California desert
Joshua tree habitat
The California desert refers to the arid regions of southeastern California, including the Mojave and Colorado deserts.
These landscapes feature extreme heat, sparse vegetation, and distinctive terrain—Joshua trees, sand dunes, rocky badlands.
We drove through the California desert on our way to Arizona.
The region includes Death Valley, Palm Springs, and Joshua Tree National Park.
- Death ValleyBelow-sea-level California desert
- Joshua treeMojave's signature yucca
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
- dryFree from moisture
- aridityAbsence of moisture
ghost towns · abandoned mines · off-road vehicles · rattlesnake · coyote · flash floods · kit fox · scorpion · drought · Coachella Valley · tumbleweeds · barrel cactus · kangaroo rat · extreme heat · starry nights · heat · mirage · dust devils
California deserttropical rainforest
Humid equatorial biome with dense vegetation
Amazon rainforest · rainforest · temperate rainforest · jungle · swamp
California deserttemperate forest
Mild-climate tree ecosystem
old-growth forest · redwood forest · grassland · prairie · orchard
California desertCalifornia coast
Western state's oceanfront
Big Sur · Napa Valley · Central Valley · Monterey Bay · San Francisco Bay