• Sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden

    Joshua Tree

    National Park California

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  • Pinto Basin Road Renovation

    Pinto Basin Road is being renovated. On weekdays you may encounter travel delays of up to 30 minutes. Cholla Cactus Garden is closed on weekdays. Cottonwood Visitor Center hours are 9 to 4 on weekdays, 8 to 4 weekends. More »

  • Rattlesnake Canyon Remains Closed

    To provide additional time to mitigate the vandalism, Rattlesnake Canyon will remain completely closed to the public until further notice. More »

Cottonwood Spring and Trails Reopened

The fan palm oasis at Cottonwood Spring, Lost Palms Oasis Trail, and the Mastodon Mine Loop Trail, which were closed last September due to flooding, are once again open for park visitors to enjoy. Cottonwood Campground remains closed, as is the wash immediately below Cottonwood Spring. Park visitors are cautioned to obey all remaining closures.

On September 13, a thunderstorm dumped more than three inches of rain on the Cottonwood area washing out Pinto Basin Road and damaging Cottonwood Campground and cultural and historic features near Cottonwood Spring. Pinto Basin Road was reopened in late October and Cottonwood Visitor Center opened on November 3. Park crews are presently repairing picnic tables, grills, and eroded campsites for the scheduled reopening of Cottonwood Campground on February 17.

One benefit from last fall's rain is the presence of early spring wildflowers in the southern part of Joshua Tree National Park. More than 60 species of desert wildflowers are blooming in the area, and the park recently issued its first spring wildflower report.

  • Wildflowers Wildflowers

    When will wildflowers bloom? Read More

  • Cottonwood Spring Map Cottonwood Spring Map

    Cottonwood Spring Backcountry 381k PDF Read More

Did You Know?

Mojave Mound Cactus Bloom

With nearly 750 species of vascular plants, Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant diversity. No wonder that when the area was first proposed for preservation in the early 1930s, the name suggested was Desert Plants National Park. More...