Yucca Valley is located in southern California's San Bernardino County on the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Park. It is among a group communities, including Joshua Tree, Landers and Twentynine Palms, occupying the Morongo Basin of the southeastern Mojave Desert.
Because the U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center occupies hundreds of thousands of acres to the north, the city of Yucca Valley is home to many military personnel.
Population / Elevation
35,000 / 3,279 feet above sea level
Weather / Climate
Yucca Valley , California - Monthly Climate Normals
Year
Jan.
Feb.
Mar
Apr.
May
Jun.
Jul.
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
High °F
80
66
64
68
80
85
96
101
99
89
79
72
60
Low °F
49
36
39
41
45
52
57
70
67
59
47
41
35
Average °F
64
51
52
55
63
67
77
86
83
79
73
57
48
Rain
3.34
.95
.43
.11
.00
.00
.00
.01
.00
.00
.23
.65
.96
Lodging
Click Here for places to stay in Yucca Valley. (Rates, availability and reservation online)
Shosone-speaking Chemuevi and Serrano Indians occupied the Morongo Basin (about half of which is occupied by the city of Yucca Valey) until small pox epidemic decimated them in the 1880s. By that time, the area was being prospected by Americans, Mexicans and Chinese.
In 1881, Chuck Warren leased grazing land and after hand digging a well, opened the area to ranching. After the turn of the century, homesteaders began arriving in the area, and in the attendant fencing of lands, feuds between ranchers and homesteaders ensued.
After World War II, smaller homesteading plots allowed veterans with health problems to take up residence and after highway improvements were made, tourists and the movie industry were attracted. The city of Yucca Valley was incorporated November 27, 1991.
Things To Do
Events Calendar
January: Ballet Concert (Y.V. High School)
February: Healthy Hearts 5k Run
March: Wildflowers (Hi-Desert Museum)
April: Joshua Tree National Park Art Festival
May: Grubstake Days
June: Great Vibrations (Hi-Desert Museum)
July: Junior Naturalist Camps (Hi-Desert Museum)
August: Summer Art Show (29 Palms)
September: Saddle Circuit Fall Fling (29 Palms)
October: Starry Nights Festival
November: Annual Weed Show (29 Palms) December: Holiday Craft Fair
Desert Christ Park: Public facility displays the late sculptor Antone Martin's giant biblical statues sand tableau. Picnic and restroom facilities. Free.
Covington Park: Once the site of a Morongo Indian village, it has tennis courts, volleyball courts and a picnic area as well as a dance pavilion.
Wilderness & Recreation Areas
Sunfair Dry Lake: Recreation area for all-terrain vehicles (ATV) on the site of an ancient lake.
Mojave National Preserve:The Desert Protection Act created the 1.4 million-acre Mojave National Preserve in the heart of the Mojave Desert.
Big Morongo Canyon Wildlife Preserve: Used by Native Americans as an easy route between low and high deserts, these 3,900 acres are a world renowned small bird sanctuary. (BLM)
Johnson ValleyOff-Highway Vehicle Area: A varied landscape for the off-highway vehicles, punctuated by steep red rocky mountains, rolling hills, open valleys, dry lake beds and sandy washes. (BLM)
Trilobite Wilderness Area: 31, 160 acres of Desert Wilderness Area containing trilobite fossils. (BLM)
Sheephole Valley Wilderness Area: 174,800 acres of Desert Wilderness Area. (BLM)
Cadiz Dunes Wilderness Area: 39,740 acres of Desert Wilderness Area. The Cadiz Sand Dunes, with their unique flora and fauna, are the focal point of this wilderness. (BLM)
San Gorgonio Wilderness Area: BLM wilderness area east of San Gorgonio.
Bighorn Mountains Wilderness Area: The rugged Bighorn Mountains in the north-central portion of this wilderness are the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. Encompasses 39,185 acres of desert floor as well as 7,500-foot high Granite Peak. (BLM)
Historic & Points of Interest
Pioneertown: A town created by the movie industry as permanent old west movie set, now private homes maintain the theme.
Willie Boy Grave Site: A Paiute brave, Willie Boy was the subject of the last great western manhunt (4x4 recommended).
Gubler Orchid Ranch: Located in Landers, ranch offers picnic and restroom facilities. Free.
Giant Rock: Located in Landers, this is the world's largest single boulder, 7 stories high and weighing 23,000 tons.
Hi-Desert Nature Museum: Exhibits of desert plants, animals and minerals. Free. 760-369-7212.
