Joshua Tree National Park back open

It’s been more than two weeks since campers could set up shop in Joshua Tree National Park. Alan Vetter has been counting

“I was following that closely and hoping I’d be able to get here,” Vetter said.

He already had to cancel one trip.

“I was supposed to go rim to rim to rim of the Grand Canyon. I wasn’t able to make that because of the closure,” he said.

Happily able to use the reservation he had for this weekend, Vetter joins other tourists celebrating open gates leading to open road.

It wasn’t just visitors excited about the reopening. As Lorna Shuman from Joshua Tree National Park told us, “I know when I was calling staff to call them back to work., you could almost see their were giddy. Just so excited.”

“I like to be here. I like hiking. I’m happy this place is open again,” Vetter said.