Lastly, you can embark on a ranger-led tour of Keys Ranch, a former working ranch, or drive the two-hour-long, 18-mile Geology Tour Road. This self-guided motor tour leads you through one of Joshua Tree’s most fascinating landscapes.
Black Rock Art Gallery
The gallery is located in the Black Rock Nature Center and exists as a space for presenting contemporary interpretations of themes related to the park. Exhibitions are made by selected JTNPA-funded Artists in Residence, as well as community and other artists.
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For Immediate Release: May 1, 2023
Contact: Alison Shoup, [email protected]
Black Rock Art Gallery Opening of Groundwork Arts – Put a Face On It: Character Paintings
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA— Joshua Tree National Park management is excited to announce a new exhibition of student creativity produced in partnership with Groundwork Arts, a Morongo Valley non-profit organization. This group brings professional practicing artists into local community schools to provide innovative educational opportunities to students, teachers, and families.
Artist, Nich Karp, is known for his autobiographical paintings capturing everyday moments with a whimsical twist. Using a variety of techniques, Nich builds stories around quirky characters who inhabit slightly distorted and dramatic spaces. Inspired by Nich, students chose an inanimate object to paint and gave it human characteristics. Their goal was to tell a story with a single image by exploring how facial features and color can communicate a feeling or a mood. “One of the most important experiences for an artist is to share their art with the rest of the world,” said Rhonda Lane Coleman, director of Groundwork Arts, “and we are thrilled that our community will have the opportunity to celebrate these amazing young artists.”
The exhibition will run from May 5 through June 27, 2023 at the Black Rock Art Gallery in the Black Rock Nature Center, located at 9800 Black Rock Canyon Rd, Yucca Valley, CA 92284. There will be an opening reception on Friday, May 5, 2023 from 5pm to 7pm. The building is open 7 days a week, 8am – 11am, 12pm-4pm. Summer hours begin the first week of June.
How to Draw a Joshua Tree
In this quick tutorial you’ll learn how to draw a Joshua Tree in 4 easy steps – great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps – you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Joshua Tree.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Joshua Tree – Step-by-Step Tutorial
Print Tutorial
Step 1: Start by drawing the roots. In a small bundle, draw little slanted lines going down.
Print Tutorial
Step 2: Now, draw the trunk of the tree. On both sides of your roots, draw a long line that curves out toward the top.
Print Tutorial
Step 3: Next, draw the branches. On the left side of the trunk, draw a slanted line coming out, leave a space and draw another next to it. Do the same on the right side but draw a small “V” at the end of the lines to create two small branches. Continue to draw about five more branches all connecting to each other.
Print Tutorial
Step 4: Finish by drawing the leaves. Coming off of one of your branches, draw about eight spikes all connected at the bottom. Draw these leaves at the end of all the branches.
Interesting Facts about Joshua Trees
Joshua Trees are only found in the deserts of America. The most known area is the Mohave Desert. Joshua Trees are evergreen trees that grow to 16 to 49 feet tall. The branches are tall and pointy which can reach 3 feet high. The trunk on the Joshua tree is gray and red and spongy they reach 2 to 4 feet across. Joshua Trees produce green paper-like flowers that are sometimes compared to mushrooms. Mice enjoy the tree’s seeds and are responsible for most of the seeds planting.
Did you know?
- Joshua Trees take 50 to 60 years to reach full age.
- Flowering is supposed to be effected by daylight.
- Joshua Trees can live for 150 years,
- Mormon settlers named the tree “the Joshua Tree” because the shape reminded them of the Biblical figure Joshua.
- Joshua Trees depend entirely on the Yucca Moth to pollinate the flowers.
- The Joshua Tree is member of the lily family.
- Joshua Trees flower between March and May,
Lesson Plan Note: Joshua Trees are a good addition to the study of the Mojave Desert. These areas include the states of California, western Arizona, parts of Nevada, and Utah. The trees are also found in Mexico.
Where to Stay Nearby
If you head to Joshua Tree hoping to pop into a first-come, first-served campground and instead find them full, book a stay in a hotel or VRBO-like accommodation. Many options exist outside of the park in Palm Springs, Twentynine Palms, the town of Joshua Tree, or Yucca Valley.
- Pioneertown Motel: The Pioneertown Motel in Pioneertown is as authentic as it gets. With a property that boasts native plants, locally-designed furniture, and thoughtfully created communal spaces, staying here will give you the feel of the Wild West. The motel has 29 guest rooms and an Airbnb-operated two-bedroom cabin.
- Joshua Tree Inn: Built in 1949, this Spanish Colonial Inn is located only 5 miles outside of the park in the town of Joshua Tree. You can book a rustic suite, a single queen-size or king-size room, a double full-size room, or a private home. Refrigerators, microwaves, and an outdoor pool are among the amenities here.
- Mojave Sands Motel: This eco-conscious luxury motel in the town of Joshua Tree will make you feel right at home in the desert. Tuck yourself into one of five boutique rooms, two suites, or two standard rooms. Each room has a record player and a nice selection of records, and the outdoor communal spaces evoke a Zen-like vibe.
- The Saguaro Palm Springs: You can choose your view at The Saguaro Palm Springs by booking a pool, mountain, garden, courtyard, or city lights room. Dogs are welcome at this hotel and they offer food and drink either poolside or in their on-site Mexican restaurant, El Jefe.
Instead, you might like Hicksville Trailer Palace, a collection of travel trailers surrounding a swimming pool, or Kate’s Lazy Desert Airstream Hotel, a lodging option where each trailer has a name, like Tiki, Hairstream, and Hot Lava.
How to Get There
Joshua Tree National Park is in Twentynine Palms, California. It’s 40 miles east of Palm Springs, 140 miles east of Los Angeles, 175 miles northeast of San Diego, and 215 miles southwest of Las Vegas.
You can enter through any of three entrance stations:
- West Entrance: Coming from Palm Springs on I-10, exit on CA-62 east, and turn south onto Park Boulevard at Joshua Tree Village.
- North Entrance: This entrance is located 3 miles south of the town of Twentynine Palms off of CA-62.
- South Entrance: Take Exit 168 off of I-10 east of Indio.
From Los Angeles, which is the closest metropolitan area, take I-10 East to Palm Springs, then continue on CA-62 East to one of the north entrances to the park in Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms.
You can also fly into the nearest airport in Palm Springs and drive the 40 miles to the park on CA-62 East toward Whitewater and Yucca Trail.
Cell phone service in the park and surrounding areas is spotty at best, and vehicle navigation systems are unreliable, possibly putting you on impassible roads. Instead of relying on GPS for navigation, go old-school and pick up a map.
Accessibility
U.S. citizens who are permanently disabled can apply for the free Interagency Access Pass. This lifetime pass gets you into all the national parks, as well as Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service sites for free. You can obtain this pass at any park entrance.
All three of the visitor centers in Joshua Tree National Park—Oasis, Joshua Tree, and Cottonwood—are wheelchair accessible. The Oasis of Mara Trail near the Oasis Visitor Center in Twentynine Palms is paved and suitable for all wheelchairs, as is the Lower Keys View Overlook. Both Jumbo Rock Campground and Black Rock Campground contain campsites specifically designated as “accessible” and have wheelchair-accessible bathrooms nearby.
