Joshua Tree National Park is a desert oasis

To celebrate the National Park Service's 100th anniversary this August, USA TODAY will be highlighting one national park per week in a countdown to the centennial on August 25th. From the awesome beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park and a wilderness so inaccessible that you can only get to the park via seaplane or boat at Isle Royale National Park, we turn to 1,238 square miles of desert oasis in Joshua Tree National Park. Take a virtual trip through Joshua Tree in video, then find more at our Joshua Tree National Park tip guide.