Joshua Tree National Park is actually the second biggest national park in California. But when you go to Joshua Tree, most visitors stay within 15% of the total area of the park. The other 85% is just wilderness, and as you can guess, it’s not forgiving at all. Home to lots of coyotes, insane heat and little water, this part of the mojave is one of the most uninhabitable and untouched lands in America. And while you may not want to explore the desert to that extent, going to see the joshua trees that are the parks namesake is quite fun. These “trees” are a actually species of yucca plants known commonly as yucca palms, which makes the name joshua tree quite confusing. The short legend of its name goes like this. When mormon settlers first saw the plants, they thought the trees stretching towards the sky symbolically leading them to their promised land like the biblical figure Joshua. Hence the name joshua tree. Today, this park protects these endemic trees and contributes one of the best stargazing locations on the planet, making it well worth a visit if you find yourself in SoCal . . . #optoutside #nationalparkphotography #joshuatree #nationalparkusa #joshuatreenationalpark #landscapephotography #desertphotography #earthhotspots #letswander #wildernesstones #hikingadventure #nationalparkgeek #earthpix #outdooradventures #naturehippys #desertphotographer #findyourpark #national_park_photography #earthstoke #discoverearth #visualsofearth