2025 West Entrance Construction

NPS / Brad Sutton

 

Joshua Tree National Park is building a new entrance station on the border of the park in the community of Joshua Tree to replace the current entrance.

The new entrance will be built less than one half mile south of the current one and further inside the park. The station will include two inbound lanes, one outbound lane, and one bypass lane in each direction. The project is expected to be completed in early 2026.

The project is funded by fee dollars collected at park entrance stations. Construction of this $5 million capital improvement project has been awarded to L&J Building Co. LLC based out of Missouri.

Vehicles will continue to use the existing west entrance station while the new station is under construction. Visitors should expect occasional but minimal traffic delays. The existing entrance station will be demolished and the area rehabilitated once the project is completed.

 

West Entrance Construction Updates

12/1/25 - The west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, including the restrooms, will close to inbound and outbound traffic from 6 a.m., Dec. 3 through 6 p.m., Dec. 5. Park Boulevard will also close to vehicle traffic for six miles from the west entrance to Quail Springs Picnic Area.

This closure includes the Maze Loop and Bigfoot trailhead parking areas. Visitors may not drive to or park at these trailheads during the closure. All other park roads are expected to remain open.

Exiting vehicles may turn around at Quail Springs Picnic Area. Entering vehicles may turn around at the current west entrance station, but this is not advised due to an expected backup of traffic.

Visitors may enter or exit the park using the north entrance station in Twentynine Palms or the Cottonwood entrance at the park’s south boundary.

“I’m happy to share that the west entrance project is in its final phase,” said Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers. “We appreciate the patience of our neighbors and visitors during construction and look forward to welcoming visitors at the new entrance booths soon.”

8/18/25 - The west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park will be closed to inbound and outbound traffic beginning 6 a.m. August 25 through 6 p.m. August 29 .Visitors must enter or exit the park via Twentynine Palms or Cottonwood using the north entrance station in Twentynine Palms or the Cottonwood entrance at the park’s south boundary. The north entrance station is 25 miles east of the west entrance station and is the most accessible for visitor traveling on Highway 62, adding an additional 17 minutes of driving time. Visitors will not be permitted to enter the park via Park Boulevard through the town of Joshua Tree.

Park staff will place signs along Highway 62, along Park Boulevard, and within the park alerting visitors to this temporary change in traffic pattern. Exiting vehicles may turn around at Quail Springs Picnic Area and entering vehicles may turn around at the current west entrance station; however, this is not advised due to an expected backup of traffic. All other park roads are expected to remain open.

3/25/25 - The west entrance of the park will be closed to inbound and outbound traffic beginning 6 a.m. Monday April 7 through 6 p.m. Thursday April 10. Visitors must enter or exit the park via Twentynine Palms or Cottonwood using the north entrance station in Twentynine Palms or the Cottonwood entrance at the park’s south boundary. The north entrance station is 25 miles east of the west entrance station and is the most accessible for visitor traveling on Highway 62, adding an additional 17 minutes of driving time. Visitors will not be permitted to enter the park via Park Boulevard through the town of Joshua Tree.

Park staff will place signs along Highway 62, along Park Boulevard, and within the park alerting visitors to this temporary change in traffic pattern. Exiting vehicles may turn around at Quail Springs Picnic Area and entering vehicles may turn around at the current west entrance station; however, this is not advised due to an expected backup of traffic.

This closure is necessary for crews to prepare the area for paving as the new entrance station is constructed. Crews will be cutting into the road to run utilities to the new entrance station location and to adjust the grade of the road. All other park roads are expected to remain open.

3/5/25 - The bypass lane is currently being constructed.

2/5/25 - Preparation of the jobsite continues. Project site fencing is being constructed this week.

1/27/25 - Construction is expected to begin on Thursday, January 30. At this time, there is no expected impact to visitors.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the park building a new entrance station?

The new entrance will be able to better serve the Park’s growing visitation and improve local access for residents living in the adjacent neighborhoods. There has been a dramatic 194% increase in vehicle traffic at West Entrance over the last 10 years. In 2023, 515,603 vehicles passed through the entrance, which is approximately 1.2 million visitors. This project will improve the visitor experience and local community experience by reducing wait times at West Entrance and the length of entry lines along Park Boulevard.

How is this project funded?

This project was funded by Joshua Tree National Park fee dollars to meet visitor needs and improve the visitor experience. The construction will not cause an increase in fees.

Where can I find more information about the public comment and construction plans?

Public Scoping for this project occurred 8/18 - 9/17/21. Public Scoping is the first phase of a formal planning process in which the public is engaged. The park notified the public of the proposed action and a range of alternatives, and the public was invited to comment. This allows the public an opportunity to provide information regarding concerns and to provide additional information that they believed should be considered during the planning process. Public comment period on the Draft Environmental Assessment occurred 2/09 - 3/11/22. After public scoping, the park developed a Draft Environmental Assessment, on which the public commented. The Finding of No Significant Impact was signed by the Regional Director on 3/25/2022.
More information can be found on the NPS Park Planning website using project ID 83105

• https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
• https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=83105
• https://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?parkID=310&projectID=83105

 

 

B-roll of the groundbreaking ceremony is avaliable upon request by emailing [e-mail].