Joshua Tree National Park
Trail System Extension
Trail System Extension
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National Monument
1936 National Park 1994 Park Size 790,636 acres Annual Visitors 3.3 million Park Fee $30 Superintendent Jane Rodgers Park Partner Mojave Desert Land Trust Location San Bernadino and Riverside Counties, CA |
In 2019, Congress passed the Dingell Act, which protects millions of acres of public lands, and expands several National Parks. Joshua Tree National Park, a wonderland of rock formations and unique flora and fauna, was one such park. Over 1,600 acres that are core habitat for federally endangered desert tortoises and desert bighorn sheep will be transferred from the Mojave Desert Land Trust to the park in the near future!
These properties will create better access to the park through residential areas for all visitors. The Fund for People in Parks, in partnership with the National Park Foundation, provided a grant to the Mojave Desert Land Trust to install signs at five new trailheads and stabilize five miles of existing trails. The grant will also provide the equipment to collect and analyze visitor use data so that, as the land becomes more easily accessed by the public and is conveyed to the National Park Service, appropriate infrastructure and management strategies can be applied. The project was completed in Fall 2022, and the lands are currently in the federal queue to be conveyed to the National Park Service, likely in 2025. In the meantime, visitors have a much more enjoyable experience on these popular trails, and wildlife can better roam free. Project Cost: $88,561 Project Completed: 2022 The Fund for People in Parks and National Park Foundation: $25,836 National Park Service: $62,725 |
Installation of wayside educational sign about endangered tortoises on Nancy Karl trail
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Installation of trailhead kiosk
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Trail surface before
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Trail surface after
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Trail surface before
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Trail surface after
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