JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK CLOSES COTTONWOOD VISITOR CENTER

The Cottonwood Visitor Center in Joshua Tree National Park will temporarily close August 4 through August 15, due to road construction in the area. The closure will be Monday through Friday. The visitor center will be open the weekend of August 9-10 with a planned permanent reopening August 16. Pinto Basin Road to the Cottonwood Visitor Center is undergoing road construction; travel through an 11-mile section of the road is by pilot car and visitors can expect delays of up to 30 minutes. The Cottonwood Springs Oasis and trail areas are still closed until further notice due to damage from the flash floods in September 2013. Other campgrounds that are still closed for the summer are Ryan, White Tank, and Belle. For more information about construction, call Kirk Diamond at 760-367-5680.