58-646: Marsha P. Johnson State Park (formerly and also known as East River State Park ) is an 11-acre (4.5 ha) state park in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City , New York , U.S. The park stretches along the East River near North 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets, with views of the Williamsburg Bridge and Midtown Manhattan . East River State Park opened in 2007 on
116-526: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of
174-479: A Spanish word for sheep. With 585,930 acres (237,120 ha) that includes one-fifth of San Diego County , it is the largest state park in California and the third largest state park nationally. The park occupies eastern San Diego County and reaches into Imperial and Riverside counties, enveloping two communities: Borrego Springs , which is home to the park's headquarters, and Shelter Valley . The park
232-881: A continental scale called the Great American Interchange , and are present in Anza-Borrego's fossils. Animals such as giant ground sloths and porcupines made their first appearance in North America at this time. The oldest terrestrial vertebrate fossils from the Colorado Desert predate the late Miocene invasion of the Gulf of California. These very rare fossils include a gomphothere (elephant-like mammal), rodent , felid and small camelid , and were collected from 10– to 12-million-year-old riverine and near-shore lake deposits. However,
290-452: A deficiency in precipitation due to the continental tropical air mass which has very dry warm air. As climate change increases there is potential for wetter years which bring about "super blooms," that boost tourism during the winter and early spring. Locals began to rely on seasonal tourism to boost their economies, and, along with wet years climate change has threatened the economy as it has the ability to produce longer droughts which threaten
348-530: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about
406-500: A giant short-faced bear ; Smilodon , a saber-toothed cat ; Miracinonyx , the North American cheetah; Mammuthus imperator , the largest known mammoth ; Tapirus , an extinct tapir ; Equus enormis and Equus scotti , two species of extinct Pleistocene horses; Gigantocamelus a giant camel; and Capromeryx minor , the dwarf pronghorn . Within the state park, Mammuthus remains, including two complete skulls and
464-648: A partial skeleton, have been uncovered at 46 different archeological sites. Most of these sites are located in the Borrego Badlands. Gompotherium , Stegomastodon , Mammuthus meridionalis , and Mammuthus columbi are among the various mammoth fossils to be found in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. A Gompotherium jaw is on display at the University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley. The Native Americans of
522-624: A railway route to the Pacific. Blake first named this region the Colorado Desert. Since the late 19th century, numerous scientific studies and published papers have centered on the marine organisms that inhabited the ancient Gulf of California. Fossil assemblages from the classic Imperial Formation include calcareous nanoplankton and dinoflagellates , foraminifera , corals , polychaetes , clams , gastropods , sea urchins , sand dollars , and crabs and shrimp. The deposits also yield
580-543: A recent study done in 2018. Some areas are habitats for the desert bighorn sheep . The peninsula bighorn sheep reside in Anza-Borrego. They have been federally endangered since 1998 and are one of the most iconic species of this state park. Observers count this endangered species to study the population, and monitor its current decline from human encroachment . The two biggest threats to bighorn sheep populations are anthropogenic influences and climate change. As humans continue to develop in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and
638-699: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use
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#1732797615368696-795: A shift from around 3400 long term residents to around 200,000 tourists. The habitats are primarily within the Colorado Desert ecosystem of the Sonoran Desert ecoregion . The higher extreme northern and eastern sections in the Peninsular Ranges are in the California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. The park has about 600 species of native plants. The park contains bajadas and desert washes; rock formations and colorful badlands , large arid landscapes, and mountains. The bajadas are predominantly creosote bush-bur sage with creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata ) and
754-583: Is a non-profit educational organization and is the sole cooperating association of the park. It manages all sales at the State Park Visitor Center and State Park Store. The Anza-Borrego Institute, the education arm of the foundation, provides in-depth educational courses to more than 100,000 visitors each year. The institute offers in-depth field programs, a fifth-grade environmental camp, citizen science research, and Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students . The foundation's mission
812-549: Is a valley in the State Park. It consists of the main Blair Valley and Little Blair Valley separated by a small mountain range over which Foot and Walker Pass leads. To the west of the valley lies Granite Mountain , to the east the range of Vallecito Mountains . The valley can be crossed by dirt roads, e.g., to reach a look-out point over Smuggler Canyon or sites of Indian pre-Hispanic art. Borrego Palm Canyon
870-548: Is adjacent to the city-run Bushwick Inlet Park . The park opened on May 26, 2007, and was originally known as East River State Park. Unlike other nearby parks, it closes at dusk. State park rules prohibit dogs and bicycle riding. In 2009, the music concerts that were held at the McCarren Park Pool were relocated to the East River State Park. The Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA) selected
928-602: Is an anchor in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve , and adjacent to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument . The great bowl of the surrounding desert is surrounded by mountains, with the Vallecito Mountains to the south and the highest Santa Rosa Mountains to the north which are in the wilderness area, without paved roads and with the only year-round creeks . Blair Valley
