2.4 Million visitors to Joshua Tree National Park in 2020 spent an estimated $122 Million with businesses in the Morongo Basin and surrounding areas and supported more than 1,500 local jobs, states a new report from the National Park Service (NPS). Due to 50 days of park closures during the Coronavirus pandemic, the spending was slightly lower than the $150 Million reported in 2019. Even so, Joshua Tree National Park Acting Superintendent Jane Rodgers stated that the park was the most visited park in California and the 10th most visited in the country in 2020. Park managers predict that 2021 will continue to see high visitation. In May alone, the park saw over 90,000 vehicles, 40 percent more vehicles than the average visitation in May since 2016. Park leadership encourages visitors to recreate responsibly by keeping vehicles on park roads, parking in designated parking spots, respecting the wildlife, and leaving the park in better shape than they found it.
