The reason we picked late March for our visit to the Joshua Tree National Park is because last time we were here, we asked a ranger the best time to see the Joshua trees in bloom. It seems to vary, but it’s a good bet that blooms will appear from late March to early April.
We saw a lot of them today on our way up to Keys View, a dramatic panoramic vista of the Coachella Valley and the Palm Springs area. From that vantage point, we could see the Salton Sea, Banning Pass and the San Andreas earthquake fault line.
The Joshua Trees seemed to thrive at around the 4300 foot level in the park. Many were in bloom. I took this image near some interesting rock formations which are plentiful in this area which is a domain of the Western Bighorn Sheep. Click on the image for a big view of the tree, the rocks and the inset enlargement of the bloom.