Desert Queen Ranch

The Desert Queen Ranch, owned by Bill Keys, is located within the Joshua Tree National Park. In 1910, Keys was hired as the custodian of the Desert Queen Mine, and when the mine finally closed five years later, he claimed it and a five-acre site for unpaid wages. He later homesteaded an additional 160 acres which became the Desert Queen Ranch.

The ranch entrance can be accessed from the Hidden Valley Campground. A guided tour is available at varying times depending on the month. Structures still remaining on the ranch include the ranch house, school house, a store and Keys' workshop.

The Joshua Tree National Park became a U.S. National Park in 1994 and was named for the Joshua tree forests native to the area. The park covers nearly 800,000 acres, most of which have been declared a wilderness area. Sections of Mojave and Colorado deserts reside within the park, and the Little San Bernardino Mountains passes through the southwest park border.

Park activities include: hiking, off road driving, rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and views of rock formations, desert terrain and the Ryan Mountain ruins.

The Joshua Tree National Park is 50 miles north of Palm Springs, 142 miles east of Los Angeles and 175 miles northeast of San Diego.