Joshua Tree National Park is on track to have nearly two million visitors this year. Managing editor Tami Roleff says Park Superintendent David Smith told about 200 people at the State of the Morongo Basin October 29 that those visitors spend money in our Morongo Basin…
“The park is a big economic engine that helps the communities around the park.” At the state of the Morongo Basin event October 29, Park Superintendent David Smith said that two years ago, 1.3 million visitors spent $70 million dollars in the Morongo Basin, and this year, the park is on track to have two million visitors.” And remember, one in five of our visitors to Joshua Tree – and that’s 400,000 people this year – come to Joshua Tree to climb on that really groovy granite rock. So Joshua Tree is a vibrant part of what keeps our economy going.” During the sequester two years ago that shut down the park, several local businesses nearly had to close their doors due to the lack of park visitors. Smith said the park is available for those who can’t afford the entrance fee. “But there’s a lot of folks that can’t afford the $20 to go into the park, they can’t afford the $30 annual pass. So we don’t charge on the northern boundary of the park, at the Black Rock Canyon, Indian Cove, 49 Palms, Covington Flats. And that’s a decision that we made because we realized that this park belongs to the people who live around this area.” The National Park Service has made efforts to make the park accessible to everyone. It instituted the “Every Kid in a Park” program that allows fourth graders and their families to use national parks for free. Active duty military can also get in for free, and seniors can get a $10 pass. Smith summed up the state of the national park. “The state of the park is good, it’s good because we have good partners in the Morongo Basin.”
