Trail Description

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Mastodon Peak hovers over Cottonwood Spring Oasis and portions of the Lost Palms Oasis Trail. The Cottonwood Spring area is an ecological transition zone between the lower Colorado sub-district of the Sonoran Desert (to the east) and higher, wetter Mojave Desert (to the west). This particular area supports plants from both distinct ecosystems, and astute travelers will see many examples of each along the way.

The peak - a massive monzogranite rock formation - was named by early miners for its supposed resemblance to a mastodon's head. This relatively short loop hike treats visitors to fantastic views and an educational review of the area's unique transitional ecology. Remnants of human activity spanning a millennium are also detailed throughout.

The trail gently drops through the Cottonwood Spring Oasis beneath Fan Palms, mesquite, cats claw and desert willow. Interpretive signs discuss oasis ecology and the life of Cahuilla Indians who once inhabited the area. The trail quickly leaves the serene oasis and enters a maze of desert canyons and washes. Despite dry and unforgiving conditions, the trailside is quite alive with Mojave yucca, creosote, jojoba, juniper, ocotillo and numerous species of cacti and cholla. Some washes support mesquite, willow, palo verde, smoketree and ironwood.

The trail rolls along alternating segments of ridgelines, canyon walls and wash bottoms to the Mastodon Peak Trail junction (.7 miles : 3,160'). The trail turns north on a moderately steep grade amid large boulders and rock formations en route to the summit. The trail occasionally fades but is generally easy to follow.

At .95 miles the main trail reaches the summit access point (3,345'); bear right along a faint network of foot trails for an improvisational scramble to the summit (1.1 miles : 3,440'). The easiest routes curl around its northeast face, but you'll still have to exert yourself up the final 20'. The summit yields remarkable panoramas of the Eagle Mountains (northeast), Salton Sea (south) and Cottonwood Mountains (west).

Once back on the main trail continue right (west) on the loop. With excellent views it runs along a high ridgeline beneath the summit and bypasses Mastodon Mine (1.25 miles). The trail drops abruptly into a wash and turns left (1.55 miles : 3,210'); from here anticipate successive and sparingly marked wash entry-exit points back to the parking lot. This area, in close proximity to Cottonwood Spring, supports a particularly rich and diverse ecological community - most years see a brilliant spring wildflower display in the wash network through which you'll travel.

The trail veers out of the wash to the right over a small knoll (1.8 miles), then drops back into and makes a left in the wash (2 miles). It rises out again at 2.2 miles, making a hairpin turn while dropping through a heavily vegetated satellite oasis (2.35 miles). Notable are several Eucalyptus Trees, a non-native species brought here by miners in the early 1900s.

The trail spills back into a wash and bypasses the Cottonwood Campground A-B access trail (2.45 miles : 3,055'). Worthwhile interpretive signs line the remainder of the intuitively followed route, which dead ends on Cottonwood Oasis Road, just a few dozen yards from where you parked.

Worth Noting

• The Cottonwood Spring area attracts wildlife, especially birds.



• Desert Fan Palm Oases typically form along fault lines, where seismic activity has uplifted layers of impermeable rock that forces underground water to the surface.



• There are 158 Desert Fan Palm Oases in North America - 5 are found in Joshua Tree National Park.



• Fan Palms can live for 80-90 years, grow over 75 feet tall and weigh as much as three tons.



• Fan Palms are naturally fire resistant, and often can benefit from it. The tree's vascular bundles are spread throughout the trunk (versus just beneath the outer bark), thus increasing insulation from heat. Seed production increases significantly after fires, and generally benefit from the removal of competitors and the creation of new space for growth.



• The Eucalyptus Trees near Cotton Spring are not native.

Directions to Trailhead

From the Oasis of Mara Visitor Center:

Follow Park Blvd (which becomes Pinto Basin Road, which becomes Cottonwood Springs Road) south 38 miles to the Cottonwood Springs Vistor Center. Turn left on Cottonwood Oasis Road for 1 mile to the trailhead.

From Interstate 10:
Travel north on Cottonwood Springs Road 7 miles to the Cottonwood Springs Vistor Center. Turn right on Cottonwood Oasis Road for 1 mile to the trailhead.

Contact Information

Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597

Visitor Information
760-367-5500