Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park

A Joshua Tree

Wednesday, February 26, 2014, Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA- 115 miles, 5290.6 For the Trip

Well, it has been a long time, but I have found a campground without internet (or any cell coverage, or even FM radio for that matter). I've been told there is a space between the mountains about 4 miles south of the campground where there is cell service. I'll try for that tomorrow. I found the space!!!

I'm in site A16 at the Cottonwood Campground in Joshua Tree National Park. Kinda lonely - when I arrived, I was the only one here other than the campground host, although by the time I got back from driving around the park about 8 other campers have moved in. I stopped at the Cottonwood Visitor Center to show my pass & pay for a week at the campground ($7.50 per night with the pass), set up the trailer, then drove through the park. It is large - I put over 150 miles on the RAV4 going through the park & to Black Rock campground, the one furthest from Cottonwood.

It is amazing how the plants change with location and altitude in the park. For example, individual Cholla cactus are located throughout the park, but in one section they are everywhere. Parts of the park are flat sand while others are huge rocks. Lots of variety!

While Cottonwood is OK, there is cell reception at Black Rock - I'm going to check around 4:00 tomorrow, and if no one reserves site 11 at Black Rock for the weekend, I will move there for the rest of my week.

I took a photo of some interesting hills along CA 78, my site photo, some of the stops in the park, and some interesting plants in the campground:

I did try for some star photos after dark. It is still too early in the year for good images of the milky way, but it was a fairly clear night, and, with the exception of a few other campers, dark.

As usual, many more photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Until the next chance to post -