The Mohave Desert

The Mohave Desert. . , The most dangerous section of the Old Spanish Trail crossed the Mojave Desert; it is extremely hot in the summer and without major rivers running through it. Springs and the Amargosa River (which drains into Death Valley) made it possible to cross this smallest and driest North American desert. The section of the trail that passed through this park connected Las Vegas Springs to Cottonwood Springs at Blue Diamond., In the winter, low temperatures in the Mohave Desert average between 20 degrees Farenheit and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer highs average between 100 degrees Farenheit and 110 degrees Farenheit, reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit or more in some areas. Rain totals only six inches per year, but Las Vegas Valley receives only four., The Mojave Desert is the only home of the Joshua Tree. Creosote bush, prickly pear, cholla, and barrel cactus are plentiful. Cottonwood trees grow near water, but mesquite and acacia shrubs flourish far from streams and springs. , (caption:) Mesquite, with its deep root system, and prickly pear cactus are two native plants of the Mojave Desert.