In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
The outdoors is a great place to be, but when you're not there you can always log on to my web site.
Bring all the stuff below if you want to have a safe and enjoyable hiking trip to the backcountry.
| The Trailstove is the best camp stove there is and one of the cheapest too. It runs on wood, it is incredibly simple, there's absolutely nothing that could go wrong with it. | CAMP STOVE | |
| A small fish net is a great thing to have in the bottom of your pack in case things don't go as planned and you run out of food. | FISHING NET | |
| These are generally very light, if you have one of these with you can build a pretty good hut if you happen to get stuck in the wilderness for a whole winter. | SAW | |
| Bring food that you like to eat but don't bring any cans or heavy things like that. Rice is a perfect thing to bring for carbohydrates since it weighs very little before it's cooked. | FOOD | |
| Don't forget to bring some string, you always find a use for it. | STRING | |
| Your multi purpose tool must have a knife, pliers, drill, and screw driver. Those are absolutely necessary, other features are good to have but probably won't mean the difference between life and death. | TOOL |
Make emergency snowshoes
Making a pair of emergency snowshoes to get to safety is extremely simple. It's surprising how many people try to get to safety in knee deep snow and drop from exhaustion.
Find two stocky branches about 3 feet long with plenty of small branches and plenty of green, preferably from a fir tree but other trees will do if there are no firs in the area.
Tie one branch to each foot at the front end of the branch. Thread the string through something on the front of your boot otherwise your foot will slip out of the binding. Make sure your foot can swivel enough to walk, the snowshoe should drag on the snow slightly in the back.
That's it, you're ready to go!
Twentynine Palms, CA
Two deserts, two large ecosystems whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation, come together at Joshua Tree National Park. Below 3,000 feet, the Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the Joshua tree. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western part of the park also includes some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California’s deserts. Five fan palm oases also dot the park, indicating those few areas where water occurs naturally and wildlife abounds.
CONTACTS
Email - JOTR_Info@nps.gov
Fax- 760-367-6392
Write to
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA
92277-3597
Phone
Visitor Information - 760-367-5500
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
The park is always open. Visitor centers are open daily
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Getting There
CAR - Joshua Tree National Park lies 140 miles
east of Los Angeles. You can approach it from the west via Interstate 10
and Hwy 62 (Twentynine Palms Highway). The north entrances to the park are
located at Joshua Tree Village and the city of Twentynine Palms. The south
entrance at Cottonwood Spring, which lies 25 miles east of Indio, can be
approached from the east or west, also via Interstate 10.
Weather & Climate
Days are typically clear with less than
25 precent humidity. Temperatures are most comfortable in the spring and
fall,with an average high/low of 85 and 50?F (29 and 10?C) respectively.
Winter brings cooler days, around 60?F (15?C), and freezing nights. It
occasionally snows at higher elevations. Summers are hot, over 100?F
(38?C) during the day and not cooling much below 75?F (24?C) until the
early hours of the morning.
Accessibility
Bajada All-access Nature Trail, Oasis of Mara
Nature Trail, Cap Rock Nature Trail,and Keys View
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance Fee
JOSHUA TREE
PASS
$25.00 for 12 Months
VEHICLE
$10.00 for 7
Days
WALK-IN
$5.00 for 7 Days
Special Use
Permits
INCIDENTAL BUSINESS PERMIT
SPECIAL PARK
USES
CAMPING
Belle
Open All
Year
3,800' elevation; 18 sites; no fee; no water
Black
Rock
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All
Year
4,000' elevation; 100 sites; $10 camping fee; water and flush
toilets; horse camp
Cottonwood
Open All Year
3,000'
elevation; 62 sites, $10 camping fee; 3 group sites, $25 camping fee;
water and flush toilets
Hidden Valley
Open All
Year
4,200' elevation; 39 sites; no fee; no water
Indian
Cove
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All
Year
3,200' elevation; 101 sites, $10 camping fee; 13 group sites,
$20/$35 camping fee; no water
Jumbo Rocks
Open All
Year
4,400' elevation; 125 sites; no camping fee; no
water
Ryan
Open All Year
4,300' elevation; 31 sites;
no camping fee; no water; horse camp
Sheep Pass
Make
Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All Year
4,500'
elevation; 6 group sites; $20/$35 camping fee; no water
White
Tank
Open All Year
3,800' elevation; 15 sites; no camping fee;
no water
FACILITIES
BLACK ROCK NATURE
CENTER
Phone - 760-365-9585
Location - Black Rock
Canyon
Exhibits - yes
Available Facilities - water,
flush toilets, public telephone, bookstore
COTTONWOOD VISITOR
CENTER
Open All Year 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location -
Cottonwood Spring
Exhibits - yes
Available Facilities
- water, flush toilets, bookstore
OASIS VISITOR CENTER
Open
All Year 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phone -
760-367-5500
Location - Oasis of Mara in Twentynine Palms
Special Programs - Request a personal orientation to the park.
Talks are given on the patio when staffing permits.
Exhibits -
yes
Available Facilities - water, flush toilets, telephone,
bookstore, beverages
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