Joshua Tree National Park to close busiest entrance for massive revamp: What to know

West entrance at Joshua Tree National Park undergoes massive transformations

By Sarah Joseph Published March 30, 2025

joshua trees in desert — Kindel Media / Pexels

Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most ecologically interesting national parks in the country, so it’s great to see that it’s getting some TLC. This April, the National Park Service is closing down all traffic from Monday, April 7th, to Thursday, April 10th, for some updates to the West entrance station.

As the busiest entry point in the park, seeing a whopping 515,000 vehicles in 2023, this new entrance station will be built one-third mile south of the current location and will feature two inbound lanes and one outbound lane, as well as a bypass lane in each direction. Four booths will be constructed in place of the one that’s already there, which is going to improve park access for everyone. This project is funded by fee revenue through the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

Recommended Videos

During this period, visitors can still enter the park. Just use Twentynine Palms, also known as the north entrance, or Cottonwood, the south entrance. If you opt for the North entrance, this will add just seventeen minutes of driving time from Highway 62. Signs will be placed along the highway and Park Boulevard to alert visitors of the traffic changes. That said, if you end up accidentally zooming past, exiting vehicles can turn around at the Quail Springs Picnic Area, and entering vehicles can turn around at the west entrance station, although that’s not as advisable due to the expected construction traffic.

While this is a minor inconvenience to those headed to the park, Superintendent Jane Rogers notes that the shorter four-day closure was actually originally going to be about two weeks, so personally I think we got the tall end of the straw. With these changes complete, Joshua Tree National Park is sure to become a more seamless attraction in California.

Topics

Contributor

With a bright sense of adventure and a heart for the mountains, Sarah is always thrilled to share nature with others through…

Outdoors

National parks in Washington state: 7 hidden treasures you should know about

We love these national parks and we think you will, too

Mount Rainier, Washington state

Washington state is, without a doubt, one of the prettiest corners of America. I admit, I'm totally biased, having been stationed here for about two years from the scorching state of Arizona. Don't get me wrong, the desert definitely has its charms, but I've always been a pine trees, waterfalls, and green mountains kind of gal, so when we moved up here, it honestly felt like heaven.

During the past couple of years, my husband and I have discovered so many jaw-dropping NPS sites, from Mount Rainier to the Cascades, and I can't wait to share some of our favorite treasures. Some of these spots will be famous and well loved, and others are definitely ones that should be in the spotlight.
Mount Rainier National Park

Outdoors

From salt flats to sand dunes: The hidden wonders of Death Valley National Park

Adventure across California’s most diverse landscapes

Salt flats in badwater basin in Death Valley

Death Valley National Park is infamously known as big, barren, and foreboding. So why is it named one of the best national parks to visit in winter, attracting over 1 million annual visitors? The answer is in this park's sheer variety of natural landmarks. One moment, you're standing on a mile-long salt flat. Next, you're admiring the rainbow-colored badlands, and by sunset, you're trekking the dunes -- all within the same park.
Have I piqued your interest? I hope so. Death Valley rivals Yosemite as one of California's most ecologically diverse natural landmarks, and it deserves a visit. But what formations are most worth your time, especially if you only have one day to explore? Let me suggest a few must-see sights based on my most recent visit and a primer on the park's history and geography.

Death Valley National Park’s history, climate, and key facts

Outdoors

These are the national parks undergoing controlled burns to cut wildfire risks

Going to one of these national parks soon? You might just see some smoke.

Shenandoah National Park in the fall

Prescribed burns are one of the park rangers' most important tools to protect their national parks and ecosystems. By intentionally burning off the excess vegetation like dry grass, shrubs, and dead wood, prescribed burns ultimately reduce the chance of wildfires because there won't be any old vegetation to catch fire later. It's far better for the National Forest Service and local fire teams to do the burns in a controlled setting than to watch it get out of hand later in the year. Here are the national parks across America that are currently in their burning phase:

Shenandoah National Park: Fire managers plan to burn approximately 40 acres of Big Meadows and 20 acres in the park's headquarters. Weather permitting, the burn will start on March 11 and end around April 30th.
Voyageurs National Park: This month, burns will take place in selected wetlands near Black Bay and Cranberry Bay on Rainy Lake to eliminate invasive hybrid cattails and reduce woody plant encroachment.
Cape Cod National Seashore: Prescribed burns will occur at Fort Hill in Eastham during the second week of March. The affected area will be 14 acres along the hillside adjacent to the upper parking lot at Fort Hill.
George Washington Carver National Monument: From March 10th to the 14th, this national monument plans a prescribed burn of about 100 acres to reduce woody species. While the area will be open to visitors, the Carver trail will be closed.