112. California - Joshua Tree National Park: A Comprehensive Guide

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Calarogus Shark Media. Hey there,
fellow Travelers, it's Journey Joe Mitchell and

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welcome back to another exciting episode of
Travelers Back. Today, we're heading to

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the stunning Joshua Tree National Park,
a desert paradise just a few hours away

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from the bustling city of Los Angeles. Getting to Joshua Tree from LA is

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a breeze. Simply hop in your
car and head east on Interstate ten.

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You'll drive through the heart of Los
Angeles, passing iconic landmarks like the Hollywood

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Sign and the towering skyscrapers of downtown. As you leave the city behind,

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the landscape begins to change, transforming
from urban sprawl to rugged desert terrain.

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After about one hundred forty miles,
take exit one hundred and seventeen for CAA

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sixty two to twenty nine Palms Highway. This road will lead you to directly

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to the park's main entrance in the
town of Joshua Tree. The drive from

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LA typically takes around two hours and
thirty minutes, depending on traffic. As

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you approach the park, you'll start
to see the namesake Joshua Trees dotting the

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landscape. These unique, twisted trees
are actually a type of yucca plant,

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and they only grow in the Mojave
Desert. They're a true icon of the

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American Southwest, and seeing them in
person is an unforgettable experience. Once you

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reach the park entrance, you'll need
to pay an admission fee, which grants

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you access to the park for seven
days. After passing through the entrance station,

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you'll have your choice of several visitor
centers to stop at for maps,

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information, and expert advice from park
rangers. One of the most popular visitor

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centers is the Oasis Visitor Center,
located near the park's west entrance. Here,

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you can learn about the park's ecology, geology, and human history through

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a variety of exhibits and displays.
The visitor center also offers a bookstore,

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restrooms, and a water ref station. From the visitor center, you'll have

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easy access to some of the park's
most iconic sites and hikes. The park

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is home to a vast array of
landscapes, from towering rock formations and hidden

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oases to vast sandy plains and rugged
mountains. Some of the must sea spots

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include Skull Rock, Arch Rock,
and the Choya Cactus Garden. As you

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explore the park, keep in mind
that the desert can be a harsh and

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unforgiving environment. Be sure to bring
plenty of water, sunscreen, and protective

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clothing, even if you're just planning
on a short hike or scenic drive.

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The park is also home to a
variety of wildlife, including rattlesnakes, bighorn

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sheep, and coyotes, so always
keep a respectful distance and never feed or

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approach wild animals. So pack your
bags, hop in the car, and

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get ready for an unforgettable adventure in
one of America's most stunning national parks.

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For this episode, we'll check in
once again with Johnny Mack, who brought

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his portable recorder to Joshua Tree.
Welcome to Jashua Tree National Park. I've

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pulled over at the first spot.
This is one of my unplanned trips.

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I planned to come to Joshua Tree, but did in'to any research. I

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like to explore, so I found
a trail here beautiful desert. Let's take

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a look. This is the Bigfoot
Panorama Loop. All right, let's talk

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about one of Joshua Tree's most spectacular
hikes, the Bigfoot Panorama Loop. This

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six point five mile trail is a
favorite among experienced hikers looking for a challenging

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and rewarding adventure. To get to
the trailhead head to the black Rock Canyon

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Campground, located in the park's northwest
corner. From there, follow the signs

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for the Panorama Loop trail. The
first part of the hike is a steady

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climb up a rocky wash surrounded by
towering rock formations and stunning desert vistas.

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As you continue along the trail,
you'll start to see the distinctive rounded boulders

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that give the Bigfoot Panorama Loop its
name. These massive skull like rocks are

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actually a type of granite formation known
as Manza granite, and there's some of

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the oldest rocks in the park,
dating back over one point six billion years.

