| The Mojave Desert is one of the greatest places | | | | lowest point in North America, at nearly 300 feet |
| in America to see spectacular scenery. It's in a | | | | below sea level. |
| unique spot; it comprises the barrier between the | | | | Don't let the name scare you. Death Valley was |
| low, hot Sonora Desert and the cool, high Great | | | | named by the miners who tried to cross it to get |
| Basin of Nevada and Utah. It covers 25,000 | | | | to California during the gold rush. Many of them |
| square miles, and sprawls into the states of | | | | were unprepared, and none of them came with a |
| California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. | | | | fully-equipped motor home for cooling off during |
| You might imagine a big flat, featureless landscape | | | | the hot days! |
| of sand and rock, but that's just the view from | | | | Joshua Tree National Park |
| the highway. Actually the Mojave is full of desert | | | | One of the reasons why Joshua Tree is such a |
| wildflowers, majestic mountain ranges and lots of | | | | unique environment is that it's at the crossroads |
| variety of scenery. The entire Mojave Desert | | | | between the Mojave and Colorado Desert to the |
| includes Mojave, Death Valley, Joshua Tree | | | | east. Joshua Tree provides all the wild scenery |
| National Park and the Lake Mead area. The area is | | | | you could want, from windswept plains to giant |
| defined by its geographic indicator, the Joshua | | | | rock formations in odd shapes. It is a wonderful |
| Tree. You won't see these pretty desert trees | | | | place to see a colorful sunset across miles of wild, |
| anywhere else in the world. | | | | windswept sands with palm trees standing all |
| The main area of the Mojave is a stretch of | | | | around your RV. |
| pretty wilderness in southern California between | | | | Compared to Death Valley and other parts of the |
| Highways 15 and 40, east of Barstow and west | | | | desert west, Joshua Tree is quite green and |
| of Needles. On the east, it sits right up against the | | | | colorful. It is full of wildflowers, yuccas, cacti, |
| Arizona border. | | | | shrubbery and the famous Joshua Trees |
| Death Valley | | | | themselves. You can hike over the barren rocks |
| What do you imagine when you hear that? | | | | or among the pinyon pines. The variety of natural |
| Parched hikers, vultures circling overhead waiting | | | | beauty at Joshua Tree is what makes it so |
| for somebody to drop dead, a cow skull in the | | | | popular. |
| dust maybe. Well, don't let the name fool you. | | | | Where To Stay |
| Death Valley is some of the prettiest wilderness | | | | Your best bet in Death Valley is to stay at one of |
| scenery the great North American continent has | | | | the many RV parks in Death Valley National Park. |
| to offer. | | | | You can contact the park directly, or check out |
| It's not all death and decay in Death Valley. | | | | their website. The great thing about Death Valley |
| Actually, the valley has some rare animal and | | | | is that most of the parks are open year round. |
| plant life that you won't find anywhere else. It also | | | | Some of the most popular include Furnace Creek, |
| has some of the last completely undisturbed | | | | which is located almost 200 feet below sea level, |
| wilderness in the country. | | | | Panamint Springs Campground or the Stovepipe |
| One of the things that makes Death Valley so | | | | Wells RV Campground. If you want to be a little |
| interesting is that it has so much variety in just 3 | | | | higher, try Mahogany Flat way up at 8,000 feet, |
| million square acres. It has mountain peaks, like | | | | but be advised that they are not open all year, |
| the 11,000 footer Telescope Peak, and also the | | | | and you must have a high clearance vehicle. |