Vandalism Prompts Closing Of Area In Joshua Tree National Park, Officials Say Social Media Partly To Blame

Joshua Tree National Park is temporarily closing off access to Rattlesnake Canyon after a string of spray paint vandalism has continued to deface the area since January.

While it started as a few markings, the park reports that social media posts seemed to have fanned the flames, leading to more individuals who took to desecrating several areas, including archaeological sites.

The emergency closure will take effect Monday, April 8 and will last through April 30, during which time park staff will work to evaluate and attempt to mitigate the damage to the "scenic, natural and cultural resources affected," as stated in a press release.

Should the officials deem it necessary, the ban could last longer than currently planned.

In the mean time, the park "reminds visitors that we appreciate your assistance in watching for and reporting acts of vandalism or suspicious activity to park personnel."

Joshua Tree Park's nearly 800,000 acres represent the junction of three of California's ecosystems: the Colorado Desert, the Mojave Desert and the Little San Bernadino Mountains.

In addition to a extensive plant variety, the park is home to herds of desert bighorn and six different species of rattlesnakes. 

Furthermore, the park lies astride the the Pacific flyway of many migratory birds and serves as an important resting spot for them. 

The park is also famous for its geologic diversity, which includes exposed granite monoliths and canyon developed by the tectonic and erosional forces at play in the area.

Other natural phenomena include washes, playas, alluvial fans, bajadas, desert varnish, igneous and metamorphic rocks.

The Joshua tree, for which the park gets its name, is a member of the Agave family and, like the California fan palm, it is a monocot, in the subgroup of flowering plants that includes grasses and orchids. The tree was named, according to legend, by Mormon pioneers who made their way across the Colorado River in the mid-19th century and consequently named it after the biblical, Joshua, because its outstretched branches, they believed, resembled arms stretched out in supplication.