San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas fault bounds the park's south side, and is easily seen from Keys View.
Plan Around San Andreas Fault
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
San Andreas Fault Details
Hundreds of faults crisscross Joshua Tree National Park, and it's a great place to see the effects of their presence. The San Andreas fault, the most famous of the bunch, bounds the park's south side, and is easily seen from Keys View. Fault zones are important when it comes to localizing natural springs. Movement caused by these faults causes impervious zones of shattered rock fragments to form an underground dam, which forces ground water to rise. The Oasis of Mara at the visitor center in Twentynine Palms, for example, marks the Pinto Mountain fault. The park has five total fault-caused oases, which supply food and water to a wide variety of wildlife.
Difficulty
Low
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Nearby Parks Around San Andreas Fault
Compare nearby parks around San Andreas Fault when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around San Andreas Fault
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond San Andreas Fault while the map context is still fresh.
2.0 mi away
Berdoo Canyon Road
Berdoo Canyon Road connects the south end of Geology Tour Road with Dillon Road, and requires 4WD vehicles with high clearance to navigate.
3.8 mi away
Indio Hills Palms
Take a short drive into the Coachella Valley, and you will end up at this park.
4.3 mi away
Indio
Indio, a city of almost 80,000 residents, lies 25 miles east of Palm Springs on I-10 in the Coachella Valley.
5.8 mi away
Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge holds most of the critical habitat for the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard within the Indio Hills Palms State Reserve and Coachella Valley Preserve.
7.9 mi away
Grand Tank
Within Joshua Tree, "tank" is a general term referring to a natural depression from which a reservoir has been created, usually by cattle ranchers.
