visita of José de Gálvez as part of his plans to completely reorganize the governance of the Interior Provinces and push Spanish settlement further north. In subsequent decades, news of Russian colonization and maritime fur trading in Alaska, and the 1768 naval expedition of Pyotr Krenitsyn and Mikhail Levashov alarmed the Spanish government and served to justify Gálvez's vision. The Portolá expedition

6724-457: Was the first European land-entry expedition into the area that is now California. The missionaries and soldiers encountered numerous Indigenous peoples of the area , who became the primary subjects of the expanding Jesuit and Franciscan missions that were already established in Baja California and Baja California Sur . The expedition first established the Presidio of San Diego at the site of

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