Joshua Tree National Park has another record-setting year, but some say that comes with an environmental toll

Joshua Tree National Park is the place to be these days, with 792,510 acres of vast open land, incomparable views of the sky – day and night time – and numerous trails of varying length and difficulty for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts.

The park set a new attendance record in 2017 with more than 2.8 million visitors – an increase of more than 338,000 over 2016 and the fourth consecutive record-setting year, officials said.

“Pretty much, Joshua Tree went from a sleepy little place on the road to the place to be,” said Seth Zacharias, who, with his wife Sabra, runs Cliffhanger Guides – a custom guided rock climbing business in the park.

“Go to eat at the (Joshua Tree) Saloon now and the line is out the door,” said Zacharias, who also sits on the Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce board.

Welcoming 2,853,619 visitors last year, officials said they have also seen more people using the park during the week and at off-peak times to avoid long lines of vehicles at the entrance gates.

BOOMTOWN: Will Joshua flourish or crumble under tourism pressure?

“We are pleased to see the number of visitors taking our suggestions by visiting during off-peak times, coming during the week and using the entrance at Cottonwood to avoid big weekend crowds,” park Superintendent David Smith said.

About 2.5 million people visited the park in 2016, pumping more than $123.3 million into the nearby communities and supporting 1,701 jobs, according to a National Park Service report.

An economic impact report for 2017 has yet to be released.

“I can tell you from my personal experience and being a lifelong native to this community, it is busy and all I see are lines everywhere – at every restaurant and shop,” said Kristen Burkins, Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce president/CEO.

Seven years ago, four rock climbing guide services operated in the park, including Zaharias’s. Today there are 12. His company has grown from three to four employees, including him and his wife, to nine today, Zaharias said.

CLEANUP: Valley volunteers suit up to battle deadly invasives at JTNP

Considering its close proximity to Los Angeles, Zaharias said it’s surprising the park’s visitor explosion took so long to happen.

The first year the park saw more than 1 million visitors was 1990. In 2012, the park had just under 1.4 million visitors.

Coyote Corner, a general merchandise store on Park Boulevard in Joshua Tree, has seen business increase maybe 500 percent over the past five years, store manager Stefanie Williams said.

Growth was gradual until 2016 “when a big boon hit,” she said.

Staff has been added, though it remains a small business with a total of three employees – up from just one a few years ago – and the two owners.

“Weekends are definitely the busiest,” she said. But during school breaks and holidays, the store can see a steady stream of customers all week.

Visitors, Williams said, come from all over.

“We get a lot of Canadians and people from the Pacific Northwest, especially Seattle,” she said. But they also come from Europe, Australia, the East Coast and Los Angeles area.

20 MILLION: Palm Springs tram welcomes 20 millionth rider

But while business is booming and the local economy is prospering, both Williams and Zaharias are concerned about the environmental impact on the park.

“Wildlife is more at risk,” Williams said. “People don’t care as much about cleanup … and things get runover and destroyed.”

Housing is in short supply, as well, because many are being bought as short-term rentals either by individuals with a primary residence outside the area or companies such as Airbnb, Zaharias said.

The park also lacks enough parking spaces to accommodate the additional vehicles, so visitors wind up parking roadside, Williams said.

On Feb. 1, the park introduced a shuttle service that allows visitors to leave their vehicles outside the park. The pilot program is scheduled to run through April 30.

Partnering with Morongo Basin Transit Authority, the shuttle leaves every two hours from Joshua Tree and Oasis visitor centers making stops at Jumbo Rocks campground, Ryan Mountain parking lot, Hidden Valley day use area, Intersection Rocks, Barker Dam and Upper Boy Scout Trail parking lot.

“The new park shuttle is helping to insure a great park experience to visitors even with our record numbers,” Smith said.

The “Roadrunner” shuttle is free, however, visitors must have a valid park pass to ride, Smith said.

Schedules are posted at all visitor centers and shuttle stops. Transit authority regulations allow for service animals on the shuttle, however all pets are required to be transported in crates.

Accommodations are available for wheelchairs and up to two bicycles per bus.

“We hope that the new shuttle will alleviate congestion in the more popular areas of the park. Ideally a camper at Jumbo Rocks can leave their vehicle and take the shuttle to specific locations both in and out of the park,” Smith said.

“This is a pilot program, and if successful, we look to expand in coming years to more locations and increased frequency of stops,” he said.

For more information on the shuttle visit, www.jtnproadrunner.org.

HIKERS: Remains of hikers missing since July found

Campers are now able to reserve campsites at Jumbo Rocks as well as Cottonwood campgrounds on the Recreation.gov reservation system.

“This will help eliminate the frustration of campers who arrive at the park only to find there are no campsites available,” Smith said.

Sites can be reserved up to six months in advance.

Admission to Joshua Tree National Park is $25 per vehicle for a seven-day permit or $12 for walk-ins, bicycles and motorcycles.

Free admission days in 2017:

Feb. 19: Presidents’ Day

June 9: National Get Outdoors Day

Sept. 22: National Public Lands Day

Nov. 11: Veterans Day

For more information about Joshua Tree National Park, visit www.nps.gov/jotr or call (760) 367-5500.