BLM Dispatch #47 - Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Well, we’re at the edge of desert season now. The mesquites are pushing out their feather-like leaves, rattlesnakes are emerging from dens, and daytime temperatures are climbing well past what feels reasonable.
This week’s dispatch takes us to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountain National Monument, where public lands rise abruptly from the Coachella Valley floor to elevations nearing 11,000 feet — protecting an astonishing transition from creosote flats and palm oases to alpine forests and snow-covered peaks.
Jointly managed by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service, the monument contains a vast network of campgrounds, canyons, trails, and wilderness areas. Near the desert floor sits a surprisingly excellent visitor center — the kind more commonly associated with national parks than BLM land — complete with interpretive exhibits, maps, helpful staff, and a much appreciated blast of air conditioning before heading back into the heat…
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