Joshua Tree National Park west entrance to close for Jan. 12-17 construction
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – The west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, including the restrooms, will close to inbound and outbound traffic from 6 a.m., Jan. 12 through 7 a.m., Jan. 17, the National Park Service announced Thursday.
Park Boulevard will also be closed to vehicle traffic for six miles from the west entrance to Quail Springs Picnic Area. It also includes the Maze Loop and Bigfoot Trailhead parking areas.
Visitors will not be able to drive to or park at these trailheads during the closure. All other park roads are expected to remain open.
NPS officials said visitors can enter or exit the park using the north entrance station in Twentynine Palms or the Cottonwood entrance at the park’s south boundary. Exiting vehicles may turn around at Quail Springs Picnic Area.
The north entrance station is most accessible for visitors traveling on Highway 62. It is 25 miles east of the west entrance station and adds less than 20 minutes of driving time.
“Our rangers are super excited to start 2026 with a new west entrance that will better serve visitors, our community, and employee safety,” said Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers. “I'm so grateful to the incredible team effort in planning and construction. After this closure, the west entrance construction project will be complete and we look forward to decades of improved service.”
Visitors can access construction updates at https://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/management/2025-west entrance-construction.htm
Park rangers encourage visitors to recreate responsibly in their vehicles by observing posted speed limits and driving only on designated roads. Visitors can prepare for their visit by:
- Purchasing an entrance pass ahead of time at https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74286 and being prepared to show their pass at the entrance station
- Downloading the NPS App for trip planning and park alerts at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/nps apps.htm
- Checking the park website for current conditions, restrictions, closures, ranger programs, and more at http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
