Home»Photo Galleries»Western States USA»Joshua Tree 2006

Joshua Tree National Park is famous for a prickly, undisciplined member of the agave family that received its name from mid-nineteenth-century Mormon pioneers who thought the limbs of the tree resembled outstretched arms guiding them westward toward the promised land. Well before these settlers crossed the Mojave Desert home of the Joshua tree, Indigenous peoples wove its tough leaves into baskets and sandals and roasted its seeds for a nutritional addition to their diet. Today, the Joshua tree gives food and shelter to a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. It stands as a beautiful symbol of resilience and survival in harsh conditions.

This immense park covers over 800,000 acres and includes a western extension of the Sonoran Desert, the eastern edge of the Mojave Desert, and the Little San Bernardino Mountains. It is an arid and rocky environment, but it contains five fan palm oases. Complementing the unusual shapes of the Joshua tree are beautiful geological displays, consisting of twisted mountains of rock formations and wind-carved granite boulders. The flat sandy valleys, the extraordinarily rugged mountains, and the verdant oases form a tapestry woven through eons of wind and rain, harsh temperatures, and plate tectonics.

I was drawn by both the stately shapes of the Joshua tree and the amazing stone sculptures, known by names such as Jumbo Rocks, Split Rock, Skull Rock, Arch Rock, Hall of Horrors, and Wonderland of Rocks. Particularly in the late afternoon light, the unique rock formations seem to come alive, ready to mingle and share stories through the night. Indeed, they have many stories to tell, going back to their birth over 100 million years ago as molten liquid from far below the earth’s crust oozed upward and cooled. Much later, eroded by flash floods, the huge boulders settled on top of one another, creating impressive stacks of rock that are some of nature’s best art displays.

We visited Joshua Tree in the spring, just after a snowstorm covered the mountains in the western section of the park. For four wonderful days, we hiked in this wonderland of inspiring shapes and patterns, enjoying amazing sunsets and incredible night skies. I hope that these images convey some of the awe and wonder we experienced in this magical place.

For more information about Joshua Tree National Park, click here.