Mojave National Preserve
 A Mosaic of Desert Landscapes: Mojave
National Preserve
Ripple sand dunes sing an eerie chorus. Cactus flowers bloom
after a spring rain, jewels against buff-colored earth. Juniper and
pinyon trees clinging to rock. Saltbush borders a dry lakebed,
and countless Joshua tree limbs reach toward the sky as if in
prayer. Mojave is all these scenes and more – a bounty for the
senses.
Mojave National Preserve, part of the US National
Parks, was established in 1994 as part of the California
Desert Protection Act. The 1.6-million-acre park encompasses much
of the Mojave Desert, as well as transitional elements of the Great
Basin and Sonoran deserts. About half of the park is
congressionally designated wilderness. Wilderness areas, marked by
signs, are open to hikers and horseback riders but off limits to
motor vehicles.
Desert Weather
 California summer temperatures often exceed 100°F;
yearly rainfall ranges four to 14 inches. Elevations range from 800
feet near Baker to 7,929 feet atop Clark Mountain. A spine of
mountains bisects the park north to south. Cinder cones, lava beds,
sand dunes, the Soda Dry Lake, and Cima Dome attest to the
geological forces at work through the ages.
Many variables – elevation, moisture, soil composition, exposure
to the sun, shelter from the wind, and the effects of human
habitation – create at least 30 identifiable habitats for plants
and animals. Habitats, of course, do not have hard boundaries and
often overlap, they are grouped below into general categories. You
will encounter different habitats within a short distance of each
other.
Keep in mind that Mojave lacks many of the visitor facilities
you might expect in a national park. This creates both
inconveniences and opportunities. Nearby communities offer lodging
and other services, so plan ahead. Come prepared to observe,
explore, discover, reflect.
 Pinyon Juniper Woodland
At higher elevations, particularly on north-facing slopes,
pinyon and juniper trees cling to shallow, rocky soil. Look for
this habitat in the Clark, Granite, New York, and Providence
mountains. You can camp among these trees at Mid Hills
campground.
Pinyon nuts and juniper berries have long provided food for
humans and wild animals. Ranchers built fences from junipers; you
can still see remnants at abandoned homesteads.
This habitat includes sagebrush, goldenbush, wildflowers such as
Mojave prickly pear – one of several species of prickly pear found
in the park. Also look for scrub jays – blue but not crested – and
antelope ground squirrels.
Another clue to the high elevations is the bighorn, a wild sheep
that feeds on grasses and other plants. They are best spotted near
water sources. Hooves adapted to steep, rocky terrain allow them to
escape predators such as mountain lions.
Joshua Tree Woodland
 Joshua
trees tell you you’re truly in Mojave country. Though they can grow
50 feet tall, they are not really trees but a species of yucca.
They prefer flat areas or gradual inclines. The world’s largest
concentration of Joshua trees grows on the slope of Cima Dome near
Teutonia Peak.
Compare them with other yuccas that grow nearby. Banana yuccas
grow up to five feet tall and have long blue-green, curved spines.
Mojave yuccas can reach 20 feet in height and branch above ground
level.
One of Mojave’s many lizard species, the desert night lizard,
lives in decaying plant matter such as downed Joshua trees. Despite
its name, this tiny lizard is diurnal but may be active after
nightfall hunting termites.
Insects, often attracted by flowers of the Mojave mound cactus
and threadleaf groundsel, become food for birds. Joshua tree
woodlands support species such as Scott’s oriole and the American
kestrel, a bird of prey.
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