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| Covington Flats - Eureka Peak, CA | | -
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| | Covington Flats - Eureka Peak, CA | | | |
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Covington Flats - Eureka Peak, CA
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| Scenic Drive | |
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| no partners | | I started my second day in the Joshua Tree area by driving over to see George Van Tassel's Integratron at Landers, California. Last year I visited, but didn't go inside, so I was hoping to do that this time. Unfortunately the gate was closed, so it will have to wait for another trip. After that I decided to try to find another local attraction that I became aware of via Yelp and TripAdvisor: the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Sculpture. Okay. No clear directions to the place were given, but I eventually found it and did the self-guided tour.
Following that I headed up into Covington Flats and on to Eureka Peak, reached via dirt roads. The area is supposed to feature some of the largest Joshua Tree specimens in the park, and that proved to be true. The one downside was that there had been a large lightning caused fire through much of the lower Covington area that took out some of the giants. The side trip to Eureka Peak was the the highlight for me. Once you park where the road ends, tremendous views open up in all directions, much like at Keys View, which I enjoyed last year. It was too hazy to see the Salton Sea, which is in the distance to the southeast, but great views of the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains were enjoyed. Eureka Peak (5516 feet) was a real easy quarter mile walk from the end of the road. You are about 2300 feet higher there than down at Yucca Valley. This was the first California peak I had done in over 40 years, and the first one on the mainland! The only other one was Mt. Thirst, the high point on San Clemente Island (1900 feet). I did that while in the Navy in 1971, and it too was basically a drive up.
Last year I purchased two inexpensive books at the visitor center to familiarize myself with the park. I recommend "Joshua Tree National Park - A Visitor's Guide" by Robert Cates ($6.95) and "Road Guide to Joshua Tree National Park" by the Deckers ($5.95). Both good sources of information and history. |
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