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The trail continues to wind its way
up through the boulder fields, offering

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increasingly panoramic views of the surrounding desert
landscape. On a clear day, you

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can see for miles in every direction, with the Mojave desert stretching out before

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you like an endless sea of sand
and stone. One of the highlights of

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the Bigfoot Panorama Loop is the namesake
Bigfoot Panorama itself. This viewpoint, located

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about halfway through the hike, offers
a stunning three hundred and sixty degree vista

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of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
It's the perfect spot to take a break,

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snap some photos, and marvel at
the raw, untamed beauty of the

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desert. As you continue along the
trail, you'll pass through a variety of

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different desert habitats, from sandy washes
to rocky slopes dotted with cacti and wildflowers.

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Keep an eye out for some of
the park's resident wildlife, include lizards,

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rabbits, and even the occasional desert
tortoise. The final stretch of the

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hike is a steep descent back down
to the trailhead, passing through more boulder

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fields and offering even more stunning views
of the surrounding landscape. By the time

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you reach the end of the trail, you'll have gained a new appreciation for

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the rugged, beauty and endless diversity
of Joshua Tree National Park. This area

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here, it's all boulders, looks
little flintstoney these a great right, what

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a great spot selfie? Or if
it just looks great with all the trees,

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super cool on to Hemingway, a
fascinating and unique area within Joshua Tree

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National Park known for its striking rock
formations and challenging climbing routes. The area

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is named after Nobel Prize winning author
Ernest Hemingway, who was known for his

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love of adventure and the great outdoors. The Hemingway area is located in the

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park's northwest corner, near the Black
Rock Canyon campground. To get there,

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follow the signs for the Panorama Loop
trail, but instead of taking the main

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trail, look for a smaller,
unmarked path that branches off to the right.

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This path will lead you directly into
the heart of Hemingway. As you

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hike into the area, you'll be
greeted by a landscape of towering granite boulders

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and rock formations, some of which
stand over one hundred feet tall. These

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rocks are a type of Manzo granite, similar to the formations found in the

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nearby Bigfoot Panorama Loop, and they
offer a unique and challenging landscape for rock

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climbers and boulder enthusiasts. One of
the most distinctive features of Hemingway is its

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series of narrow, winding canyons,
and corridors that wind their way through the

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rock formations. These canyons can be
quite narrow and tight in places, requiring

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some scrambling and climbing to navigate,
but the reward for your efforts is a

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chance to explore a truly otherworldly landscape
with towering walls of granite rising up on

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either side of you. No dogs, because there's a sheep. A banana

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crack. Banana crack. It's a
banana crack. I want to see the

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sheet away was cool. Intersection Rock
Intersection Rock is one of the most iconic

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and popular climbing destinations within Joshua Tree
National Park. Located in the heart of

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the park near the Hidden Valley campground, Intersection Rock is a massive granite monolith

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that stands over one hundred and fifty
feet tall and offers a variety of challenging

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climbing routes for climbers of all skill
levels. The rock gets its name from

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the fact that it sits at the
intersection of several prominent rock formations and climbing

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areas within the park, including the
Hidden Valley and Real Hidden Valley areas.

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It's a true focal point of the
climbing scene. In Joshua Tree, and

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on any given day you're likely to
see climbers from all over the world scaling

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its steep faces and crack systems.
One of the things that makes Intersection Rock

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so popular among climbers is the variety
of routes it offers. The rock features

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a mix of traditional crack climbing and
bolted sport routes, with difficut culties,

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ranging from beginner friendly routes to challenging
and above. Some of the most popular

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routes on Intersection Rock include Overhang Bypass, a classic crack climb that ascends the

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left side of the rock's east face. ToeJam, another popular crack route that

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follows a striking line up the center
of the rock's east face. Illusion Dweller,

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a challenging face climb that ascends the
steep bolted wall on the rocks south

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side. Moose Doog Tower, a
fun, varied route that climbs the rock's

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west side, featuring a mix of
cracks and face climbing. Even if you're

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not a climber, Intersection Rock is
still worth a visit for its stunning scenery

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and unique geology. The rock can
be quite busy on weekends and holidays,

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so it's a good idea to arrive
early to beat the crowds and secure a

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spot on your desired route. It's
also important to practice good climbing etiquette and

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leave no trace principles when climbing at
Intersection Rock or anywhere else in the park.

