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Morongo Valley
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
11055 East Drive, Morongo Valley, CA 92256
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-sunset, daily
(760)363-7190, www.bigmorongo.org
Set
among the Little San Bernardino Mountains, the desert oasis at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is one of the 10 largest cottonwood and willow riparian (stream) habitats in California. The upstream end of the canyon lies in
the Mojave Desert, while its downstream portion opens into the Colorado Desert. The Morongo fault running through the canyon causes water draining from the surrounding mountains to form Big Morongo Creek and the marsh habitat.
The Preserve is 31,000 acres with elevations ranging from 600 to 3,000 feet, and has been designated as an Area of Critical Environment Concern.
There are trails for hiking, a handicapped accessible trail, and more. Great birdwatching (fall and spring are best)—more than 240 specices have been observed. A 2005 fire extensively damaged the Preserve, but it is recovering and all trails are open. Directions: Highway 62 to Morongo Valley, turn east on East Drive, one block to Preserve sign, turn left into Preserve. Visitor information at kiosk.
Covington Park
(760)363-6454
Covington Park, adjoining the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, is equipped to handle large groups for picnics and recreation.
Fellow Earthlings Wildlife Center
P.O. Box 1319, Morongo Valley, CA 92256
www.FellowEarthlings.org
Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center, founded in 1989, is the only privately licensed meerkat sanctuary dedicated to providing lifelong homes to meerkats that come from accredited zoos. Funded through
their “Adopt a Meerkat” program, the non-profit facility is open by appointment to adoptive parents on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Center has been featured on Animal Planet, National Geographic, NBC News, and The Today
Show.
Groves Cabin Theatre
8768 Desert Willow Trail, Morongo Valley, CA 92256
(760)365-4523, www.grovescabintheatre.org
Groves Cabin Theatre
was started by Bill & Joy Groves circa 1985. This intimate venue has a history of producing critically acclaimed and award-winning plays. Directions: Highway 62 to Morongo Valley, look for red, white and blue
rock on north side of highway, east of the one stoplight in town by about 3.9 miles, turn north on Desert Willow Trail (dirt road) for about one mile.
Yucca Valley
Blue Skies Country Club Golf Course
55100 Martinez Trail, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
(760)365-0111
Desert Christ Park
6929 Apache Trail, Yucca Valley, California, 92284
www.desertchristpark.org
Dedicated to “Peace on Earth and the Brotherhood of Man,” Desert Christ Park overlooks the town of Yucca Valley. Here are more than 40 statues and images portraying scenes of Christ’s life and
teachings. These remarkable works of steel-reinforced concrete were created by artist-sculptor Antone Martin a half-century ago as a world peace shrine.
Desert Christ Park is non-denominational and is open, free of charge,
during daylight hours every day of the year. It is operated and maintained by the all-volunteer staff of the Desert Christ Park Foundation, a non-profit organization. Directions: Take Highway 62 to Yucca Valley, turn
north on Mohawk Trail, jog right onto Sunnyslope Drive and entrance is immediately on your left.
Hi-Desert Nature Museum
Town of Yucca Valley Community Center Complex
57090 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday, closed national holidays
(760)369-7212
www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is a family-oriented
facility with collections and exhibits related to the desert’s unique natural and historical elements. The museum features natural history dioramas displaying wildlife in the desert, an interactive “Kids Korner” with plenty of
hands-on activities, a mini-zoo with live desert creatures, a gem and mineral collection, a Native American artifacts exhibit, fossil collection and gift shop. Rotating exhibits related to local natural and historical themes
are featured, as well as arts exhibits by local artists, lectures and special programs. Directions: Highway 62 to Yucca Valley, north on Dumosa Avenue one block, Museum on left. Look for the owl!
High Desert Living Arts Center Gallery
55840 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
(760)369-5040
Open: Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. from 11-6 pm
The Living Arts Gallery is a cooperative display and learning space, founded by the non-profit High Desert Living Arts Center.
Yucca Bowl
58146 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, CA 92284.
(760)365-7678
Joshua Tree (ex-Yucca Valley) Certified Farmer’s Market
As of October 20, 2007, the market has moved to downtown Joshua Tree!
Saturday mornings, 8 a.m. to noon
Highway 62 & Kickapoo Trail (Park & Ride Lot)
Yucca Valley, CA 92284, (760)420-7529
Open air farmers market featuring pesticide-free produce, farm-fresh eggs, freshly made baked goods, monk-made pies, Greek specialty foods, flowers, and more.
