![]() ![]() Pitches are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.Īrch Rock is about a 15-minute drive from the Joshua Tree National Park North Entrance. This is one of the best places in the park to observe the Milky Way. After sunset, billions of stars turn the sky into a magical light show. Spot different species of cacti in addition to cottontail rabbits.īring a tent and camp overnight at White Tank Campground, located at the start of the trail and in the park’s darkest section. You could spend hours here climbing through crevices and jumping between rounded boulders. Climb to the summit to have your photo taken and then linger a while to enjoy the far-reaching views.Ī short walk away is a heart-shaped rock and at certain times of the day the sun’s rays create a massive heart-shaped shadow. If you stand beneath the arch you’ll get a true sense of its enormity. Rub your hand on the side to feel its smooth and coarse surfaces. The 30-feet (9-meter) wide arch evokes the image of a prehistoric animal. Learn about the formation of overlying rocks and dikes, which are sheets of rock that appear in the fracture of an already existing rock. Information panels along the route provide interesting facts about this area of the national park’s ecosystem and otherworldly landscape. The trail cuts through arid countryside framed by granite boulders of varying shapes and sizes. The short and easy 0.5-mile (0.8-kilometer) long Arch Rock Nature Trail leads to the main attraction. Arch Rock is a great place to appreciate the natural beauty of California, to sit surrounded by an eery silence and enjoy superb stargazing opportunities. It stands amid an area of striking mineral boulders, which have been created gradually over time by wind and water erosion. “To be blunt, without those, this species would be extinct.”ĪLSO: ‘Our Planet II’ Netflix series includes segment by Comox Valley us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.Snap photos of a huge and curious rock formation and camp beneath a sky illuminated by the Milky Way.Īrch Rock is a dramatic geological landmark located in the Joshua Tree National Park. Funding comes from donations, as well as from the Province of B.C. The Marmot Recovery Foundation has been breeding and releasing Vancouver Island marmots for 20 years. One reason for this is that existing wild colonies are most likely to accept young marmots. For best chance of survival, the pups are bred in captivity and raised for one year. Taylor said there is also another benefit to this branch of conservation work. Whether its digging escape tunnels, or burrowing three meters underground to hibernate, the Island rodent releases new nutrients. “There isn’t really any other mammal on Vancouver Island that plays that role.” “They are constantly digging up new spots,” Taylor said. The environment also needs them, according to Taylor, because the rodent turns-over soil. Taylor said that’s reason to believe the animals thrive in the area. As of 2021 the population had rebounded to more than 250 on about 20 Vancouver Island mountains. When the population was lowest, in 2003, nearly a dozen of the estimated total 30 alive were counted at Mount Washington. The species - endemic to Vancouver Island and one of the rarest mammals in the world - has been near extinction for more than 20 years. The program traps wild marmots, as well as breeds them in captivity and releases them back into the wilderness. That’s because the rare rodent thrives in empty meadows - which ski runs transform into in the summer time - and high elevations.Įxecutive director of the foundation Adam Taylor said the group is forming a “wild marmot factory” at Mount Washington. The foundation releases Vancouver Island marmots every year at Mount Washington. The four Vancouver Island marmots were set free on Comox Valley hill’s “Invitation” ski run, after being bred through the Marmot Recovery Foundation’s ongoing efforts to replenish the endangered species. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed marmots are digging their first burrows on Vancouver Island’s Mount Washington.Ī group of yearlings were released into the wild on the popular ski hill Wednesday. ![]()
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