During the COVID-19 shutdown, Joshua Tree National Park remains closed but a webcam at the western end of the Park offers a bird’s eye view for online viewers while monitoring air quality. Reporter Heather Clisby has the story …
The National Park Service has set up air quality webcams in 20 locations, including Joshua Tree National Park. High atop Belle Mountain in Joshua Tree National Park, the camera provides an online view looking southeast toward the Eagle Mountains and the Chuckwalla Mountains. The view also shows the Belle foothills, the Hexie foothills and the bend of Cottonwood Road. The cameras are not live but the images are updated every 15 minutes.
These camera locations also gather and share air quality data such as ozone, particulate matter, visual range, and weather conditions, all updated hourly. Due to westerly winds and our proximity to the Los Angeles metro area, our park is particularly vulnerable to air pollution which not only blocks scenic views but can harm soils, water sources, plants and wildlife. Thanks in part to the COVID-19 shutdown, air quality in the park these day is reportedly “Good.”
