Mojave Desert section of Joshua Tree National Park

There was no real boundary line between the Colorado and the Mojave Deserts, just a gradual change in elevation and new plants began to dominate the landscape as I drove on. Joshua Trees were  just everywhere and the place reminded me a little of Saguaro National Park except the dominate tree was Joshua instead of Saguaro.  There were also a lot of Mojave yuccas. Actually Joshua Trees aren’t trees at all but a species of yucca.  When they are small they look similar except Mojave yucca always had splinter-like threads on the edges of its spine-tipped leaves as seen below.

See how a Joshua Tree doesn’t have those. It has a cleaner look.  

I found one beginning to bloom.

 

 

Boulders also were everywhere in this part of the part and became the dominate feature. 

 

Split rock was the name of one of the picnic areas;

besides the split rock it also had a rock that reminded me of a Henry Moore sculpture.

As I was leaving that group of rocks a coyote crossed the road and I slammed on my breaks to take a photo.

Another popular rock was Skull Rock.

I was surprised to see a female Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) at one of the oasis.