Newsletter August 1, 2024

From the Office of the Superintendent

Spring stayed busy! For the first time in years, the park was fully staffed for the season with our fee collectors, campground hosts, patrol rangers, and interpretive rangers. This made a huge difference for public engagement and less stress managing busy days in the park. We continue to see a small increase in visitation—no signs of diminished popularity. You can view the park’s visitation numbers anytime using the National Park Service Statistics webpage. Thanks to all our community friends who helped visitors with trip planning, hospitality, park safety, and spreading the good word of stewardship and preservation!

 

Park Updates

West Entrance (Joshua Tree entrance station via Park Blvd.). We have a contract! It’s been a long year sorting out contract details, but the park is thrilled to share at long last we can break ground and begin building a new, expanded, better shaded, better located fee station. The park entrance will be relocated further into the park and widened from two lanes to five lanes (two outbound lanes and three inbound lanes, including a bypass lane in each direction). West Entrance is the most popular entrance to the park, welcoming over 50% of our 3 million visitors per year. This project is funded by park entrance fees. A preconstruction meeting is scheduled September 5th, and we’ll know more after that regarding details, timeline, etc. Thank you for your patience!

 

One-stamp mill before repairs in 2020 (left) and after repairs in 2024 (right)

NPS

People Love Our Skies! The park continues to receive national attention as a very special place to gaze upwards, and recognizes that astrophenomenon can cause impacts local communities. Big crowds showing up spontaneously can present challenges given the park’s limited parking, narrow roads, and lack of cell service. Park rangers are getting ahead of the Perseids to forecast just how many people might venture to the high desert in August. Check out information posted on the park website to help with trip planning and protecting park resources. Don’t forget to check your NPS App for all the latest!

Desert Queen Ranch much needed historic preservation repairs to the one-stamp mill and rock crusher. Ranch tours will resume this fall.

 

Improved Wayfinding Thanks to the City of Twentynine Palms for helping us improve signage at the downtown visitor center! The new sign is much easier to read, and visitors are definitely finding us! Thanks to our Digital Media team for many wonderful improvements to the NPS App—NEW self-guided audio tours! And tons of trail options and maps – don’t forget to download to use off line without cell service!

Community Ambassador Shawnta Akins brings volunteers together to clean trash at Rattlesnake Canyon. We love our volunteers!

 

 

New Lands on Northwest Boundary:
The park is hosting an Open House in September to share ideas on managing these lands and solicit your input. The park will determine what type and intensity of recreational use is appropriate on these lands, with wildlife corridors and migration a priority. Stay tuned for announcements of dates, times, and locations.

Climbing Management Plan:
Park planners continue to edit the Draft Environmental Assessment for climbing management while we await updated wilderness policy guidance from our national office. Park Superintendent Rodgers is a member of the national policy team, participating in a final edits to the NPS guidance.
Public comments to wilderness climbing management are available here.

Welcome New Rangers:
Acting Chief Ranger, Jeff Filosa (Law Enforcement, Fees, Permits, Emergency Services)
Cultural Resources Compliance Officer, Mark Durante
Facility Management Systems Analyst, Betty Spurlock

Questions? Email us if you have a suggestion for future newsletters. Let us know!

Extra Reading: JTNP helps other parks! JTNP Trail Crew completes new Bayside Trail at Cabrillo National Monument