Sunday, March 31, 2013

Lost Palms Oasis, Joshua Tree National Park, CA


Distance: 7.4 miles round trip (11.9 km)
Elevation: 3005 - 3150 feet (915 - 960 m)
Difficulty: Moderate
Time of Year: late October - early May


Every been to a California Fan Palm Oasis? Although commonly planted in Southern California cities, the native range of this species  includes only158 oases scattered across the Mojave Desert at the base of mountains and canyons that have seeps to provide a year round supply of water. I wrote about a couple of the oases that are easy to visit, including Mountain Palm Oasis here and HERE in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County. I personally have visited about 12 of these oases, including the only one in Arizona. But, if you want to visit a fan palm oasis that you have to hike to miles away from the nearest road, then Lost Palms Oasis is the one for you.


The trail to the Lost Palms Oasis starts at the Cottonwood Springs Campground in the southern portion of Joshua Tree National Park. Cottonwood Springs itself is a small palm oasis, that has one large cottonwood in the middle of it. But, it is nothing compared to what you will see at Lost Palms Oasis. The easiest access is to take the exit off of Interstate 10 east of Indio to the South Entrance to the park.


From Cottonwood Springs, the trail heads across a landscape of jumbled granite boulders and beautiful vistas. Along the trail you can easily see the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains and Mount San Jacinto rising above the Coachella Valley. At one point, the entire Salton Sea, located 226 feet below sea level, comes into view.

The Salton Sea is visible from along the trail

The trail then comes over a rise and a dry wash flush with California junipers and evergreen desert scrub oak who enjoy the shade and extra moisture that accumulates in the washes. As you look over the dry landscape dominated by common Mojave Desert vegetation of yucca, rabbit brush, and cholla, it is still hard to image that there will be palm trees out here.


Then, as you come over another rise, suddenly you see a canyon with these clumps of 60 foot high palm trees rising in a terraced wash. There is no water flowing on the surface, but you can see how it works its way down the wash based on the contours of the granite rocks and where the palms are located.

The first glimpse of the fan palms

Once you get down into the palm grove itself, you will see that many of the palms have burn scars on their trunks and several that are dead. Fire is actually an important function that maintains these ecosystems. Palms can resprout their fronds following fire and fires will clear out other vegetation trying to compete for the available water. 

In the wash amongst the palms

Palms who have not burned in recent years will have dead fronds that skirt the trunk, sometimes all the way to the ground. These provide habitat for birds nesting and insulate the trunk from occasional winter cold snaps. California fan palm fruits were an important food source for native peoples historically, in addition to the obvious water source in the area. Today, the fruits remain important to the many Mojave Desert birds who visit these oases.

One of the surface springs in the lower portion of the wash

If you visit the lower portions of the oasis, there will possibly be small pools of open water. These springs and seeps are critical habitat for amphibians and insect species in an otherwise completely dry landscape. Canyon tree frogs are common in these oases. The Desert slender salamander is no longer found in Joshua Tree NP, but does live in two fan palm oases in the Santa Rosa mountains, the last place on Earth for this species. Desert pupfish are also found at a few oases. Obviously, these surface springs also provide critical water supplies for animals such as desert bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, mule deer, mountain lions, coyotes, and many others.



Looking down the canyon from the end of the oasis

Continuing down the wash, the palms thin out and then the wash steepens into a narrow canyon that feeds all the way out of the mountains. This is probably a good place to turn around. Joshua Tree National Park has a number of other hidden fan palm oases in the surrounding canyons, but it would require a lot of off-trail exploration over rugged terrain to find them.

