Joshua Tree National Park is in southern California near the town of Twentynine Palms. The park’s desert plant life includes rare Joshua trees. According to legend, Mormon pioneers named the trees after the Biblical character. Trees in the park rise as high as 40 feet (12 meters), with branches measuring up to 20 feet (6 meters) long. The park’s animal life includes bighorn sheep, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, deer, desert tortoises, foxes, and rattlesnakes.
The area was established as Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936. In 1994, Joshua Tree was expanded and named a national park. For its area, see National Park System (table: National parks) .
