enter joshua tree

Interstate 10 is the southern-most transcontinental highway, and connects a 150 mile route from Phoenix Arizona to Joshua Tree National Park California. It passes through Kofa Wildlife Refuge and Palen/McCoy Wilderness until reaching the eastern entrance.

I stepped out of the car to stretch and explore for a bit, learning about differences between the Colorado and Mojave Desert. Both ecosystem types exist here:

The Colorado is a low desert, hotter and dryer than the nearby Mojave. Colorado Desert vegetation is more diverse than the Mojave's, but large cacti typical of the Sonoran Desert are noticeably missing.

Creosote bush and bursage dominate the desert flats; mesquite, palo verde, smoke tree, desert willow, and ironwood occupy broad sandy washes; ocotillo, brittlebush, and various cacti secure the rocky slopes

After driving a few more miles on Cottonwood Spring Rd, it intersects with Pinto Basin Rd and the Cottonwood Visitor Center Ranger Station. It’s a good place to get bearings, pick up a map, and plan your route. Take precautions to have a satellite phone, or satellite capabilities enabled on your cellphone, as reception is non-existent until you exit the park.

The air was hot and fire alerts were high. Seems like a great day to walk in the brush…