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This means packing out all of your
trash, respecting other climbers and park

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visitors, and taking care not to
damage the rock or surrounding vegetation. I

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mean, you really don't realize how
big that is to you. Look at

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the people on it. That groupe
is so this guy at the bottom is

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his See what I'm saying? Do
we check out Hidden Valley hiking trail?

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This is a beautiful Sunday morning in
the desert in what is it mid April?

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A narrow gap in the rocks ahead
funnels into a legendary valley where rustlers

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supposedly hid their illicit herds. One
mile Loop Trail. Let's do it right?

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Are we up from mile Loop?
Myle Loop's a good distance. It

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feel it's getting warmer too. I
yep, I like this little downhill here,

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pretty awesome. Oh want more climbers? Yeah? In nature group?

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Right? You guys can make fun
of my bucket hat all you want,

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but I love it. Did the
trail end? This looks trailly here?

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Yeah, it's a loop. The
sneaker prints yeah, and stairs rocked sneaker

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prints. Oh wait, but the
whole idea is this was hidden valley,

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So it's not absurd that we're heading
down right, Presumably we're going to get

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to the hidden valley where we hide
our cattle. It's nice with the breeze.

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Yeah. But arrow all right,
so it's probably a trail if somebody

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put an arrow, I could have
put the arrow there, So it's a

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fake arrow. Where do I hide
my cattle? Mountain quail? If you

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see one which way? There's no
arrow because of the stairs. Trail ish

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except for the lack of sneaker Prince, didn't you read that don't die sign?

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I did read that. I mean, I don't know how forceful you

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want to sign to be. Yeah
you did? Oh wait right, trees

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look awesome. I'm glad we stopped
you. This is like my favorite so

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far. Look at this. This
is like what they call it an iceland

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where you stacked the rocks. I
don't know you know what I'm talking about.

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I love everything. I can't stop
taking photos. That's all. One

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in the middle looks cool? Is
that what they were climbing? We all

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look similar. The colors are just
amazing, right, Yeah, this is

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pretty. Everything's pretty. People put
good. I haven't seen garbage, right,

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but I've seen like nothing. So
I guess that's the hidden valley,

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right, that's the hidden valley?
Or which one made them too? Zoomed?

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That one? Nice? That's beautiful, all right, So that's what

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they were talking about. That's great
that I would assume that's the hidden valley.

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Like on the other side of these
rocks. This is just the hard

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part of the trail. This is
great. I took a lot of pictures

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today and the sky is like that
awesome blue. Yeah, looks great.

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Yes, Oh wow, Oh that's
interesting, isn't that Almost looks like lava

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run down? Right? Next up
is Barker Dam, a historic water catchment

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dam located in Joshua Tree National Park, built by early cattle ranchers in the

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late eighteen hundreds to provide water for
their herds. Today, the dam and

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the surrounding area are popular destinations for
hikers, nature lovers, and history buffs

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who come to explore the unique landscape
and learn about the park's rich cultural heritage.

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The Barker Dam Trail is a short, easy hike that takes visitors on

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a scenic loop around the dam and
the nearby rock formations. The trail is

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just one point one miles long and
is mostly flat, making it a great

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option for families, beginners, or
anyone looking for a relatively easy and enjoyable

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hike in the park. The trail
starts at the Barker Dam parking Area,

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located near the intersection of Park Boulevard
and Keyesview Road. From there, the

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trail winds its way through a scenic
landscape of towering rock formations, boulder piles,

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and stands of Joshua trees before arriving
at the dam itself. At the

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dam, you can take in the
stunning views of the surrounding desert landscape,

