2 Best Sights in Joshua Tree National Park, California

This area was home to the indigenous Cahuilla people for centuries, and its spring provided them, as well as travelers and early prospectors, with water. It still supports a large stand of fan palms and cottonwood trees and is one of the best spots in the park for bird-watching. There are some remains, including concrete pillars, of several gold mines that were located here. Numerous hikes begin here as well.

A short drive off Highway 62, this site is a bit of a preview of what the park's interior has to offer: a fan palm oasis, barrel cacti, interesting petroglyphs, and evidence of fires built by early Native Americans. Because animals frequent this area, you may spot a coyote, bobcat, or roadrunner.