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JTNPA | Joshua Tree National Park Association

@jtnpa

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Primary nonprofit partner for Joshua Tree National Park formed to assist with preservation, education, historical and scientific programs.

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🌍 Today is National Nonprofit Day, and we’re proud to be the official nonprofit partner of Joshua Tree National Park.

🌵 Since 1962, Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) has supported the park through funding for education, interpretation, scientific research, and visitor services. From operating visitor centers and a park store to providing critical support for Junior Ranger programs and tortoise tracking equipment, we help make your park experience more meaningful.

🤝 When you shop, donate, or take a class with us, you’re giving back to the park you love. Learn more about our work at the link in bio.

Photos by: NPS Desert landscape filled with Joshua trees and blue sky. by @jtnpa

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a year ago

Cooler weather means more time in the field! 🍂

October is a great time to experience the desert, and our Desert Institute schedule is full of opportunities to get outside and learn something new. From hands-on field experiences to creative workshops and guided explorations, there’s something for every curious mind this month.

🎟️ Explore the October schedule and reserve your spot through the link in our bio.

Photos by: NPS Flyer with people photographing on bicycling. by @jtnpa

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21 days ago

✍️ If that got you thinking, imagine what a few hours writing in Joshua Tree National Park could unlock.

On October 18, join Desert Institute for an Immersive Creative Writing Field Experience designed to help you slow down and turn the landscape around you into words.

Through guided walks and writing prompts, you’ll explore poetry, prose, memory, and observation while learning directly in the desert. No writing experience is required, just curiosity and a willingness to put something on the page.

And before you scroll away, give the prompt a try. How would you describe the desert without using hot, dry, or quiet?

🎟️ Reserve your spot through the link in our bio. by @jtnpa

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4 days ago

🦇 If you’re feeling like #3 because you haven’t signed up for our Defend the Dark campaign yet, no need to fret. You can still help protect Joshua Tree’s dark night skies and the bats that depend on them year-round!

Become a Defender of the Dark through the link in our bio and receive our specially designed T-shirt and bat plush while supporting this important work.

Happy Bat Awareness Month! 🦇

Photos by: NPS/Donovan Smith A grid of 9 boxes featuring bats. by @jtnpa

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6 days ago

Some arrive for a season, while others are simply passing through. 🐦

Each year, migratory birds travel incredible distances across landscapes and ecosystems, following routes shaped over generations. Along the way, places like Joshua Tree National Park provide important habitat where birds can find food, water, shelter, and a place to rest before continuing their journey.

On World Migratory Bird Day, we celebrate these remarkable travelers and the interconnected landscapes that make their journeys possible. A bird spotted in Joshua Tree today may soon be hundreds or even thousands of miles away, reminding us that protecting habitat here can have an impact far beyond the park’s boundaries.

Look up, listen closely, and see who might be passing through. Happy World Migratory Bird Day! 💚

Photos by: NPS Bird in a bush. by @jtnpa

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9 days ago

Sometimes the best way to experience Joshua Tree is to climb over it, squeeze through it, and find your own way around it. 🧗

On October 17, join certified Lead Guide Stephen Fredericks for our Introduction to Rock Scrambling Field Experience for Families at Barker Dam.

Learn balance, hand and foot placement, route-finding, and how to move safely across Joshua Tree’s granite landscape. Designed for beginners, families, and curious adventurers ages 8+. No previous scrambling experience is required.

October 17 | 3:00–6:00 PM
Barker Dam | Joshua Tree National Park

Can’t make this one? Join us November 1 for our Talus Caves Field Experience for Families, another hands-on adventure exploring Joshua Tree’s incredible rock formations.

🎟️ Two ways to climb, explore, and experience Joshua Tree National Park differently. Space is limited. Register through the link in our bio.

Video by: JTNPA/Paul Martinez taken in Joshua Tree National Park by @jtnpa

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10 days ago

🚲 What if, instead of driving through Joshua Tree National Park, you slowed down enough to notice what you’ve been passing?

