JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK TEMPORARILY CLOSES SOME CLIMBING ROUTES

Some climbing routes in Joshua Tree National Park have been closed due to nesting golden eagles. A park spokeswoman announced Thursday that the following climbing routes in Rattlesnake Canyon have been temporarily closed: Witch Hunt, South of Heaven, Rattlesnake Buttress, Rattlesnake Forks, Margaret Thatcher Spire, the Stepping Stones, the Bulkhead, the Dunce Cap, Commissioner’s Buttress, and Corrugated Wall. Hiking routes passing through Rattlesnake Canyon remain open. The areas will be closed until the birds abandon their nest; the closure is not expected to last beyond mid-June.