• 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 »

BioDiversity Hunt

Round-tailed ground squirrel, globe mallow, and Great Basin fence lizard

Round-tailed ground squirrel, globe mallow, and Great Basin fence lizard are species recorded at the 2012 BioDiversity Hunt at 49 Palms Oasis.

Photos by Kim Moore

Joshua Tree's next biodiversity hunt will take place on April 26 & 27 in Smithwater Canyon. Scientific surveys, collections, and identifications will begin at 10 am on Friday and last through 4 pm on Saturday.

Biodiversity hunts or "BioBlitzes" take place over a very short period of time-generally 48 hours or less-when scientific experts, amateur naturalists, and park staff search for and try to identify all living things within a particular landscape.

Are you a naturalist, nature photographer, or taxonomic expert?
If you are a naturalist or nature photographer, or if you have expertise identifying plant, bird, lizard or insect species? Beginner to professional, the park needs your help.

Are you an educator or youth group leader?
If you are an educator or youth group leader, register your class or group to participate in BioDiversity Hunt education activities.

For more information and to register to participate, contact Amelia Rodelo at 760-367-5578 or by email at amelia_rodelo@nps.gov.

Did You Know?

Fault map of the park

Joshua Tree is crisscrossed with hundreds of faults, and is a great place to see raw rocks and the effects of earthquakes. The famous San Andreas Fault bounds the south side of the park and can be observed from Keys View. More...