Joshua Tree and the National Park experienced unprecedented traffic and congestion over the weekend, owing to visitors coming out to view the Perseid Meteor Shower over the weekend.
Saturday night was a shock to most in the morongo basin – even those who were expecting an uptick in visitors this weekend.
Both lanes of the congested throughout the park and from all entrances.
The National Park told Z107.7 that – over the weekend – all campgrounds were full and all parking lots were filled to capacity – many cars were parked alongside the roads and getting stuck in soft sand – with an Instagram post from the park showing some cars illegally parked on protected land, alongside trash and illegal fires.
The National Park encouraged everyone on Sunday to stay home to view the meteor shower and avoid the congestion that stretched back for miles at both entrances.
Park staff declined to provide numbers regarding park attendance over the weekend, but the number of people within the park could be record-breaking.
Residents of the Morongo Basin experienced major delays along Twentynine Palms Highway Saturday night, as visitors flocked to the national park and surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower.
Alta Loma – which runs parallel to Highway 62 and leads to Park Blvd in Joshua Tree, saw long lines of traffic heading toward the park – and social media posts showed long lines of headlights and brake lights snaking down Utah Trail and Quail Springs Road.
Traffic continued to be dense even in the early Sunday morning hours through to the afternoon, as these same visitors departed the area, causing major delays down the Morongo grade.
