Joshua Tree National Park proposes new entrance, more parking spaces

Overwhelming attendance astatine Joshua Tree National Park resulting from a tendency for outdoor recreation owed to the coronavirus pandemic is causing miles-long conveyance back-ups astatine the entranceway and a parking situation for visitors trying to bask hiking, camping and stone climbing astatine the godforsaken park.

The parkland is proposing 2 large projects arsenic imaginable solutions to agelong entranceway lines and a shortage of parking spaces wrong the park. But the projects are extended and successful the aboriginal stages, requiring biology reviews and nationalist comments earlier they tin determination forward.

Cars enactment up astatine the West Entrance to Joshua Tree National Park successful this record photograph from May 9, 2015. The agelong lines of cars person gotten worse implicit the years. The National Park Service has projected a caller West Entrance Fee Station that would person a longer roadworthy and much interest kiosks to amended grip accrued visitant traffic. (Photo courtesy of Joshua Tree National Park)

First, the National Park Service proposes to sound down the existing West Entrance Fee Station conscionable wrong the parkland bound connected Park Boulevard and physique a caller 1 that would beryllium placed a half-mile further into the parkland to widen the entranceway roadway.

Also, the task would summation the fig of interest postulation kiosks from 1 to 4 and adhd 3 inbound question lanes. The 4 caller kiosks would beryllium situated 2 per land and link to walkways and shadiness structures covering the interest kiosks. The task would besides adhd a unit comfortableness presumption and nine-space unit parking lot.

The caller entranceway presumption would beryllium powered by a star array with artillery retention and see a outer for information communication. Architecture-wise, it would beryllium compatible with mid-century buildings, according to the National Park Service project website.

“We person a long-standing contented of terrible postulation back-ups that virtually artifact driveways and houses,” said Jennie Albrinck, parkland spokesperson. “With a caller entranceway presumption we tin unit amended truthful we tin get the nationalist done much rapidly and wide that postulation jam that sometimes goes 2-3 miles down the road.”

Construction could statesman adjacent summer, she said. The task would instrumentality betwixt 8 months and a twelvemonth to complete. To comment connected a processing biology assessment, spell to https://parkplanning.nps.gov/West_Entrance. The remark play began Aug. 18 and runs until midnight Sept. 17.

In this record photo, a U.S. Park Ranger gets backmost into his conveyance aft opening a broadside roadworthy wrong Joshua Tree National Park Thursday, January 10, 2019. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG).

The 2nd task involves converting 2 onshore islands of astir 11,000 quadrate feet wrong the interior of the Barker Dam parking area. The task would adhd 40 parking spaces. It would impact clearing vegetation, including the removal of 13 Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), which would beryllium replanted determination wrong the park, Albrinck said.

“They volition person the highest level of treatment” and beryllium nether the attraction of a biologist, she said.

The parkland present averages astir 4,000 vehicles per time and has 1,500 parking spaces. Lately, motorists person parked vehicles connected roadworthy shoulders, sometimes moving implicit delicate godforsaken habitat, she said. The further parking spaces would assistance but not needfully lick the wide parking deficit.

Barker Dam is simply a fashionable usage country with aggregate trailheads. “The thought is to get much parking successful heavy utilized areas,” she explained. To larn much and to permission a comment, spell to: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/barker_dam_parking_expansion. Deadline for comments is Sept. 17.

The outgo of the projects person not yet been determined, Albrinck said. No timeline was disposable for the Barker Dam parking batch expansion.

Funding for some projects would travel from the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which is partially funded by visitant fees, Albrinck said.

The parkland receives astir 3 cardinal visitors per year, she said. A conveyance interest is $30 and is bully for up to 7 days. On-foot oregon connected bicycle fees outgo $15. An yearly Joshua Tree National Park Pass is $55. The parkland is unfastened but look coverings are required erstwhile entering wrong immoderate building, including the visitant center.

Joshua Tree National Park straddles the Mojave and Colorado deserts astir 130 miles eastbound of Los Angeles and is known for its stone formations, pristine godforsaken landscapes and the bristled, Dr. Seuss-like trees from which the parkland gets its name.