The Fortynine Palms Trail and Oasis is closed until October 1st to allow bighorn sheep undisturbed access to surface water. Joshua Tree National Park is under drought conditions, and herds in the area rely on the oasis spring to survive the hot summer months. The closure started yesterday and remains until October 1, or until summer monsoons provide adequate rainfall to increase water availability.
Park Rangers and National Park staff wants to remind you to be prepared when hiking in the park during the hot summer months -all hikes should be planned to begin at or before sunrise and end by 10 am or planned to not begin until after 5 pm.
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