Desert Center in Riverside County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Barren or Bountiful

Joshua Tree National Park

Photographed by Don Morfe, September 30, 2007

1. Barren or Bountiful Marker

Inscription.
It seems to me that the strangest and wonder of existence are emphasized here, in the desert, by the comparative sparcity of the flora and fauna: life not crowded upon life…with a generous gift of space for each herb and bush and tree, each stem of grass, and vivid against the lifeless sand and barren rock
Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire, 1968.

Look around you. Perhaps you see a stark land that nature never quite got around to finishing. Or you may see potential mineral wealth, defense testing grounds, alternative energy sources, or a vast recreational playground. Or maybe you see the desert for what it is—a diverse, thriving ecosystem.

Erected by National Park Service United States Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Resources. A significant historical year for this entry is 1968.

Location. 33° 42.692′ N, 115° 48.352′ W. Marker is in Desert Center, California, in Riverside County. It is on Cottonwood Springs Road. The marker is located in Joshua Tree National Park on the road between I-10 Cottonwood Entrance and the Cottonwood Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Desert Center CA 92239, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Coachella Valley,

and in the Peninsular Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker

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, measured as the crow flies: Where Are The Joshua Trees? (approx. 2.8 miles away); Young Divisional Camp (approx. 3.4 miles away); The Desert Training Center (approx. 5.9 miles away); a different marker also named Desert Training Center (approx. 5.9 miles away); California-Arizona Maneuver Area (approx. 5.9 miles away); Coachella Valley Recipients (approx. 5.9 miles away); 33-barreled Organs (approx. 6 miles away); Cannons (approx. 6 miles away).

Barren or Bountiful image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Don Morfe, September 30, 2007

2. Barren or Bountiful

Photographed by Don Morfe, September 30, 2007

3. Barren or Bountiful

Joshua Tree National Park entrance sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Don Morfe, September 30, 2007

4. Joshua Tree National Park entrance sign

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 674 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 8, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.