fun things to do with kids in california desert national parks    
  Travel for Kids
  | California
     
    Deserts
Joshua tree
California has unique and fascinating deserts, including two national parks – Death Valley and Joshua Tree. Death Valley is one of the driest places on earth and parts of the valley are below sea level. In Joshua Tree and the Mojave Desert, kids will see the unusual spikey Joshua trees. Palm Springs combines resort amenities with desert scenery and snow covered mountains.
    Death Valley National Park
    Mojave Desert
    Joshua Tree National Park
    Palm Springs
    Tip: The best times to visit the deserts are October through April. In summer, especially in Death Valley and Joshua Tree, temperatures soar over 100 - 110 degrees and it's just too hot.
fun books California desert
     
Desert Voices - kids books Arizona  
Desert Voices
Byrd Baylor, Peter Parnall

Poems about each creature of the desert – jackrabbit, pack rat, rattlesnake, cactus wren, desert tortoise, buzzard, toad, lizard and coyote. “Far down in the earth, quiet as a stone, I wait for rain.” (Picture book)

 

     
Desert Discoveries
Ginger Wadsworth, John Carrozza

A day in the life in the desert – road runners race around in the heat of the day and lizards bask in the sun, but desert tortoises and jackrabbits seek the shade. When the sun sets, out come the bats and kangaroo rats.  Try to figure out which is a desert tortoise and which are just rocks, and can you find the coyote singing in the moonlight? (Picture book)

 

 
Desert Discoveries
More children's book on other California pages