Mojave Yucca
A cousin to the Joshua Tree, these beautiful yucca plants are all over the Southern side of the park.
Mastadon Peak
I hiked up to this tiny peak which is the site of an old gold mine and has even more golden desert flowers jutting out from the side. The flowers are almost camoflaged with the color of the rocks
Dancing Beauty
This beautiful ocotillo was putting on quite a show in front of Mastadon Peak
Desert Tortoise
I found this guy crawling along a wash. If you encounter them, don't get too close as they can lose the water they store if they get scared. And they are an endangered species
Pride of the Desert
So majestic with its twists and turns. The wind had quieted down a bit for me to take a long exposure smoothing out the clouds.
Joshua Tree Sunset
The clouds seemed to be flowing and rapidly changing from orange to purple
Sunset Colors
The clouds turned a lush orange with purple fringes after the sun disappeared. I'm ready to head back to the desert.
Awash in Pink
These trees get to see amazing sunsets on a daily basis. No wonder they live so long.
Shadow Dancer
The last vestiges of red have almost disappeared and now only the deep blues and purples remain.
Arch Rock at Sunrise
The sunrises at Joshua Tree were not as spectacular as the sunsets. However, there was enough color showing through the arch.
Sunrise on the Rocks
Joshua Tree National Park is also famous for its gorgeous rock formations. This was right next to the Arch Rock near White Tank campground. I used my limited bouldering skills to get up high on the rocks.
Desert Dancers
Joshua trees are such an intriguing species of plants. Growing in all sorts of sizes and shapes they last hundreds of years. Some look so top heavy, it's a wonder they don't fall over.
The Lone Joshua Tree
I've always loved lone trees. It's even more special when it's a Joshua Tree.
Young 'n
With roots digging in deep, Joshua trees can live for hundreds of years. This little guy is relatively a baby with not even a single branch.
Moon and the Joshua Tree
It was an amazing experience watching the moon rise among the Joshua trees. I found this unique tree with no branches and was able to get this image with my telephoto lens.
