Joshua Tree

The Serrano, Chemehuevi and Cahuilla peoples lived in and travelled through this desert, gathering food from its plants and water from its oases, such as the Oasis of Mara at Twentynine Palms. Ranchers grazed cattle among the boulders in the late 19th century, and miners worked gold claims in the hills, of which ruins and old mills survive in the park.

Settlement of the town itself came with homesteaders in the 20th century. In 1938 the federal Small Tract Act offered plots of up to five acres of desert land to citizens willing to build on them, and the scattered shacks of these "jackrabbit homesteads" still dot the land around the town.

The desert around the town was protected as Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936, largely through the efforts of Minerva Hoyt, a South Pasadena gardener and campaigner devoted to the desert's cactus and Joshua trees. It was enlarged and became a national park in 1994. The death of the country-rock musician Gram Parsons in a local motel in 1973, and U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree, gave the place a counter-cultural fame that has grown with the park's visitor numbers.

Joshua Tree has long attracted people seeking space and quiet: artists, musicians, retirees, climbers and people living off the grid. Noah Purifoy's outdoor museum of assemblage art, the Integratron's sound baths and the many small galleries along the highway reflect a creative, slightly offbeat culture, and the wider Hi-Desert has a reputation for music, from the bar stage at Pioneertown to festivals held in the desert.

Climbing is a central part of local life. The park's granite boulders and domes draw climbers from around the world, especially in autumn and spring, and the climbing shops and guides in town are part of the community. Stargazing is another passion: the park is recognised as an International Dark Sky Park, and dark skies are prized by residents.

The Joshua tree itself, a giant species of yucca, is a symbol of the place, and its range is predicted to shrink and shift with climate change. Many residents see themselves as stewards of the desert, and care for its slow-growing plants and fragile soil is expected of visitors too.

About 6,500 people lived in Joshua Tree at the 2020 census. It is an unincorporated community governed by San Bernardino County, part of the Morongo Basin with Yucca Valley to the west and Twentynine Palms to the east, whose economy depends largely on the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.

Tourism linked to the national park has grown sharply, and holiday rentals have become a visible part of the local economy. Other residents work in the Marine base's economy, in local services, in the arts, or commute to the Coachella Valley; many are retired.

Daily life is shaped by distance and climate. Errands mean drives along Highway 62, homes are spread over large plots of desert, and water and power are precious in the desert. Summer heat pushes activity into early mornings and evenings, while winter brings clear, cold nights. Debates centre on growth, holiday rentals, water and protecting the dark skies.

The food scene in Joshua Tree is small and casual. Cafés along the highway serve breakfasts, sandwiches and coffee to climbers and park visitors before they head into the desert, and small groceries cater to the town's mix of residents and visitors. Taquerías and Mexican restaurants, pizza and roadside diners are common up and down Highway 62.

In nearby Pioneertown, a former film set, a barbecue restaurant and music venue built in a Western-style saloon has become a destination in its own right. Further afield, the Coachella Valley's date groves supply date shakes, the area's signature treat, sold in date gardens and cafés.

Inside the national park there is nothing to buy, so picnics and campsite cooking are part of every visit. Visitors stock up on water, fruit and snacks in town, and evenings at campsites revolve around simple meals cooked over stoves, followed by long looks at the night sky.