Land conservation and protection remains a hot topic this year as populations continue to grow here in the Morongo Basin and other rural desert areas. The Mojave Desert Land Trust, or MDLT, has closed out 2022 with 6,901 acres of desert being permanently protected and added to their significant land holdings in California. Some significant acquisitions include 232 acres in Death Valley national Park, a 640 acre property in the Mojave Trail National Monument, and over 1400 acres in the Caliente Creek watershed.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust made purchases or otherwise arranged to permanently protect or preserve 6,901 acres of California’s desert in 2022. Included in those protections were 232 acres in Death Valley National Park, a 640-acre property in Mojave Trails National Monument, and 1,440 acres in the Caliente Creek watershed.

Some 7,000 acres of land was permanently protected this year through conservation efforts by The Mojave Desert Land Trust — including a highly significant acquisition of property in the Cadiz Valley.

What Was Protected? The 640-acre property in the Cadiz Valley located in Mojave Trails National Monument. It's significant because the property contains ample signs of wildlife with little human disturbance. In total, more than 8,000 acres of this monument have been preserved over the years.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced Monday that it worked to secure the permanent protection of 6,901 additional acres of California desert land this year. Among the parcels protected from development through the trust’s effort were 232 acres in Death Valley National Park, a 640-acre property in the Mojave Trails National Monument and 1,440 acres in the Caliente Creek watershed, according to the organization.

When I first started exploring the trails around Southern California, I did what a lot of new hikers do: I made a list of trails and tried to check them all off. There’s something innately satisfying about seeing my progress right there in front of me. I’m able to look at the list and say, “Oh, I’ve hiked a third of the peaks in Southern California above 5,000 feet” or “I’ve stood on top of the 10 highest points in the San Gabriel Mountains. ”In my book, as long as you’re outside (and following park rules), you’re doing it right. And for those looking for an entry point into the outdoors, lists can be a good place to start.

The Nancy Karl loop sits at the top of the Friendly Hills in Joshua Tree – a quiet neighborhood that backs up the northern border of the National Park. The trailhead is tucked near the end of Sunny Vista Road. There are homes and fences right on the trailhead, but it only takes a few minutes of walking on the soft granite path to feel like you are in the national park, with lichen covered boulders appearing as you gently gain about 300ft in elevation on the 2.3 mile loop.