Desert Landscape - Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is approximately 40 miles east of Palm Springs. I visited this park during the holidays in December. Weather in the Palm Springs area was very pleasant - in the 70s F. This part is situated in the transition zone between the two echo systems - Mojave and Colorado Desert. The Southern entrance to the park is the Colorado Desert and the Northern entrance is the Mojave Desert. I must have visited the park 6 times during my stay there and during my first visit through the Southern entrance, I felt a sense of tranquility. Unlike some of the other National Parks in US where you hear birds chirping, there is total silence in the park - even if the park is crowded, the silence takes over the crowd. Great place to do Yoga or Meditation - there is a tranquility center inside the park. Two unique plants grow in this park – Joshua Tree on the Mojave desert and Cholla Cactus on the Colorado desert. Joshua tree can live for 100-500 years and I find this tree to be very majestic and graceful surviving in the hard conditions of the desert. The Cholla cactus is another unique plant. Visitors should be very cautious while walking around the Cholla cactus garden – this plant attaches itself to objects when in contact and in the case of humans, the experience can be very painful. The cactus needles go deep into the skin, and it would require a plyer to taken them out. Very dangerous plant indeed. Another sightseeing in the park is the wonderful rock formations which has a warm effect during the Golden Hour. The park landscape looks stunning during sunset and blue hour. Some photographers camp here overnight to capture star trails. I am sharing some of the pictures captured in this park.

Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park. I like the silhouette of three people and the warm tone of the sunset passing through some clouds in the sky which gives a cool effect.

Capture of Joshua Tree during different times of the day. Magnificent tree with bright green leaves at the top - almost looks like someone spreading arms in different directions. The silhouette picture taken by wife, Saumya Parameswaran really captures the mood of Blue Hour in the park.

Cholla Cactus garden - picture taken mid-morning as we entered the park for the first time. This is also called the Teddy Bear cactus. As you can see, the sharp thorns of the cactus can attach to the skin and causes extreme pain - beautiful and dangerous plant.

Wide angle shot of the park just before sunset captured by my wife, Saumya Parameswaran with beautiful cloud patterns.

Unusual rocks formations some resembling human faces - for example the second picture show half face lying down and the third picture shows a face on the left looking at two - some of the components looking at two people on the other side.

Use your imagination to interpret these rock formations!!!!

​Capture of rocks during blue hour.

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