Location: Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Strenuous: A max of 5-mile one-way daily hikes with ~800′ elevation change
Front country: Tent camping near cars
Join us for a week of trail monitoring and maintenance (brushing, drain clearing, and trail delineation) along the California Riding and Hiking Trail within Joshua Tree National Park. The trail is beautiful and diverse; showcasing both monzogranite and gneiss, a section of basalt, Joshua tree stands, and expansive mountain views. The project may also include helping transport various building materials to project sites.
Service Project Details
Volunteers can expect to help assist the National Park Service in monitoring and maintaining (brushing, drain clearing, and trail delineation) the California Riding and Hiking Trail (CRH) within Joshua Tree National Park. The CRH is an approximately 36-mile trail that travels from the northwest corner of the park at Black Rock Campground to about the center of the park’s northern boundary, near North Entrance in Twentynine Palms. The trail is beautiful and diverse; showcasing both monzogranite and gneiss, a section of basalt, Joshua tree stands, and expansive mountain views. The CRH trail intersects several roads so that each section of the trail is between 4-8 miles making it an excellent option for project day trips. A 4WD vehicle with high clearance is preferred, although carpooling to/from the job site is possible.
Depending on NPS staff needs, volunteers may also be asked to assist staff with project tasks. Project assistance could include collecting materials and helping to transport various building materials to project sites.
Project Leaders: Aidalicia Swertfeger and Bill Goolsby
Agency Website
Planned Itinerary
Sunday, February 26th. The Volunteer group meets in the afternoon at a time/place TBD. The group will go through check-in, introductions, an orientation, will help set up camp and prepare for the work week ahead.
Monday, February 27th. Workday.
Tuesday, February 28th. Workday.
Wednesday, March 1st. Day off.
Thursday, March 2nd. Workday.
Friday, March 3rd. Workday.
Saturday, March 4th. Break down camp, goodbyes, and depart.
Nearest cities
Palm Springs, CA
Nearest airports
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) – ~24 miles away
Ontario International Airport (ONT) – ~74 miles away
Los Angeles Internation Airport (LAX) – ~145 miles away
Free Time Details
Hiking, rock climbing, photography, viewing wildlife, and astronomy at night. Surrounding communities offer various shops, art galleries, and more. Visit the Salton Sea, Palm Springs, 29 Palms, etc.
Accommodations
Front country. Tent camping in a designated campground with access to cars.
Difficulty
Strenuous. A max of 5-mile one-way daily hikes with ~800' elevation change.
Task Details
Bending, cutting, hauling, swinging, digging, throwing, pushing, lifting, etc.
Equipment List
View Equipment List