Covering more than 25 million acres — about a fourth of California — the geologically diverse California Desert Conservation Area includes sand dunes, canyons, dry lakes, 90 mountain ranges, and 65 ...

Many desert plants can live for hundreds of years. But in California, the iconic Joshua tree—the oldest found was 1,000 years old—may not survive a hotter climate, scientists warn. If they don ...

American Indians were the first humans in the California desert. In fact, native Mojaves, Chemehuevis, and Quechans lived there for thousands of years before European explorers set foot in North ...