Visit Joshua Tree National Park where you can spend the day rock climbing or enjoying a leisurely nature walk among the spiky, fanciful Joshua Trees. Protecting 501 archaeological sites, 88 historic structures, 19 cultural landscapes, and more than 120,000 items in its museum collection, Joshua Tree was promoted to National Park status in 1994. It lies within a 3-hour drive from approximately 18 million southern California residents and is only 164 miles from the San Diego Natural History Museum. 

PHOTO CREDIT: B. Sutton, National Park Service