You can’t visit California without seeing the stunning deserts, from Joshua Tree National Park’s spiky yet gorgeous cactus to Death Valley’s bleak and frightening environment.
In the California desert, you’ll find adventure and exploration. The barren and dry environment of the Californian desert is crawling with creatures of all sizes, wiry cacti reach for the sky, the hot heat makes you crave for a drop of water, and the chilly night sky dazzles you with its enigmatic stars.
The Mojave, Colorado, and Great Basin Deserts are the three separate deserts that make up the fascinating California desert region. Each of these locations has unique qualities that set it apart from other deserts.
Eastern Southern California is home to all of California’s deserts. The first inhabitants of the California desert were American Indians.
In 1913, Death Valley National Park in California’s arid region recorded the highest temperature on the earth’s surface, 134 degrees Fahrenheit. Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, has the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere.
The Colorado Desert lies in the southeast corner of California, between the Colorado River and the Transverse Ranges, and extends to the south and east into Mexico and Arizona, also known as the Sonoran Desert in these places. The Great Basin Desert stretches eastward into Nevada, immediately east of the Sierra Nevada cordillera.
The deserts cover all of Imperial County, as well as the southern and eastern portions of Inyo County, Mono County, Los Angeles County, Kern County, San Diego County, and Riverside County, as well as the majority of northern and eastern San Bernardino County.
Here are some fascinating facts about California’s deserts that you probably didn’t know.
Interesting Facts About California Desert and Preserves
1. Mojave National Preserve
In the Mojave National Preserve, the vast outdoors await you to discover. This Mojave Desert Park has it all, from towering golden dunes and dense Joshua Tree forests to dormant volcanoes and broad wildflower fields.
At 1.6 million acres, this national park has some of the best hiking routes in the state and some of the most beautiful views.
2. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, located in the Colorado Desert, is one of Southern California’s most diversified desert landscapes.
It contains 12 wilderness areas and covers 600,000 acres. Anza-Borrego is also an excellent location for astronomy in California.
3. Death Valley National Park
Death Valley is located in the Mojave Desert of California Desert area. Death Valley is known for being the hottest place on Earth and the driest place in North America.
Death Valley is possibly the most diverse and exciting desert landscape in California for tourists. Salt flats, mountains, dunes, black volcanic fields, multicolored hills, broken dry earth, and even a lake all contribute to the uniqueness of this region.
Death Valley, home to various natural phenomena such as saline flats, towering dunes, and deep gorges, promises to provide breathtaking desert views everywhere you look.
4. Great Basin Deserts
The Great Basin Desert contains White Mountain, the third highest peak in the state. The Great Basin Desert is an excellent example of a cold desert: it’s one of North America’s coldest deserts, with snowfall occurring.
The Great Basin bristlecone pine is the world’s longest-living life form, and it may be found in the Great Basin Desert, as its name says. These trees have a lifespan of up to 4,800 years.
The Great Basin Desert was previously home to the Chemehuevi, a Native American tribe. The Quechan inhabited the Colorado Desert, whereas the Mohave lived in the Mojave Desert.
5. Joshua Tree National Park
The California Desert region is home to Joshua Tree National Park. The Joshua tree is found exclusively in the Mojave Desert and nowhere else.
One of California’s most famous deserts, Joshua Tree National Park is home to many cacti plants. This desert is not only full of Joshua Trees, but it’s also full of hiking routes, each one more magnificent and breathtaking than the last.
6. Red Rock Canyon State Park
One of the most popular tourist spots in California’s Desert region is Red Rock Canyon, State Park. Ancient civilizations’ ruins can be found in the park.
The Mojave Desert has Red Rock Canyon State Park, originally home to the Kawaiisu. The state park is one of the most popular tourist locations in the California desert region, including grand desert cliffs, picturesque buttes, and interesting rock formations.
