Your first thoughts when seeing the word desert may well be of a flat, boring expanse of sand shimmering in relentless heat. You will be surprised when you venture into the 25 million acres of Californian desert making up almost a quarter of the state.
California's desert is divided into two distinct regions - the Colorado (Low Desert) and the Mojave (High Desert).
The Mojave Desert includes the National Park of Death Valley and the Mojave National Preserve. Joshua Tree National Park bridges the change from High to Low Desert.
There is a road that winds south through the park from Twentynine Palms to the Cottonwood Visitor Center and the I10. Traveling this road you can see the change between the two desert regions.
To the south of Joshua Tree towards the Mexican border is the Anza Borrego Desert, the largest State Park in the country.
About the Author
Tony works for Strathlorn Travel who specialise in travel for the independent traveller to the USA, Canada, Australia and other worldwide destinations.