Walking back amongst yucca and granite













16 comments:

Unknown said...

jordan legend 11, jordan legend blue 11, 378037-117,air jordan 11s legend blue, air jordan 11 legend blue,
legend blue 11s 2014, legend blue 11s, jordan 11 legend blue, retro legend blue 11s, jordan 11s legend, pre order legend blue 11s, 378037-117, air jordan legend 11s, legend 11s, legend blue 11s, air jordan 11s legend blue, jordan legend 11s, legend 11s 2014, retro legend 11s, pre order legend 11s, 378037-117,air jordan 11s legend blue ,pre order legend blue 11s ,legend blue 11s ,jordan 11s legend blue ,retro legend blue 11s ,jordan 11s legend ,pre order legend blue 11 ,378037-117 ,air jordan 6s black infrared ,black infrared 6s ,jordan infrared 6s ,infrared 6s ,jordan 6s black infrared ,pre order black infrared 6s,384664-023,cheap black infrared 6s ,384664-023 ,legend blue 11s ,jordan legend 11s ,jordan legend blue 11s ,legend 11s ,378037-117

xjd7410@gmail.com said...

20150908 junda
michael kors
louboutin pas cher
coach outlet
coach factory outlet
soccer jerseys wholesale
ray ban sunglass
prada handbags
ugg australia
adidas uk
nike blazer
fitflops sale clearance
air force 1
longchamp outlet
jordan shoes
michael kors outlet online
new balance outlet
prada outlet
ugg boots sale
kate spade handbags
ray bans
adidas gazelle trainers
polo ralph lauren outlet
barbour uk
north face uk
michael kors handbags
ray ban outlet
ray ban sunglasses
michael kors uk
uggs outlet
ralph lauren uk
michael kors handbag
nike free run 5.0
oakley sunglasses sale
canada goose uk
toms wedges
cheap soccer shoes
coach outlet online
adidas shoes
oakley sunglasses wholesale
coach factory outlet

Unknown said...

michael kors uk
dallas cowboys
adidas outlet
air jordan 4
gucci outlet
pittsburgh steelers
cheap soccer jerseys
louis vuitton bags
oakley,occhiali oakley,oakley italia,oakley occhiali,oakley sunglasses
lacoste pas cher
ralph lauren outlet
north face outlet store
hollister uk
nobis jacket
ralph lauren outlet
air max shoes
oakley sunglasses wholesale
fred perry polo shirts
cheap nba jerseys
1024minko

Unknown said...

20160402 junda
instyler max
cheap uggs
toms wedges
fitflops outlet
michael kors outlet online
christian louboutin uk
valentino shoes
mont blanc pens
michael kors outlet online
ed hardy outlet
canada goose jacket
ralph lauren outlet
coach outlet online
burberry outlet
timberland outlet
coach factory outlet
longchamp outlet
ralph lauren outlet
michael kors purses
michael kors outlet
supra for sale
canada goose outlet
toms shoes
ghd hair straighteners
hollister clothing
chaussure louboutin
ray ban outlet
armani watches
stephen curry shoes
jordan pas cher
louboutin pas cher
salvatore ferragamo
basketball shoes
nike tn
valentino shoes on sale
designer bags
coach outlet online
polo ralph lauren
timberland boots
nike air max uk

John said...

coach factory outlet
cartier watches
birkenstocks
michael kors handbags
mont blanc pens outlet
air max 90 black
louboutin shoes
louis vuitton outlet
nike roshe run women
north face outlet
michael kors handbags
oakley sunglasses wholesale
cheap ray bans
coach outlet clearance
tiffany jewelry outlet
nike store uk
nba jerseys wholesale
ray ban outlet store
oakley sunglasses,oakley sunglass,cheap oakley sunglasses,oakley sunglasses cheap,oakley sunglasses outlet,oakley store,oakley outlet,oakley outlet store,oakley sunglasses sale,oakley sunglasses discount
kobe 11
michael kors outlet
ray bans
michael kors outlet
polo ralph lauren outlet
prada outlet
bottega veneta
cheap nfl jerseys
cheap nfl jerseys
pandora charms
coach outlet online
louis vuitton outlet online
fitflops sale clearance
coach factory outlet online
yeezy boost 350
2016628yuanyuan

xumeiqing said...

