Joshua Tree National Park

El Niño has been pumping moisture into the Southwest this winter, which raises a question: Will there be a Super Bloom in Death Valley National Park or elsewhere?

Straddling the geographic divide that splits the Mojave Desert from an element of the Sonoran Desert, Joshua Tree National Park is a geologic and botanical showcase that is a climber's gymnasium.

Beautiful desert views. No crowds. What's not to like about camping in Death Valley National Park, especially when there are no rangers about to ticket you for camping illegally? Meanwhile, as the partial government shutdown continues to show the ugly side of keeping national parks open without adequate National Park Service staff, one Yosemite National Park ranger voiced concerns about managing crowds with a skeleton staff.

Like a slowly toppling row of dominoes, areas around the National Park System are closing to the public during the ongoing government shutdown because of the absence of maintenance crews to deal with garbage and human waste. At Joshua Tree National Park, officials also said resources were being damaged "by driving off road and other infractions."