Joshua Tree National Park • Destruction of its signature trees and driving off-road during the partial government shutdown have added to problems that will force popular Joshua Tree National Park to temporarily shut down this week.
Closure of the vast desert park is set for 8 a.m. Thursday and will allows staff to address sanitation, safety and resource protection issues that have occurred, the National Park Service said in a statement Tuesday.
"While the vast majority of those who visit Joshua Tree National Park do so in a responsible manner, there have been incidents of new roads being created by motorists and the destruction of Joshua trees in recent days that have precipitated the closure," it said.