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and if you're lucky, you may
even spot some of the park's resident bighorn

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sheep, who sometimes come to the
dam to drink. The dam is also

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a popular spot for bird watching,
with a variety of species such as the

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cactus wren and the road runner known
to frequent the area. Barker Dam much

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smaller than I thought, Marctique.
It's just my imagination wrong. Here as

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we looked to the west, you
can see snowcapped mountains, clouds. Really

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pretty. Is that great with the
snow. Nice shot of the what I've

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been calling a pineapple tree with the
mountains and the snow and behind, very

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pretty. I like that on the
left it almost looks like somebody built a

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wall. As you continue along the
trail, you'll pass by several other interesting

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sites and landmarks, including the Bighorn
Palace, a massive rock formation that's popular

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among rock climbers, and a series
of Native American petrol that are carved into

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the rocks near the trail. The
petroglyphs are a particularly fascinating site, offering

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a glimpse into the lives and beliefs
of the indigenous people who once called this

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area home. The carvings depict a
variety of shapes and symbols, including animals,

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human figures, and abstract designs,
and are believed to date back hundreds

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or even thousands of years. All
right, folks, let me tell you

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about one of the most incredible spots
in all of Joshua Tree National Park,

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Keysview. Trust me, this is
a destination that you absolutely don't want to

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miss. To get to Keysview,
you'll need to take a little detour off

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the main park road and head down
Keysview Road. Now, I know what

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you might be thinking, it's just
a boring six mile stretch of pavement through

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the desert, but let me tell
you, the payoff at the end of

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this road is worth every single mile. As you drive along Keysview Road,

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you'll be surrounded by the rugged beauty
of the desert landscape, with towering rock

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formations and gnarled Joshua trees stretching out
as far as the eye can see.

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But don't let the scenery distract you
too much. You'll want to save your

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awe for what's waiting for you at
the end of the road. After about

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twenty minutes of driving, you'll finally
arrive at the Keys View parking area.

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From there, it's just a short
walk to the viewpoint itself, and let

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me tell you, the view from
up there is absolutely breathtaking. This is

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a Key's views my family, So
when I left the dam, I saw

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our roads at keys View and my
family went to bail at three miles.

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We want us go down the show
and look Tress dress evening map and only

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not a mile and a half here. It's just wow. You can see

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forever into the snowcapped mountains with clouds
behind it. You're seeing all the train

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here. It's gonna walk up to
the occupational plan here, hopefure giving me

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over this wind. It's beautiful.
Right from the top of Keysview, you'll

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be treated to a panoramic vista that
stretches out over the entire Coachella Valley all

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the way to the distant peaks of
the San Jacinto and San Gregonio Mountains.

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On a clear day, you can
even see the shimmering waters of the salt

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and Sea more than fifty miles away. But the real star of the show

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at Keysview is the sunset. As
the sun dips below the horizon, the

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entire valley is bathed in a warm
golden light that seems to set the desert

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on fire. The colors are absolutely
incredible, with shades of orange, pink,

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and purple painting the sky and a
breath taking display. It's a moment

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that will take your breath away and
one that you'll remember for the rest of

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your life. So trust me when
I say that the drive down Keys View

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Road is worth it, even if
it doesn't seem like much at first,

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because once you're standing at the top
of that viewpoint watching the sun go down

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over the desert, you'll understand why
this is one of the most special places

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in all of Joshua Tree. All
Right, so you've taken in the incredible

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views at Keysview and you're ready to
explore more of what Joshua Tree National Park

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has to offer. Well, let
me tell you, the eastern side of

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the park is just as stunning as
the west, and there are a couple

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of musty destinations that you won't want
to miss. First up is Skull Rock.