2060906meiqing
michael kors handbags
louboutin
rolex submariner
louis vuitton factory outlet
coach outlet store online
designer handbags
uggs outlet
ugg boots on sale
ugg outlet
michael kors handbags
coach outlet online
cheap nhl jerseys
michael kors outlet
pandora uk
omega watches
polo outlet
discount nike shoes
rolex watches for sale
oakley sunglasses outlet
ralph lauren outlet
christian louboutin shoes
true religion jeans
uggs
ugg sale
true religion jeans
burberry outlet online
michael kors outlet clearance
adidas nmd runner
adidas nmd r1
canada goose outlet
ugg australia outlet
nba jerseys
michael kors handbags
birkenstock sheos
canada goose jackets
canada goose outlet
christian louboutin sale

xjd7410@gmail.com said...

20160909 junda
longchamp pas cher
hollister
air max 90
nike air max uk
nike outlet
ray-ban sunglasses
canada goose
ugg boots
toms outlet
north face jackets
dior sunglasses
ralph lauren uk
coach outlet
michael kors outlet
rolex watches for sale
beats headphones
louis vuitton neverfull sale
celine outlet online
nike air max 90
louboutin pas cher
ugg outlet
michael kors outlet online
michael kors outlet online
uggs on sale
louis vuitton pas cher
prada shoes
nike outlet online
tods outlet online
lacoste pas cher
salomon shoes sale
coach outlet online
tory burch outlet online
nike foamposite
herve leger outlet
coach outlet store

chenlina said...

nike air max 90
true religion jeans
ugg boots
gucci outlet
adidas shoes
uggs sale
coach outlet store online clearances
christian louboutin sale
cheap jordans
uggs on sale
chenlina20161107

Unknown said...

tiffany jewellery
oakley sunglasses wholesale
cheap oakley sunglasses
ray ban sunglasses
coach factory outlet
cleveland cavaliers jersey
ray ban sunglasses
gucci borse
cartier watches
gucci outlet online
chanyuan2017.02.17

chenmeinv0 said...

thunder jerseys
michael kors outlet online
polo ralph lauren shirts
nike trainers men
oakley vault
ray ban glasses
fitflops sale
louboutin outlet
toms shoes outlet
oakley vault
2017.2.20xukaimin

Unknown said...

20170323 junda
louis vuitton handbags
oakley sunglasses sale
adidas nmd runner
coach outlet
louis vuitton outlet
tods outlet
coach outlet
cheap oakley sunglasses
hollister clothing
swarovski jewelry

Unknown said...

true religion outlet
longchamp bags
air jordan
stephen curry shoes
longchamp le pliage
pandora uk
fitflops clearance
brady jersey
longchamp handbags
roshe shoes

Unknown said...

swarovski crystals
air max
broncos jerseys
fred perry polo shirts
sac longchamp
ralph lauren canada
coach factory outlet online
pandora charms outlet
ray ban sunglasses discount
polo ralph lauren outlet online
xushengda0718

Unknown said...

paul george shoes
golden goose
calvin klein underwear
russell westbrook shoes
nfl store
converse outlet
supreme clothing
adidas yeezy
golden goose sneakers
longchamp bags

Unknown said...

nike huarache
pandora jewelry
moncler outlet
curry 4
lebron 15
reebok outlet
nike flyknit
adidas pure boost
cheap mlb jerseys
adidas yeezy

5689 said...

zzzzz2018.8.11
fitflops sale clearance
ralph lauren outlet
pandora jewelry
nike air max 2017
jordans
salomom shoes
ralph lauren uk
issey miyake perfume
ralph lauren outlet
reebok

Just Giving Back For All To Enjoy

Why pay money to buy hiking books? Why pay fees to view trail websites? By searching my archives and checking back often to see new posts, we are sure you will be able to find the hike that is right for you ... and for free!

In addition, we provide fascinating ecological and geological information to make the hikes informative and fun. As former National Park Rangers, we know how to find the right hike for you. So, if you are on vacation, we will provide you with the hike you absolutely MUST do while in an area. Do not go on vacation without checking out this site!