7. Algodones Dunes
The Algodones Dunes, located 20 miles east of Brawley in California’s southeast corner, are one of the continent’s largest dune zones.
The shifting sands are a lovely sight, but they are off the beaten road, and one of California’s fewer visited desert areas. It is less accessible than other more popular attractions due to a lack of highways and neighboring cities.
On the west side, the dunes are the largest. Off-road motorized vehicles are not permitted in the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area.
8. Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is located in the Morongo Valley section of the San Bernardino Mountains, just west of Joshua Tree National Park.
The preserve is one of the best birding locations in California, running over parts of the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert.
There have been around 250 bird species sighted here, including some rare species. Several pathways travel through the marsh and stream habitats, some with boardwalks.
9. Salton Sea Recreation Area
The Colorado River spilled into the ancient bed after breaking through an irrigation canal in Imperial Valley, filling it to a depth of 82 feet. Until 1907, the river continued to flood. In 1905, a historic dried-up lakebed was reborn as a real “sea.”
This inland lake, which measures 30 miles by 8 to 14 miles and is located below sea level, has no natural outlets. Salton Sea saltbush, Sonoran creosote bush, and saguaro cactus are among the plants found in the Colorado Desert.
9.1. Some More Interesting California Desert Region Facts:
- Before the arrival of Europeans in the California Desert region, Native American tribes such as the Mohave (in the Mojave Desert), Quechan (in the Colorado Desert), and Chemehuevi (Great Basin Desert) were known to live there.
- Francisco Garces was the first known explorer into the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. He was a Franciscan priest who came in 1776 and began documenting his observations of the locals.
- The Great Basin Desert and the Mojave Desert became much more active with miners and residents once the California Gold Rush began.
- Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville, Hesperia, Indio, Apple Valley, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs are the largest cities in the California Desert Region.
- A fascinating aspect of California’s desert ecosystem is that it is home to various species, including birds, reptiles, and even mammals.
- Yucca brevifolia, creosote bush, saltbush, greasewood, black brush, Pinyon pine, and western juniper are plants found in the Mojave Desert.
- Palm Desert, California, was once known as the Old MacDonald Ranch before becoming today’s popular desert community. In 1951, the city was granted its current name.
- Palm Desert, California, residents were Cahuilla Indian farmers from the San Cayetano tribe back in the day.
- Big sagebrush, Pinyon pine, bristlecone pine, shad scale, low sagebrush, and Utah juniper are plants found in the Great Basin Desert.
- Desert tortoises, white-footed mice, kangaroo rats, squirrels, spotted bats, spotted skunks, coyotes, desert kit foxes, and desert bighorn sheep are among the animals that live in the California Desert.
- The California desert tortoise is a resident of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, with a lifespan of 50 to 80 years. The most serious threats to the California desert tortoise are disease, vandalism, urbanization, habitat destruction, and wind and solar farms.
- There are numerous tourist attractions in the California Desert region, including national parks, national monuments, recreational areas, wildlife zones, dams, preserves, and state parks.
- Despite being a desert region, California’s Desert region features various lakes, including Harper Lake, Bristol Lake, Emerson Lake, Darby Lake, Palen Lake, Imperial Reservoir, and Imperial Reservoir.
- Pacific Crest Trail, Amargosa Range, Panamint Valley, San Jacinto Peak, and Telescopic Peak are all-natural sites to explore in California’s Desert region.
- The Calico Ghost Town, east of Barstow, is a destination where tourists can learn about the lives of early settlers and gold miners in California’s Desert region in the 1800s.
- The California desert region is known for its little rainfall, with an annual average of roughly seven inches. Plants have a more challenging time growing as a result of this.
- In Mojave, California, the black-tailed jackrabbit is common, sometimes known as the American hare. These rabbits eat bushes and grass regularly and spend most of their time avoiding predators.
You can’t go wrong on your California journey with many California desert vistas to select from. Have you enjoyed your time in the California deserts? Comment below and let us know!
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