Where Joshua Tree's Desert Tortoises Go for the Winter

Joshua Tree's desert tortoises are heading underground for the winter. Each fall, when the weather turns cold, Mojave desert tortoises go into brumation, the reptile version of hibernation, and the park's rangers say that winter rest usually runs from about October through February. They're cold-blooded and can't make their own body heat, so they ride out the cold in burrows they dig themselves. Even in a normal year they spend about 95 percent of their lives below ground. If you do see one this fall, give it space, don't pick it up, and check under your car before you drive away.

Updated Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, 7:01 AM PT

What is brumation, and why do tortoises do it?

Brumation is the reptile word for a long winter slowdown. Mammals that hibernate can keep producing body heat. A desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, can't. When the ground cools off in fall, its body cools with it, and staying on the surface becomes dangerous. So it digs in and waits. The National Park Service describes the tortoise's whole strategy as resting through winter and summer, the desert's two hardest seasons. In summer the same trick is called estivation. Tortoises are most active in spring and fall, when they come out to eat and mate.

What does a winter burrow look like?

Longer and deeper than a summer one. Tortoises use the sharp claws on their stumpy, elephant-like front legs to dig. The park says their dens can reach up to 30 feet long, while summer burrows tend to be shallower and shorter. Underground, they're out of reach of the desert's swings between freezing nights and summer ground temperatures that the park's rangers put as high as 140°F. The burrows also keep predators out. If you come across a burrow, leave it alone. Don't block it, poke at it, or set up camp next to it.

How long has the desert tortoise been around?

Much longer than we have. The NPS estimates desert tortoises have existed for 15 to 20 million years. A wild tortoise can live 50 to 100 years and rarely wanders more than a couple of miles from where it hatched, so it knows its home range in detail. That includes where rainwater collects. Tortoises also dig shallow basins to catch rain, then store the water in their bladders. After a good storm they can put on a lot of weight just from drinking. The average walking speed, per the park, is 0.2 mph.

Why are Joshua Tree's tortoises in trouble?

Several pressures are hitting them at once. The desert tortoise was listed as threatened under California's endangered species law in 1989 and under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1990. Inside Joshua Tree, park biologists who have tracked tortoises by radio since 2003 report that densities have fallen from as many as 30 per square kilometer three decades ago to slightly more than 3 today. The park calls that barely enough to keep the population from dwindling to extinction. Common ravens, which thrive on roadkill, landfills, and litter, eat hatchlings. Cars kill tortoises on roads. A respiratory disease, Upper Respiratory Tract Disease, spreads between tortoises and through human handling, and the park suspects released pet tortoises helped it spread. U.S. Geological Survey researchers also found that drought hits hard. On a long-term study plot in the Pinto Basin, tortoise numbers dropped sharply between the early 1990s and 2012. During the drought, coyotes ate more tortoises because their usual prey of rabbits and rodents was scarce.

Do tortoises live everywhere in the park?

Nearly. The NPS says they live throughout the park except in the steepest areas. Joshua Tree also sits near the southern edge of the species' mostly Mojave range. USGS research in the park's southern, Sonoran Desert section found that tortoises there often spend most of the year in steep boulder piles and small mountains, and even nest there. Elsewhere in California, tortoises usually prefer flatter, sandier ground. In the park, females lay up to two clutches a year. Clutches average about five eggs, laid mostly from May through July. Nest temperature, not chromosomes, decides whether hatchlings come out male or female.

What did the desert's first peoples know about tortoises?

A lot. The park notes that Native peoples of the western deserts knew the tortoise well. Its shell became bowls, scoops, spoons, and ladles, and sealed shells filled with seeds or small stones made ceremonial rattles. Tortoise motifs show up in desert rock art, basketry, and pottery. Several creation stories also feature a tortoise shell, whose dome echoes the sky over the earth. (Rock art sites are fragile and protected, so we don't give locations. Look, but never touch.)

What should you do if you see a tortoise this fall?

Stop, step back, and enjoy it from a distance. Under the Endangered Species Act, handling a wild tortoise is illegal. A frightened tortoise may also empty its bladder, which can be a life-threatening loss of stored water. The only exception the park makes is a tortoise on or near a road in immediate danger. In that case, grasp it firmly with two hands, keep it a few inches off the ground, carry it about 50 feet off the road in the direction it was heading, and set it down gently, in shade if you can. The park asks visitors to report sightings on a wildlife observation card, available at visitor centers and entrance stations.

