Happy anniversary, Joshua Tree National Park! This Californian icon was made a national monument on August 10, 1936. At the meeting point of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, it has been home to various cultures for thousands of years. Its earliest known residents were people from the Pinto Culture, who lived here from 8000 to 4000 BCE. Centuries later, this land was inhabited by the native Cahuilla, Serrano, and Chemehuevi peoples. Its namesake, the Joshua tree, has also put down roots across this 1,242-square-mile park. This striking plant, pictured on our homepage, is not really a tree, but rather a kind of succulent. Native to the Southwest US and northern Mexico, Joshua trees can grow up to 40 feet tall.

Whether it's hiking through Hidden Valley, visiting the Cholla Cactus Garden, or marveling at Skull Rock, this national park has a lot to offer. By night, it becomes a stargazer's paradise. So, whether you seek adventure, or a moment of tranquility, Joshua Tree awaits with open skies.