Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park

Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park Enjoy a picnic or a nature hike in one of the last pristine Joshua Tree/California Juniper forests in Park along Lancaster Road and walk in by the main gate.

This rare Joshua tree-California Juniper habitat once covered much of the valley floor, but most was lost to the agricultural boom beginning in the late 1800’s. The habitat is a haven for animals, and in favorable conditions, the Joshua trees bloom with a soft white pineapple-shaped flower. Enjoy the self-guided nature trails and educational display, and relax in the shade of the picnic ramada. Free admission.

Tomo-Kahni, or "Winter Village," was the site of a Native American Kawaiisu (Nuwa) village. Guided Tours of Tomo-Kahni S...
09/06/2026

Tomo-Kahni, or "Winter Village," was the site of a Native American Kawaiisu (Nuwa) village. Guided Tours of Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park are on Saturdays from September 12 through October 17. Reservations for guided tours are required. Tour fee is $20 per person. Tours are limited to 15 people and fill up fast. For tour information visit www.parks.ca.gov/tomokahni. Reservations are available through the Reserve California website at https://reservecalifornia.com/. Click on the Activities tab, use the drop down menu to select Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park as the Place, Guided Tours as the Category, and select an available date. Click on the Show Availability button to go to the sign up page. You can also sign up for a guided tour by phoning Reserve California at 1-800-444-7275. Due to the sensitive nature of the site, visitors are only allowed to visit via guided tour.

08/07/2026
07/04/2026
01/31/2026

Single and ready to mingle? Do you like a man who will serenade you? One with a long, curved beak? Well, Ripley has the bachelor for you! He goes by the name California Thrasher and is active and vocal right now at the park. Named thrashers for the sound they make as they use their long, curved beak to flip over leaf litter. This guy has come out looking to settle down with someone nice before Valentine’s Day. Listen and enjoy the sounds of nature enjoying this unseasonably warm weather.

Storm blowing in on January 7th above the Joshua trees.
01/21/2026

Storm blowing in on January 7th above the Joshua trees.

It is still winter in the Mojave, but early winter rains and warm temps kick started plant growth. Tiny pink red stem fi...
01/07/2026

It is still winter in the Mojave, but early winter rains and warm temps kick started plant growth. Tiny pink red stem filaree are opening and the leaves of annual purple flowered chia have pushed up from the soil. Winter and early spring are notorious for brutally chilly strong winds, so check the forecast before going for a winter desert stroll.

One of our wonderful volunteers braved the storm on 12/26/25 and snapped a photo of 2 flower buds growing on the Joshua ...
12/27/2025

One of our wonderful volunteers braved the storm on 12/26/25 and snapped a photo of 2 flower buds growing on the Joshua tree at Ripley. Rare blossom formation in December. A true Christmas present.

This account is intended to be a limited forum for communication and discussion between California State Parks and membe...
08/20/2025

This account is intended to be a limited forum for communication and discussion between California State Parks and members of the public about specific park-related topics. Comments should be respectful and courteous for other users and California State Parks staff to facilitate connecting people with meaningful memories and experiences.

California State Parks reserves the right to remove inappropriate comments, including those comments that are not topically related or that include profane or obscene language, s*xual content, threats, defamatory statements, the encouragement of illegal activity, violations of the legal ownership interests of another party, solicitations of commerce, statements in support or opposition to political candidates or ballot propositions, content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination or information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.

Any content posted may be subject to public disclosure upon request. Activity on this account is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies. As a reminder, California State Parks does not necessarily agree with or endorse comments that individuals post and reserves the right to determine what is respectful and courteous.

Comments may be removed, at California State Park’s sole discretion, if they contain:

Graphic, obscene, explicit or hate speech, including disparaging language based on race, color, national origin, gender, religion, physical or mental disability, s*x, s*xual orientation or age.
Abusive language or comments that can be interpreted as intending to defame anyone or any organization.
Personal attacks, insults or threatening language toward individuals, groups or institutions.
Private, personal information published without consent.
Material that infringes on the rights of any third party, including intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights.
Statements in support of or opposition to a political campaign, candidate or ballot measure.
Unauthorized solicitations or advertisements, including spam such as the same comment posted repeatedly on a profile.
False information or that which is unrelated to the mission of California State Parks.
Comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity.
Comments and/or hyperlinks to materials totally unrelated to the content of the forum.
Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.
Photos that fall into any of the above categories.
Participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. All links posted as comments on California State Parks posts will be reviewed and may be deleted. Repeated violations of our comment policy may cause the user to be blocked from social media platforms. Additionally, we reserve the right to enforce this acceptable use policy at our discretion. California State Parks may remove any posted messages that it considers to be in breach of this policy.

California State Parks offers free entrance to veterans, active & reserve military personnel on Memorial Day Monday, May...
05/23/2025

California State Parks offers free entrance to veterans, active & reserve military personnel on Memorial Day Monday, May 26th. Upon arrival to the park, present your proof of service for free entry.
On Memorial Day, we honor those that have fallen in the service of our country. Please take a moment of silence for remembrance at 15:00 on May 26th.
History: Although individual cities and states observed this holiday earlier, the first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868 and was to honor and mourn the U.S. military forces who died in the Civil War. In the 20th Century, the holiday was expanded to honor all Americans who have fought and died in military service. The National American Legion adopted the red 'Flanders' poppy (Papaver rhoeas- native to North Africa and Eurasia) as its official symbol of remembrance in 1920.
For info about our lifetime Distinguished Veteran's Pass visit: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30958

Address

20501 Lancaster Road
Lancaster, CA
93536

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

Telephone

+16619466092

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category