How do you keep tortoises safe on a park visit?

Follow Leave No Trace and a few tortoise-specific habits:

• Look under your vehicle before you drive off. Tortoises seek shade, and the park has posted reminders at all 500 of its campsites.
• Drive the posted speed. The park's top limit is 45 mph, and "Tortoise Crossing" signs mark spots where tortoises have been killed.
• Pack out every crumb and wrapper. Litter feeds ravens, and ravens eat hatchling tortoises.
• Stay on roads and trails. Illegal off-road driving damages tortoise habitat. The park restores scarred ground and puts up barriers to stop new damage.
• Never release a pet tortoise. Released pets can carry disease, and a captive tortoise likely can't fend for itself. Taking a wild tortoise home is illegal. To adopt a rescued tortoise, contact a park visitor center or a chapter of the California Turtle and Tortoise Club.

What's the weather doing this week?

It's still warm for late October. The National Weather Service forecast for Joshua Tree this morning calls for sunshine and a high near 76°F today, upper 70s Monday through Wednesday, and about 75°F Thursday. Overnight lows sit in the upper 50s, and rain chances are near zero. The park ties brumation to the weather turning cold, so with highs still in the 70s, keep an eye on road shoulders.

Entrance fees and conditions, checked this morning

A private vehicle pass is $30 for seven days. Motorcycles are $25 for seven days. Walk-in or bike entry is $15 per person for ages 16 and up. A Joshua Tree annual pass is $55, and America the Beautiful passes are honored. One more thing for your calendar: Tuesday, Oct. 27, is a National Park Service fee-free entrance day. Starting in 2026, free entrance days apply to U.S. citizens and residents only. It's on our Around town calendar. As of this morning, the park's alerts list Geology Tour Road as temporarily closed. Check Alerts & Conditions before you go.

Bring a little of the desert home

When you're back on 29 Palms Highway, stop by JT Trading Post at 61716 29 Palms Hwy in Joshua Tree, where 42+ local vendors stock desert-made goods. We're open Mon–Fri 12–5 PM and Sat–Sun 8 AM–5 PM, and everything in the shop is also at jttradingpost.com.

FAQ

When do desert tortoises brumate in Joshua Tree? Joshua Tree's rangers say tortoises typically brumate from about October through February. They come out as spring warms up and wildflowers and other annual plants appear.

Is it legal to pick up a desert tortoise? No. Handling wild tortoises is illegal under the Endangered Species Act. The only exception the park allows is moving a tortoise that's in danger on a road: carry it about 50 feet in the direction it was heading.

How many tortoises are left in Joshua Tree? The park says densities have fallen from as many as 30 tortoises per square kilometer three decades ago to slightly more than 3 per square kilometer today.

How long do desert tortoises live? The NPS puts a wild tortoise's lifespan at 50 to 100 years.

Is the park free this week? Tuesday, Oct. 27, is a National Park Service fee-free entrance day for U.S. citizens and residents. Otherwise it's $30 per private vehicle for seven days, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person on foot or bike, or $55 for a Joshua Tree annual pass.

Sources

• National Park Service, Desert Tortoise, Joshua Tree National Park (last updated Sept. 23, 2024), including the park's ranger video "Desert Tortoise 101"
• National Park Service, Desert Tortoise Telemetry and Conservation (last updated May 25, 2023)
• National Park Service, Desert Managers Partner With The Living Desert for Mojave Max Contest, on brumation
• U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Desert Tortoise Ecology
• National Park Service, Fees & Passes, Joshua Tree National Park (last updated Sept. 29, 2026)
• National Park Service, Fee-Free Days (last updated Oct. 9, 2026)
• National Park Service, Alerts & Conditions, Joshua Tree National Park; NPS alerts API check the morning of Oct. 25, 2026
• National Weather Service, Joshua Tree, CA forecast (checked Oct. 25, 2026, ~7:00 AM PDT)
• Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, The 7 Principles

Hi-Desert Field Desk is JT Trading Post's events and guides desk in Joshua Tree. We check every date, price, and closure against official sources the morning we publish.