One billion years ago, mother Earth’s continents collided to form a supercontinent. The edges smashed together and formed mountain chains. Over years and years of heat and pressure, these mountains metamorphosized into different forms of rocks. These are found in Joshua Tree National park and also some parts in Australia and Antartica. You could see similarities in these continents. 280 million years ago, Pangaea happened and the supercontinent broke off again 210 million years ago. Metamorphosis of these rocks happened again forming what we see now as the rocks and mountains in South California.
In the mid 19th century, a group of Mormons settled in the Mojave desert and named Joshua tree from a biblical story.
It reminded them of Joshua reaching up in the sky for prayer.
This is the popular story about how Joshua tree got its name. Though this is being questioned, it does sound colorful and evocative.
Joshua Tree National Park is almost 800,000 acres big and encompasses the Mojave desert and Colorado desert. It is vast and to explore all of it is tasking. Yet, a lot of people would drive here for a night of stargazing or a day or two of bouldering.
Spending the weekend here is a great idea for the family or a group of friends. If you mean soul searching, the nature has lots to offer. There are many options on how you can stay here. The famous one is through camping or RV. There are also hotels/motels that are ready for occupancy. There are no big hotel chains yet. AirBnBs are also popular if you want a more local take on your vacation. The homes stretches from Joshua Tree to Yucca Valley to Palm Springs. The nearer you are at Joshua tree, the lesser establishments are found but star gazing is nicer.
Here’s a weekend experience in Joshua Tree National Park and staying over in an airBnB in Yucca valley:
