Natural History Wanderings

Over the past weekend, Tropical Storm Hilary dropped over 2 inches of heavy rainfall on Joshua Tree National Park. That might not seem like much at first, but in the desert a little goes a long way. Flooding from the rain washed large amounts of sand and debris over roadways, trails, and campgrounds all throughout the park. Over the past few days, our staff worked hard to clear these storm impacts, and thanks to their hard work, Joshua Tree National Park is now open!

Here is a quick guide to our current updates, openings, and closures:

All campgrounds are now open except Belle and White Tank, which are closed for the summer season. Wilderness backpacking is now also open, with the exception of Pine City and Covington Flats (closed through Monday). Reservations can be made at recreation.gov.

A full fire ban is still in effect. Even with this unprecedented rain, it won’t be long before temperatures begin to heat up to 100+ degrees. With this change back to dry temperatures, risk of fire is still high. Wood burning and charcoal fires, including campfires, warming fires, and charcoal barbeques are prohibited.

The following dirt roads: Covington Flats, Pinkham Canyon, Thermal Canyon, and Geology Tour Road, will remain closed until additional maintenance can be made on them. Many sections are still muddy, or even filled with puddles, and will need extra attention. Please be patient while our crews are assessing and making these roads safe again.

If you are visiting the park, please keep an eye out for leftover sand in the roads and wildlife drinking from puddles!

For the most up-to-date information about current road conditions in Joshua Tree National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/conditions.htm