My visit to: the Barker Dam (Joshua Tree Park)

I already told you a bit about my visit to the Joshua Tree Park, one of the national parks in the USA. There, I found some nice Indian petroglyphs (you can read my post about it). In this article, I want to tell you about the historical water dam that you can find in this dry desert location.

Quick recap: Joshua Tree Park

Just a quick word of info about the Joshua Tree Park. It excist of two desert ecosystems (Mojave and Colorado) which gives you some unique landscapes, fauna and flora.

The Joshua Tree is the highest plant you see around here. They show you that you are in the Mojave desert and are only found on a couple of other places in the USA. The average lifespan for these trees is around 150 years.

It’s the Joshua Tree that defines the landscape of this national park, hence the name. You can read more about it on their website.

The Barker Dam in the Joshua Tree Park

I already told you about the Indian petroglyphs you can find in the Joshue Tree park. But not far from this spot, you can find another historical spot: an old water dam.

You don’t expect to find a dam in the middle of the desert, but there it is. The Barker Dam could still work (if there’s water) and used to be important for it surroundings.

At the start of the 20th century, ranchers would travel around the area with their cattle. They did this in order to find food for their animals. Several plants are growing in the Joshua desert, but spread out. A nomadic kind of life is necessary to feed your lifestock.

In the 19th-20th century, there was even more food to find. Grassy areas were more common. It is only since the 21st century that droughts turned this area in the present rocky area that made it impossible for cattle companies to survive.

The Barker and Shay Cattle Company

Now why is this dam called the Barker Dam? Well, it was the Barker and Shay Cattle Company that built it.

Why there? It was a logical place: the surrounding rocks already made a kind of locked in place that preserved water that fell down during rains. the Barker and Shay Cattle Company improved this natural dam and turned it into a working dam to preserve water for their cattle.

After Barker and Shay, the company Desert Queen Ranch would also work with the dam after making some improvements. They even connected a pipe to easily add more water.

Present time: Barker Dam in the Joshua Tree Park

Although the water level in the Barker Dam is very low, it still provides water to the animals in the surroundings. This way, the Barker Dam is still doing what it was supposed to do.

Where to find the Barker Dam in Joshua Tree Park

You have several walking trails in the National Joshua Tree Park. the petroglyphs and Barker Dam can be found on the same trail.

It’s a fairly easy trail (also for children) and not that far from a parking spot. So if you’re interested, go check it out. It should take less then an hour of your time during your visit to the park.