On October 17, experience the park from a different perspective during our Desert Ecology Bike Tour, an approximately 11-mile ride through Queen Valley led by field ecologist Mike Medina.

As you pedal through the desert, you’ll stop along the way to look closer at the plants, wildlife, geology, and human history that shape this landscape. You may have traveled these roads before, but chances are you’ve never experienced them quite like this.

What to ride: Bring a multi-speed gravel, mountain, or fat-tire bike with knobby tires at least 1.5 inches (38 mm) wide. Pedal-assist e-bikes are welcome; moped-style e-bikes with throttles are not permitted.

Saturday, October 17 | 8:00 AM–1:00 PM
Joshua Tree National Park

🔗 Space is limited. Reserve your spot through the link in our bio.

Photo by: NPS/Paul Martinez Two people riding bikes on road. taken in Joshua Tree National Park by @jtnpa

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12 days ago

It’s tarantula dating season in Joshua Tree! 🕷️

Each fall, male desert tarantulas leave the safety of their burrows and begin wandering across the landscape in search of a mate. That means fall visitors may be more likely to spot one crossing a trail, wash, or sometimes a road.

Despite their intimidating appearance, tarantulas are generally shy and reluctant to bite unless seriously provoked. If you’re lucky enough to encounter one, give it plenty of space, never touch or chase it, and let it continue on its way.

✨ Keep an eye out this fall. You just might witness one of the desert’s most fascinating seasonal traditions.

Media by: NPS/Robert Zuniga taken in Joshua Tree National Park by @jtnpa

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14 days ago

Come for the trees, stay for the rocks. 🪨

The Joshua trees may get most of the attention, but the rocks have a pretty good story to tell too.

This fall, explore the geology of Joshua Tree on a guided hike, build confidence scrambling across granite terrain with the family, or venture to Amboy Crater for a field experience shaped by volcanic history.

🎟️ Find your next Desert Institute adventure through the link in our bio.

Video by: JTNPA/Paul Martinez taken in Joshua Tree National Park by @jtnpa

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18 days ago

The Night Sky Festival may be sold out, but there’s still another way to experience Joshua Tree after dark. 🌌

During the festival weekend, @joshuatreeexcursions is offering private, two-hour stargazing tours inside Joshua Tree National Park at a special rate. Tours are available October 9 and 10 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, giving you the chance to experience an internationally recognized Dark Sky Park in a more intimate setting.

Even better, 50% of profits from the tours will be donated to JTNPA and Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center, helping support the organizations behind Night Sky Festival and ongoing efforts to connect people with Joshua Tree’s night sky.

Tours are brought to you by Joshua Tree Excursions in partnership with Night Sky Festival.

🎟️ Reserve your private stargazing experience through the link in our bio.

Media by: NPS A Joshua tree silhouette with star-filled sky. by @jtnpa

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17 days ago

☕ Happy National Coffee Day! We’re celebrating with a giveaway alongside our friends at Fog & Fern.

One lucky winner will receive a Joshua Tree-inspired bundle featuring 4 bags of Fog & Fern’s Joshua Tree Roast coffee, 2 of their custom travel thermo mugs, a pair of Joshua Tree-themed socks, a JTNPA T-shirt, and our newly released tote bag.

To enter:

• Follow @fogandferncoffee and @jtnpa
• Like this post
• Tag a friend you’d share a cup with in the comments

*Bonus entry: Share this post to your story and tag us so we can see it.

Giveaway closes October 9. The winner will be contacted directly by us and announced on 10/14. Good luck! 🎉

#coffee #coffeelovers #giveaway taken in Joshua Tree, California by @jtnpa

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20 days ago

Caring for public lands starts with the choices we make while we’re in these spaces. What does stewardship look like to you? 🌱

Photos by: NPS People in desert landscape. taken in Joshua Tree National Park by @jtnpa

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23 days ago