The tourists were told to stay away.
Officials closed the visitor centers at the popular Joshua Tree National Park, in California’s Coachella Valley, on March 17 in an effort to curb tourist entries due to fears of the coronavirus spreading. Four days later, on March 21, they went further, shuttering campgrounds and paved roads indefinitely.
But the tourists didn’t listen, and neighbors are mad.
Hikers and bicyclists — traveling solo or with members of their households — were and are still welcome. But displaced overnight visitors were encouraged to move to public camping areas next to the park or to local RV parks. Those camping in the park were given until noon on March 21 to clear out, and gates to the paved roads were closed by early afternoon.
But hikers didn’t exit the area, local homeowner Brian Rennie told the Palm Springs Desert Sun, they just got creative about where to park their cars. Hundreds of cars lined his street, near Joshua Tree’s main entrance, he said, and took liberties with his lawn.
“I’ve had to patrol my property for the last two days,” Rennie said. After patrolling all day on Saturday, he went out to investigate some lights in his driveway at 10 p.m. and found a couple with their sleeping bags out, attempting to set up camp in his front yard. “I told them they had to go.”
The Los Angeles Times reports that there are 1,160 short-term rentals around Joshua Tree — which would usually be occupied for just a weekend at this time of year — that are being snatched up for weeks and months at a time.View this post on Instagram