Building a Park

Joshua Tree landscape
Joshua Tree landscape. National Park Service photograph

In the time since desert protection advocate Minerva Hamilton Hoyt successfully spearheaded efforts to add Joshua Tree into the National Park System in the 1930s, it has gone from a quiet locale to one of the most visited parks in the country. Many of Joshua Tree’s trails, campgrounds and facilities familiar to park visitors today are the legacy of a special National Park System-wide construction program called Mission 66. This program, intended to celebrate the National Park Service’s 50th anniversary in 1966, is captured in several postcards in the museum collection.

As with all parks, Joshua Tree is influenced by events and conditions beyond its boundaries. Development of neighboring lands can alter environmental conditions, and changing visitation trends may require changes in facilities and management. A combination of objects, maps, and drawings provide snapshots in time.


Last updated: August 8, 2023

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