Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
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The Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park is a California state park on the rural westside of the Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County, 20 miles west of downtown Lancaster and about 5 miles from the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.
Donated to the state by Arthur "Archie" Ripley, the park protects and preserves a stand of native Joshua trees and junipers which once grew in great abundance throughout the valley. Today, only remnant parcels of this woodland community remain in the valley, much of the rest having been cleared for farming, housing and some rather esoteric uses - directions for nighttime automobile travelers in the first half of the 20th century and even pulp for newspaper usage.
The Joshua tree played an important part in the cultural history of the Antelope Valley, providing a vital source of food and fiber materials for the Native Americans that inhabited the region.
Directions
The park is on Lancaster Road, the western extension of Avenue I, at 210th Street West. Take the Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Route 14) to the Avenue I exit and go west for about 19 miles. Alternatively, exit off the freeway at California State Highway 138 (Avenue D - not Palmdale Blvd.) and head west for about 18 miles, then go south for one mile on 210th Street West until you reach Lancaster Road.