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.
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.