Joshua Tree
Copper Mountain College
6162 Rotary Way, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760)366-3791
Copper Mountain College currently serves approximately 6,000 enrolled students annually with a full-time
faculty of 30 and an adjunct faculty of 100. The college grounds are also the site of the biennial Earthworks art installationsand other cultural events and exhibits.
World Famous Crochet Museum
(At the Art Queen Gallery)
61855 Highway 62, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
www.sharielf.com/museum.html
Located at the Art Queen Gallery, and operated by artist/musician Shari Elf (the curator is Bunny, a crochet alligator), the World Famous Crochet Museum is open on weekends from noon to 5 p.m.
(reduced hours in summer).
Hi-Desert Cultural Center
61231 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760)366-3777, www.hidesertculturalcenter.com
A great venue for live theatre, concerts, and a performing arts academy.
Noah Purifoy Sculpture Garden
www.noahpurifoy.com
An installation sculpture park built by the artist made primarily
out of scavenged and donated materials. Noah died several years ago, but the Noah Purifoy Foundation has kept this site open for visitors. Please be very respectful of this special site. Directions: Highway 62 to
Sunburst. North on Sunburst, right on Golden, left on Border. Continue north to Aberdeen, make right. Go onto dirt portion of Aberdeen, make first left, look for sculpture park to your right (east).
Joshua Tree & Southern Railroad Museum
8901 Willow Lane, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760)366-8503, www.jtsrr.org
A non-profit educational organization dedicated to
preservation and interpretation of railroad-themed exhibits, focusing on the railroad’s influence on the history of the western United States.
Fully operational 15" gauge, 7.5" gauge, and G-scale trackage. Museum features several full-sized railroad cars and railroad station which houses the Francis Moseley live steam model collection. To visit you must call ahead and make a reservation.
Twentynine Palms
29 Palms Art Gallery
74055 Cottonwood Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Hours: Wed.-Sun. Noon to 3 p.m., Summer: Noon to 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
(760)367-7819, www.29palmsartgallery.com
Owned and operated by the Twentynine Palms Artists’ Guild, founded by a group of desert artists in 1951, the Twentynine Palms Art Gallery has been housed
in a charming old adobe at the Oasis since 1963. Monthly art shows are featured from September through May. The Summer Show features works by member artists, June– August.
The Gallery has a gift shop and offersmonthly receptions, seasonal social gatherings, fund-raising events, and art classes.
Bowladium
73868 Gorgonio Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-9502
Joshua Tree National Park
Headquarters: 74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-5500, www.nps.gov/jotr
A true desert
treasure, Joshua Tree National Park offers visitors a vast range of desert experiences to select from, ranging from auto touring, day hikes and camping, to rock climbing, backpacking and much more.
Covering nearly 800,000 acres, the Park includes parts of both the Mojave and Colorado deserts, with Joshua tree forests, immense rock formations, remains of old mines, stamp mills and ranches, Native American petroglyphs, cholla and ocotillo groves, wildlife and wildflowers, rugged mountains, and stunningly beautiful night skies. There are a variety of ranger-led programs and tours available. Check at either the Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms JTNP visitor centers, or the Park’s website for more details.
Oasis of Murals
Action Council for 29 Palms
www.oasisofmurals.com
Take a tour of the murals throughout Twentynine Palms. Since 1994, more than 20 historical murals have been painted on the city’s business walls, portraying its cultural heritage and Mojave Desert flora
and fauna and inspiring an arts renaissance in Twentynine Palms. Add the Old Schoolhouse Museum, 29 Palms Art Gallery, and the Oasis Visitor Center for Joshua Tree National Park, and you’ve got a great way to spend the
day!
Old Schoolhouse Museum
(29 Palms Historical Society museum)
6760 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-2366
www.msnusers.com/29palmshistoricalsociety
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Summer hours: Saturday & Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Free.
The oldest public building in the entire Morongo Basin, the Old Schoolhouse Museum houses the
Twentynine Palms Historical Society, and depicts local history in an intimate setting.
The Museum hosts monthly lectures, and is home to the annual Weed Show every November, a tradition since 1941! Directions: Take Highway 62 to Twentynine Palms, go southeast on National Park Drive, turn south on Inn Avenue, Museum on left side of street, across from the 29 Palms Inn.
