During World War II, the vast deserts of the Southwest became unlikely training grounds for military personnel. One lesser-known spot was a bombing target now tucked inside the northern border of Joshua Tree National Park.
Bombs were dropped on Joshua Tree? Yes! Apparently so. But at least they were only practice bombs. And, of course, this was long before it was a National Park.
The bombing target is in a flat and otherwise empty corner of the park. The concentric rings of the target are hard to see. Time and the relentless desert winds have nearly erased it, leaving only faint traces almost completely covered by sand. It wasn't until I was standing right in the bullseye that I could make out its 200-foot inner circle and 400-foot outer ring. I believe the bombing target was used by the Army for aerial bomb practice from around 1944 to 1946.
Today, only a few rusty practice bomb fragments remain. I believe they were originally filled with sand. Please leave anything you find here where it belongs. These artifacts, like everything in the park, are protected. They belong right where they are, slowly being reclaimed by the desert, a unique testament to an often-overlooked chapter in Joshua Tree's history.
