约书亚树，加利福尼亚州约书亚树国家公园 Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park, California (© Tim Fitzharris/Minden Pictures)

约书亚树，加利福尼亚州约书亚树国家公园 Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park, California (© Tim Fitzharris/Minden Pictures)

沙漠中的匕首？ Desert daggers?

Joshua Tree National Park

These immensely photogenic and relatable trees, their shaggy, sinewy limbs thrust upward into the pale light of the desert sky, are the main reason people come here to California's Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree was declared a national monument on August 10, 1936, before being designated a national park in 1994. Perhaps no other national park is so completely defined by a single feature, be it a plant or wildlife or natural formation. While Joshua Tree National Park contains other wonders, this tree that looks drawn by Dr. Seuss is what visitors come to celebrate.

The park (and the town of the same name) could also be called the hippest national park in the country, owing to its proximity to Los Angeles, and the Insta-worthy, charismatic flora that have helped make JT a darling on social media. Van lifers, artists, celebrities, and other creative bohemians have fueled a boom in tourism, not just to the park itself, but to the surrounding towns, like Pioneertown. The kitschy outpost served as an old Hollywood set and is now a center of nightlife in the area. Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace serves artisanal cocktails with its barbecue and features live music, sometimes from the likes of Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, and Patti Smith. And if you can't find an elderflower martini in Joshua Tree, then Palm Springs and Indio and Coachella are a short drive away, something Yellowstone and Yosemite can't claim.

But for those going purely for the nature—the hikers, rock climbers, campers, and stargazers—the 1,200-square-mile park is no less a marvel. Two deserts, the high-elevation Mojave and the low-elevation Colorado, merge here, each with its own ecosystem. The Joshua tree itself grows only on the Mojave side, at elevations between 1,300 and 5,900 feet. Most of the world's Joshua trees are found here. A variety of yucca, Joshua trees live to be 500 and 1,000 years old with roots as deep as 35 feet. Most believe their name was first concocted by Mormon pioneers who likened their branches to the oustretched arms of the biblical Joshua. It proved catchier than its botanical name, Yucca brevifolia. And as any influencer worth their followers will tell you, it makes for a much more memorable hashtag.

约书亚树国家公园

这些非常上镜且相互关联的树木，它们粗壮有力的四肢伸向沙漠天空的暗淡光线，是人们来到加利福尼亚州约书亚树国家公园的主要原因。约书亚树于1936年8月10日被宣布为国家纪念碑，然后于1994年被指定为国家公园。也许没有其他国家公园如此完全由单一特征来定义，无论是植物、野生动物还是自然形成物。约书亚树国家公园还有其他的奇观，这棵树看起来是苏斯博士画的，是游客们来庆祝的。

这个公园（和同名的小镇）也可以被称为美国最时髦的国家公园，因为它靠近洛杉矶，以及有魅力的植物群，使JT成为社交媒体上的宠儿。范利弗、艺术家、名人和其他富有创意的波西米亚人推动了旅游业的繁荣，不仅是公园本身，还有周边城镇，如先锋镇。这个俗气的前哨站曾经是好莱坞的老片场，现在是该地区的夜生活中心。Pappy&Harriet的先锋城宫殿提供手工鸡尾酒和烧烤，并配有现场音乐，有时来自保罗·麦卡特尼（Paul McCartney）、罗伯特·普兰特（Robert Plant）和帕蒂·史密斯（Patti Smith）。如果你在约书亚树上找不到接骨木花马提尼酒，那幺棕榈泉、Indio和Coachella就在很短的车程之外，这是黄石公园和约塞米蒂不能宣称的。

但对于那些纯粹为了大自然而去的徒步旅行者、攀岩者、露营者和观星者来说，1200平方英里的公园同样是一个奇迹。两个沙漠，高海拔的莫哈韦和低海拔的科罗拉多，在这里汇合，每个沙漠都有自己的生态系统。约书亚树本身只生长在莫哈韦一侧，海拔在1300到5900英尺之间。世界上大多数约书亚树都在这里找到。各种各样的丝兰树、约书亚树的树龄分别为500年和1000年，树根深达35英尺。大多数人相信他们的名字是摩门教先驱们首先炮制出来的，他们把他们的树枝比作圣经中约书亚被驱逐的手臂。事实证明，它比其植物学名称短叶丝兰更吸引人。任何有影响力的追随者都会告诉你，这是一个更令人难忘的标签。