Roadrunner Dunes Golf Course
4949 Desert Knoll Avenue, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-5770, www.29palmsgolf.com
Nine holes, water obstacles, sand bunkers, doglegs. True par 72 round of golf. Also features disc golf, 2 practice greens, driving range, chipping area and pro shop.
Smith’s Drive In Movie Theatre
4584 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Classic American drive-in movie theatre. (760)367-7713
Theatre 29
At the John Calveri Theatre
73637 Sullivan Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Box Office: (760)361-4151, www.theatre29.com
Theatre 29 is a non-profit community theatre, providing quality family-oriented entertainment since 2000.
Pioneertown
Gunfighters for Hire
www.gunfightersforhire.com
Old West re-enactors based in Pioneertown. Free comedy skits, reenactments, and wild west shootouts most every Sunday on Mane Street at 2:30 p.m., April–October.
Pioneertown Bowl
53613 Mane Street, Pioneertown, CA 92268
(760)365-6865, www.pioneertown.com/bowl
Pioneertown Posse
www.pioneertown-posse.org
Old West re-enactors. Free performances April–October, Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. on Mane Street in front of historic Pioneertown Bowl.
Pipes Canyon Preserve
(760)369-7105
Headquarters for The Wildlands Conservancy’s management of more than 37 square miles of wildlife habitat and hiking trails. Visitor facilities
are open dawn to dusk and include trailhead parking, interpretive displays, a shade ramada and restrooms.
Landers
Giant Rock
Giant Rock is reputed to be the world’s largest freestanding boulder, and it has quite a history. It is reportedly held holy by regional Native American cultures,
the landmark where the northern and southern tribes met each year. Since then its history has included suspected German spies, an explosive death, mysterious tubes leading underground, giant UFO conventions, and more.
In early 2000, Giant Rock broke into two pieces. A sign for the millennium, or just a campfire that got too hot? The mystery continues…..
Gubler’s Orchids
2200 Belfield Blvd., Landers, CA 92285
(760)364-2282, www.gublers.com
Gubler Orchids is one of the top quality orchid growers
in the world. Visitors are invited to explore the varieties of orchids and carnivorous plants, tour the growing grounds and enjoy the photo galleries and gift shop.
Integratron
2477 Belfield Boulevard, Landers, CA 92285
(760)364-3126, www.integratron.com
The Integratron is the creation of George
Van Tassel, and is purportedly based on the design of Moses’ Tabernacle, the writings of Nikola Tesla and, it goes without saying, telepathic directions from Venutians—definitely not just another building. This non-metallic
dome was originally designed as a rejuvenation and time machine. Today, it is the only all-wood, acoustically perfect sound chamber in the U.S. Tours, sound baths, & special events continue to be held there.
Whitehorse Ranch
(760)364-2560
www.whitehorseranch.com
A
gathering spot for Old West enthusiasts like the Mojave Muleskinners (mojavemuleskinners.com), Gunfighters for Hire (gunfightersforhire.com), or the infamous “Soapy Smith” doing his shell game.
Authentic re-enactors, movie set (about 20 buildings), prop rentals, special events.
Visitor Information
Yucca Valley California Welcome Center
(760)365-5464
56711 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
www.visitcwc.com/destinations/yuccavalley/index.php
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday
The California Welcome Center in Yucca
Valley offers information and resources for visitors to the California deserts.
The Welcome Center’s courteous volunteer ambassadors will greet you with a smile and help you find what you’re looking for—whether it’s a road map or help planning an itinerary for your family’s vacation. Public telephone, restrooms, Internet access, travel information, maps, hotel bookings, RV parking and handicapped access.
Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Information
61325 29 Palms Hwy., Suite F, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760)366-3723, www.joshuatreechamber.org
Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center
6554 Park Boulevard, Joshua Tree. Free. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
(760)367-5500, www.nps.gov/jotr
, www.joshuatree.org
Joshua Tree National Park Oasis Visitor Center
74485 National Park Dr., Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-5525, www.nps.gov/jotr, www.joshuatree.org
Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Bureau
73660 Civic Center Dr., Suite D, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-3445, www.29chamber.com
Visit29.org
Official site of Twentynine Palms tourism hosted by the Twentynine Palms Convention and Visitors Bureau. Visitor information with wealth of information on what to do in Twentynine Palms, the Morongo Basin, and beyond.
www.visit29.org
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Twentynine Palms, California
Information, Tickets and Tours, MCAGCC Community
Relations: (760)830-6213.
For more Morongo Basin visitor and event information, please visit The Sun Runner Magazine online at www.thesunrunner.com.
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