Joshua Tree National Park – Cottonwood (South) Entrance

The Riverside County gateway to Joshua Tree National Park, where the lower Colorado Desert rises toward the park's iconic boulders and Joshua-tree country to the north. Cottonwood Spring's fan-palm oasis, the Mastodon Peak loop, and the remote Lost Palms Oasis trail anchor this quieter southern section, reached directly from I-10. Note: the park straddles the Riverside–San Bernardino county line; this entry covers the Riverside-County (southern) portion.