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Now, I know the name might
sound a little spooky, but trust

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me, this place is more fascinating
than frightening. Skull Rock is a massive

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granite boulder that has been weathered and
eroded over time to resemble you guessed it,

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a giant skull. The rock is
located along the main park road,

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just a short hike from the Jumbo
Rocks campground. The trail to Skull Rock

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is an easy one point seven mile
loop that takes you through a landscape of

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towering rock formations and gnarled Joshua trees
as you hike along, keep your eyes

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peeled for the distinctive shape of Skull
Rock. You can't miss it. Once

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you arrive at the rock, take
some time to explore the surrounding area.

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The boulder itself is a popular spot
for photos, and you can even climb

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up inside the eye sockets for a
unique perspective. Just be careful, the

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rock can be slippery, especially if
it's been raining. After you've had your

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fill of Skull Rock, it's time
to head to our next destination, the

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Choya Cactus Garden. Now I know
what you might be thinking. A cactus

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garden doesn't sound all that exciting,
but trust me, this place is unlike

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anything you've ever seen before. The
Choya Cactus Garden is a dense concentration of

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Choya cactus, also known as teddy
bear cactus. These cacti are covered in

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small, fuzzy looking spines that are
incredibly sharp, so sharp, in fact,

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that they've been known to pierce through
leather boots. But despite their prickly

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exterior, the Choya cactus is actually
quite beautiful. The garden is located along

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the main park road, about twelve
miles south of the north entrance. As

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you walk Along the short quarter mile
trail through the garden, you'll be surrounded

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by a sea of Choya cactus stretching
out as far as the eye can see.

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The best time to visit the Choya
Cactus Garden is in the early morning

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or late afternoon, when the light
is soft and the cacti cast long shadows

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across the desert floor. It's a
photographer's dream and a site that you won't

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soon forget. As you continue your
journey east past the Choya Cactus Garden,

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you'll be treated to even more of
the stunning desert scenery that makes Joshua Tree

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National Park so special. The landscape
here is a bit different than what you'll

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find in the western part of the
park. The Joshua trees start to thin

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out, replaced by a variety of
other desert plants like kreosote bushes and okatillos.

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One of the most interesting stops along
this stretch of the park is the

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Okatillo Patch, located just a few
miles past the Choya Cactus Garden. This

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area is home to a dense concentration
of okatillo plants, which are actually not

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cacti at all, but rather a
type of shrub that can grow up to

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twenty feet tall. In the spring, the oka the teos burst into bloom

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with bright red flowers that attract hummingbirds
and other pollinators. As you continue east,

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you'll pass by the Cottonwood Visitor Center, which is a great place to

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stop and stretch your legs before heading
out of the park. The visitor center

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has exhibits on the park's geology,
ecology, and cultural history, as well

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as a bookstore and restrooms. From
the Cottonwood Visitor Center, it's just a

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short drive to the park's south entrance, where you'll exit onto Interstate ten.

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But before you head off to Palm
Springs, there's one more stop that you

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won't want to miss. The Cottonwood
Spring Oasis. This hidden gem is located

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just a short hike from the Cottonwood
Campground, and it's a true desert oasis

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in every sense of the word.
The spring is surrounded by towering cottonwood trees

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and lush vegetation, providing a welcome
respite from the harsh desert sun. It's

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a great place to have a picnic
lunch, take a dip in the cool

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water, or just sit and soak
up the peaceful surround. As you leave

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Joshua Tree National Park behind and make
your way to Palm Springs, you'll be

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taking with you a lifetime's worth of
incredible memories, from the other worldly rock

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formations of the west to the stunning
desert scenery of the east. This park

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is truly a national treasure, and
who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to

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come back and explore even more of
what this incredible place has to offer.

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But for now, it's time to
head to Palm Springs, a desert oasis

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of a different kind. Known for
its mid century modern architecture, luxurious resorts,

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and world class golf courses. It's
the perfect place to relax and unwind

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after a few days of hiking and
exploring in the desert, so sit back,

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crank up the tunes, and enjoy
the scenic drive along it ten as

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you make your way to our adventure
in the next episode, Palm Springs