The Morongo Basin is an

endorheic basin An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into la ...

and valley region located in eastern

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,18 ...

, in Southern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. The Morongo basin is part of the Inland Empire region, and is considered to be the easternmost portion of the

Greater Los Angeles Area Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino ...

, the 2nd largest metropolitan region in the United States.

Geography

The

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

stretches approximately from the Little San Bernardino Mountains north of

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally ...

in the south, to the Interstate 40 area in the north. Lying within the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily i ...

, the Morongo Basin is east of the city of San Bernardino and

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain ...

, and north of the

Coachella Valley , map_image = Wpdms shdrlfi020l coachella valley.jpg , map_caption = Coachella Valley , location = California, United States , coordinates = , width = , boundaries = Salton Sea (southeast), Santa Rosa Mountains (southwest), San Jacin ...

and Colorado Desert. The Morongo Basin is located within the Mojave Desert and in the High Desert region of Southern California. The area's elevation can range from in

Twentynine Palms Twentynine Palms (also known as 29 Palms) is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Twentynine Palms serves as one of the entry points to Joshua Tree National Park. History Twentynine Palms was named for the palm trees found there in ...

, to in Yucca Valley. The higher sections of Joshua Tree National Park are within the basin. The terrain in the area is a desert landscape of hills and alluvial fans framed by

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

Natural history

The Mojave yucca (''Yucca schidigera'') (namesake of Yucca Valley) and the Joshua tree (''Yucca brevifolia'') (namesake of Joshua Tree city and park) are notable native plants in the region. The basin's habitats are home to Black-tailed jackrabbits, coyotes, and the Mojave Rattlesnake (''Crotalus scutulatus'').

Cities and Communities

Over 15,000

* Yucca Valley *

Under 15,000

* Landers * Pioneertown * Joshua Tree * Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms *

Wonder Valley ''Wonder Valley'' is a 1953 American film starring Gloria Jean. It was shot in Arkansas in 1951 and is considered a lost film. It is believed to be the first motion picture shot entirely in Arkansas. Cast *Gloria Jean *Lance Devro *John Fontaine ...

Climate

The climate is arid desert. Hot, dry summers; cool winters with cold mornings and occasional snow and rain showers. Snow falls in areas above in elevation.

Local attractions

* Joshua Tree National Park supports most of the tourism to the Morongo Basin and Morongo Valley. * Sand to Snow National Monument surrounds the Morongo Valley on all sides. *

Pioneertown Mountains Preserve Pioneertown Mountains Preserve is a Wildlands Conservancy nature preserve consisting of of land in San Bernardino County, California. It features geologically interesting mountain ranges and riparian zones. It is located in the Mojave Desert ...

*The

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

passing through it and the San Gorgonio Wilderness area of the

San Bernardino National Forest The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States National Forest in Southern California encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Berna ...

, between the peak and Morongo Basin. * Mount San Gorgonio rising above the basin on the west, the highest point in Southern California. * Integratron

Education

The Morongo Basin is home to the Morongo Unified School District, which serves all of the cities and communities in the area. Copper Mountain College is the only community college serving the Morongo Basin area, located in Joshua Tree. The nearest four year public university is California State University, San Bernardino north of the city of San Bernardino in University Heights, California.

References

{{authority control Geography of San Bernardino County, California Inland Empire Mojave Desert Regions of California Endorheic basins of the United States Valleys of the Mojave Desert Valleys of San Bernardino County, California Sand to Snow National Monument Twentynine Palms, California Yucca Valley, California