Joshua Tree National Park

A drive through Joshua Tree National Park might take a couple hours, viewing the park from the road. An exploration of the park would take a lifetime. Joshua Tree National Park has over 550,000 acres of wilderness filled with a variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Every now and then, man intrudes in this wilderness and leaves his brief, passing mark among the surreal geologic features that cover the landscape. Let’s go see what we can find.

Elliot Koeppel 1/4/25 Elliot Koeppel 1/4/25

Abandoned Mine Trek, Pt. 1 - Joshua Tree National Park

Gold mining in the area we now call Joshua Tree National Park began in the 1870s. All those crazy rock formations, some of them have quartz veins. Sometimes those quartz veins contained gold. Woot!

Elliot Koeppel 6/16/24 Elliot Koeppel 6/16/24

Queen Valley Prospects Camp - Joshua Tree National Park

Hiking to Nolina Ridge, will I make it? Are those gold mines? What’s with all the wildflowers?

Elliot Koeppel 9/21/21 Elliot Koeppel 9/21/21

Johnny Lang Grave - Joshua Tree National Park

Johnny Lang first saw Lost Horse Valley in 1890, when he and his father dove a herd of cattle into the area and set up camp. One morning, they awoke to find their horses gone.

Elliot Koeppel 3/18/21 Elliot Koeppel 3/18/21

Interesting Rocks - Joshua Tree National Park

I think it’s fair to say that Google Earth is a temptress. How often has she led me to unknown places of wonder and beauty, places of history and charm, places from which even more can be discovered. When things are slow at work, why not spend some time with her, searching for places to see what I can find.

Elliot Koeppel 2/6/21 Elliot Koeppel 2/6/21

Gold Mines & Pinyon Pines - Joshua Tree National Park

Most folks who park at the Desert Queen Mine/Pine City parking area generally head off to see the mines, or maybe Eagle Cliff hideout, or out to Pine City. But being in a contrarian mood, I decided to head southeast into the ruff, to see what I could find.

Elliot Koeppel 1/8/21 Elliot Koeppel 1/8/21

Hexahedron Mine - Joshua Tree National Park

…and headed east into Fried Liver Wash. After about 100 yards, I went back to the truck and got some more water. I'd be glad later that I did.

Elliot Koeppel 12/10/20 Elliot Koeppel 12/10/20

Stone Ruins in Fried Liver Wash - Joshua Tree National Park

Ok, what I want to know is, who came up with the name "Fried Liver" wash and why? Was it some old prospector wandering down the wash, dreaming of his favorite meal?

Elliot Koeppel 12/4/20 Elliot Koeppel 12/4/20

Geology Tour Road, Revisited - Joshua Tree National Park

I can remember traveling along the bumpy road in a Dodge Dart, stopping at the points indicated while someone read the description of what we were looking at.

Elliot Koeppel 11/26/20 Elliot Koeppel 11/26/20

I Saw No Sheep - Joshua Tree National Park

I found no sheep, no gold mines or abandoned cars…… no bones, nothing but beautiful landscapes, amazing rocks with cavities, pretty skies and desert solitude.

Elliot Koeppel 11/3/20 Elliot Koeppel 11/3/20

Contact Mine - Joshua Tree National Park

There are trillions and trillions of rocks at Joshua Tree National Park and I hiked over many of them on my way to the Contact Mine.