(Click on pictures to enlarge them)We left early and headed to Indio, CA to find a Wal-Mart and buy some leveling blocks for TREK. We found what we needed and then headed east back into Joshua Tree National Park and the Cottonwood Springs campground which is located at the south end of the park. We found a great campsite and also met up with our new friends Bill, Anne, and Sara (sheltie) from Victoria, BC.
Cottonwood Springs was an important water stop for prospectors, miners, and teamsters traveling from Mecca, which is on the north end of the Salton Sea, to the mines in the north. Water was necessary for gold processing, so a number of gold mills were located there. The remains of an arrastra, a primitive type of gold mill, can be found near the springs.
Cottonwood Springs was first mentioned in a gold mine claim filed in 1895, indicating that the trees are native. Huge Fan palms first appeared around 1920, perhaps from seeds deposited by birds or coyotes.
CLICK HERE to see the pictures of Cottonwood Springs and the Fan Palms. We enjoyed this hike with our Canadian friends Bill and Anne.
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