Joshua Tree National Park (Calif.)

Joshua Tree National Park is a US National Park located in southeastern California, straddling north-central Riverside County and part of southern San Bernardino County. Named after the endemic Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), found in the park and surrounding areas, Joshua Tree is situated some 130 miles (211 km) east of the city of Los Angeles and roughly 78 mi (125 km) east of the city of San Bernardino. Among some of the closest cities to the park are Indio, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs. Originally declared a national monument in 1936, Joshua Tree was redesignated as a national park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act. Encompassing a total area of 795,156 acres (1,242.4 sq mi; 3,217.9 km2)—slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island—the park features 429,690 acres (671.4 sq mi; 1,738.9 km2) of designated wilderness. The park encompasses portions of two deserts, each a unique ecosystem with characteristics determined primarily by elevation—the higher Mojave Desert and the lower-lying Colorado Desert. The Little San Bernardino Mountains line the park's southwest edge.