Joshua Tree National Park Association is pleased to announce their first annual Bighorn Benefit Dinner and Auction to benefit the Joshua Tree National Park Desert bighorn sheep monitoring program!
With the funds raised by the Bighorn Benefit Dinner and Auction, JTNPA will provide Joshua Tree National Park researchers the ability to purchase tracking collars with mini solar panels and GPS units for a small number of Desert bighorn in areas frequented by visitors. The data from the collars will offer insight into how bighorn behave, and the results may provide telling information about how we can help support and protect bighorn populations across the Mojave Desert.
The Bighorn Benefit Dinner and Auction will take place at Paradise Heights, a rustic setting tucked between the hills of Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, located in Morongo Valley, CA. A BBQ dinner, drinks, live auction hosted by Z107.7 radio personality Gary Daigneault, and special guest speakers from Joshua Tree National Park will all take place during this memorable evening.
Tickets will become available on April 1st, 2023, via Eventbrite. Follow JTNPA on Facebook and Instagram to receive event updates and information.
Discover the fascinating history of Bill and Frances Keys at a ranger-led walking tour of their historic Keys Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park!
In the high desert country that was to become Joshua Tree National Park, rugged individuals tried their luck at cattle ranching, mining, and homesteading. The story of William F. Keys and his family is particularly representative of the hard work and ingenuity it took to settle and prosper in the Mojave Desert.
The 90-minute ranger-guided walking tour of the ranch includes the colorful story of the 60 years Bill and Frances spent working together to make a life and raise their five children in this remote location. The ranch house, schoolhouse, store, and workshop still stand; the orchard has been replanted; and the grounds are full of the cars, trucks, mining equipment, and spare parts that are a part of the Desert Queen Ranch story.
Listed as a National Historic Register Site, the property is located in a remote, rocky canyon in Joshua Tree National Park, and is accessible to the public only during these ranger-led tours. Tours are typically offered on Monday, Friday, and Saturday, and tickets and registration are required. Reserve your spot on an upcoming tour in February ahead of time on Recreation.gov.
Keys Ranch tours cost $10 per person aged 12 and over and $5 for children 6 to 11. Children under six are admitted free. Senior and Access Pass (Golden Age and Golden Access passport) holders pay $5.
Join award-winning photography Mitch Miller in Joshua Tree National Park on Saturday, April 1, for a half-day photo workshop and learn about composition, capturing the emotion of a scene, plus depth, texture, and motion at the upcoming Photographing Wildflowers and Landscapes workshop.
This workshop is open to teens aged 16 and older, and adults, and is $110 for 29 Palms Art Gallery members and $125 for non-members. Class size is limited to 12, so be sure to register early!
Visit the 29 Palms Art Gallery website for more information, and to register online.
In celebration of National Park Week, April 22-30, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission on April 22, 2023!
Every April, during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week, the National Park Service joins the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, to celebrate America’s treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Come learn about the cultural history of Keys Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park!
In the high desert country that was to become Joshua Tree National Park, rugged individuals tried their luck at cattle ranching, mining, and homesteading. The story of William F. Keys and his family is particularly representative of the hard work and ingenuity it took to settle and prosper in the Mojave Desert.
The 90-minute ranger-guided walking tour of the ranch includes the colorful story of the 60 years Bill and Frances spent working together to make a life and raise their five children in this remote location. The ranch house, schoolhouse, store, and workshop still stand; the orchard has been replanted; and the grounds are full of the cars, trucks, mining equipment, and spare parts that are a part of the Desert Queen Ranch story.
Listed as a National Historic Register Site, the property is located in a remote, rocky canyon in Joshua Tree National Park, and is accessible to the public only during these ranger-led tours.
Tickets are required and can be reserved ahead of time on Recreation.gov.
Keys Ranch tours cost $10 per person aged 12 and over and $5 for children 6 to 11. Children under six are admitted free. Senior and Access Pass (Golden Age and Golden Access passport) holders pay $5.
Yosemite Climbing Association, Friends of Joshua Tree and Cliffhanger Guides are partnering up to bring Facelift: Act Local to Joshua Tree National Park gateway communities this October 22! This will be a great day of stewardship and volunteerism, with community clean-ups and trail projects.
Volunteers will meet at Mojave Desert Land Trust headquarters at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast and registration and then be divided into groups for trail works and cleanup projects which will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Everyone will be welcomed back to Mojave Desert Land headquarters at the end of the day for a very fun appreciation after party from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
National parks are America’s best idea, and more than 400 parks are available to everyone daily. The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. The others are free all the time. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.
The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. Free or discounted passes are also available for senior citizens, current military members, families of fourth-grade students, and disabled citizens. Learn more about the variety of passes offered by the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass series.
Climb Smart takes place inside Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP), offering education, stewardship, and connection to the climbing community. As in years past, the weekend activities will all take place at the Indian Cove Campground and Amphitheater.
During the weekend, you will experience:
Friends of Joshua Tree is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the historical tradition of climbing in Joshua Tree National Park. Friends of Joshua Tree advocates, communicates, and encourages ethical and environmentally sound climbing practices. We work to educate park management and visitors on climbing and climbing-related issues.
For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit the Friends of Joshua Tree’s website.
Hosted in partnership with the City of 29 Palms, Joshua Tree National Park, and the 29 Palms Marine Base, the annual Joshua Tree 55 cycling event is considered one of the most challenging and scenic rides of the year, with a 55-mile out-and-back course that offers cyclists an incredible way to experience and explore southern California’s most iconic National Park.
The 55-mile ride starts and ends at Knott’s Sky Park in the City of 29 Palms and takes cyclists into Joshua Tree National Park through the north park entrance and along Park Blvd. From Skull Rock and Jumbo Rock to Cap Rock and the beautiful lookout point of Keys View, cyclists enjoy many of the park’s iconic natural wonders and features throughout the 55-mile course.
New this year are two brand new routes for those looking to test their cycling abilities even more! This year, a Gravel Route and a Metric Century will be offered for all riders registered!
The 6th Annual Joshua Tree 55 takes place on Saturday, April 29, 2023. It is one of the only sanctioned events in Joshua Tree National Park and is not a timed race. Cyclists are supported by 5 SAG stops along the course and have 6 hours to complete the ride, which begins promptly at 6:00 a.m.
Registration includes a JT55 t-shirt, swag bag, lunch, and opportunity drawing tickets. This event draws cyclists from all over California and beyond, and it is recommended that lodging be booked in advance. 29 Palms offers the area’s best and biggest collection of lodging, from national brand hotels to historic inns and motels, an RV resort, and a vibrant variety of vacation rentals.
For more information about the annual Joshua Tree 55, please contact the City of 29 Palms Parks and Recreation Department by phone at (760) 367-7562.
*Register online by Friday, March 31, 2023, in order to receive a t-shirt and boxed lunch. Registrations will be accepted after March 31, 2023, without the boxed lunch and t-shirt option. Your registration fee includes a chance to win a prize from the opportunity drawing and entry into Joshua Tree National Park. There is a limit of 400 riders for this event. Registration Fee: $50 per rider.
HIKING MY FEELINGS: TRAIL OF LIFE – SELF REFLECTION WORKSHOP w/ Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park
Do you want to “recalibrate” yourself after a year of pandemic isolation?
What have you survived and celebrated on your Trail of Life so far? How can you connect the dots on your lived experience to move into the new year with intention? Sydney and Barry Williams have been hiking and brainstorming for years, and it has revolutionized the way they live their lives and the way they do business. By combining mindset techniques acquired as a Division 1 athlete, competitive skydiver, and corporate executive, incorporating playful techniques from improv (“yes, and!”), and encouraging mindful movement, they’ve developed a self-reflection format to help you unlock your best ideas, open the flow of creativity, and bring your best self to life, love, and work. Join them for a judgment-free weekend where transformational healing is possible. They introduce participants to mindfulness and the healing power of nature, and the results are lasting improvements to mental, physical, and spiritual health.
About the Instructor: When former collegiate athlete and competitive skydiver Sydney Williams unexpectedly found herself on the receiving end of a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis while grappling with unresolved trauma from a decades-old sexual assault, she set out on a mission: turn her pain into power. Two hikes across Catalina Island and 80 miles later, she founded Hiking My Feelings® to help others tap into the mind-body connection and healing power of nature that helped kick her self-limiting beliefs and disease into remission.
With more than 12 years of marketing experience with Fortune 500 companies and emerging brands, Sydney uses her “truth juice” storytelling style to break wide-open tough conversations with practical, powerful content and experiences. Over the years, she’s been featured on the SXSW stage and in Health Magazine, Diabetic Living Magazine, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, US News & World Report, and numerous other publications. Today, she is the author of Hiking My Feelings: Stepping Into the Healing Power of Nature and travels across the country, empowering others to summit their personal mountains on their way to becoming Well Beings.