986-569: Is important to recognize the necessity to protect them and mitigate our impact on their limited and unique environment. Anza-Borrego State Park is located in the Colorado Desert Region of Southern California which is an extension of the Mexican Sonoran Desert. The Koppen Climate classification for Anza Borrego Desert State Park is BWh . The characteristics of this climate are typically hot and arid along with
1044-405: Is more to it than that: cool piney heights, springs and oozing ciénegas , spectacular although brief waves of wild flowers in spring, and native fragrances of pervasive sage, subtle cottonwood, and even more subtle earth. The park has 500 mi (800 km) of dirt roads, 12 designated wilderness areas , and 110 mi (180 km) of hiking trails . Park information and maps are available in
1102-493: Is the site of park headquarters and has "the most famous view point in the park, overlooking barren, spectacularly eroded Borrego Badlands." Tamarisk Grove hosts a campground and is close to Yaqui Well , a "historic watering spot...with magnificent desert ironwood trees and a busy wildlife population." Anza-Borrego is often pictured as a wrinkled wasteland of harshly eroded, nearly barren clay and gravel, possibly because its gullied badlands are its most eroded phenomenon. There
1160-660: The Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium, is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with
1218-512: The Blancan - Irvingtonian North American land mammal ages boundary fall within the long geological record from the Anza-Borrego region. Environmental changes associated with these geological time divisions are probably better tracked by fossils from the Anza-Borrego region than in any other North American continental platform stratum . These changes herald the beginning of the Ice Ages , and
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#17327976153681276-503: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park ( / ˈ æ n z ə b ə ˈ r eɪ ɡ oʊ / , AN-zə bə-RAY-goh ) is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of Southern California , United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego ,
1334-623: The Pacific Crest Trail and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail . Stargazing is another activity at Anza-Borrego. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association in 2018. Ecotourism is big for Anza-Borrego. On average, the population of Borrego Springs increases by about 580% in peak wildflower superbloom season. This is
1392-518: The "Elephant Knees" along Fish Creek. Many of the marine fossils are closely related to forms from the Caribbean Sea . They document a time before the Isthmus of Panama formed when the warm Gulf Stream of the western Atlantic Ocean invaded eastern Pacific Ocean waters. As North and South America connected about three million years ago, terrestrial faunal north-south migrations began on
1450-810: The East River State Park as the site for future performances. The park has been nicknamed the Williamsburg Waterfront. Through a public/private partnership the Open Space Alliance and Ticketmaster, live music performances will be held through the summer months at the East River State Park. On February 1, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced that the East River State Park in Brooklyn would be renamed in honor of gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson . New York state governor Andrew Cuomo formally rededicated
1508-528: The Salton Trough, extending northward past what would become the city of Palm Springs. These tropical waters supported a profusion of both large and small marine organisms. Through time, the sea gave way as an immense volume of sediment eroded during the formation of the Grand Canyon spilled into the Salton Trough. Little by little, the ancestral Colorado River built a massive river delta across
1566-586: The border practically confined to the Anza-Borrego region." The park has natural springs and oases , with the state's only native palm, the California fan palm . Seasonal wildflower displays can be seen in many plant community association throughout the park. Superblooms , one of the biggest Anza-Borrego State Park attractions, are indispensable indicators of the increasingly severe implications of climate change, precipitation levels, and shifting seasonal starting and ending periods. Superblooms are fundamental healthy and natural aspects to this desert, as it boosts
1624-738: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with
1682-478: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are
1740-716: The high and forested Laguna Mountains , such as in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park . These highways climb from the coast to 2,400 ft (730 m) above sea level, then descend 2,000 ft (610 m) down into the Borrego Valley in the center of the park. Access from the south is via the southern portion of S2. A popular site to hike to near the visitor center is Hellhole Palms, a grove of California fan palms in Hellhole Canyon near Maidenhair Falls. The park also provides access points to
1798-476: The lack of public input for the plans. In August 2022, on the 77th anniversary of Johnson's birth, governor Kathy Hochul announced that a new gate to the park would be constructed as part of a renovation. The gateway would contain floral decorations, which Johnson frequently wore, and the words "Pay it no mind", which Johnson sardonically said was what her middle initial stood for. State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at
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1856-493: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to
1914-548: The local economy with the influx of tourism and is vital player in the desert biome. The high-country to the north and east has closed-cone pine forests , manzanitas and oak woodlands . The oases are prolific with many types of fauna, especially for bird-watching. Throughout the park, visitors may see bighorn sheep , mountain lions , badgers , kit foxes , mule deer , coyotes , greater roadrunners , golden eagles , black-tailed jackrabbits , ground squirrels , kangaroo rats , deer mouse, quail , and prairie falcons . In
1972-659: The most significant and abundant vertebrate fossils have been recovered from the latest Miocene through late- Pleistocene riverine and flood plain deposits of the Palm Spring Formation in the Vallecito and Fish Creek Badlands and Ocotillo Conglomerate exposed in the Borrego Badlands. These fossil assemblages occur in a 3.5-million-year-long, uninterrupted stratigraphic sequence that has been dated using horizons of volcanic ash and paleomagnetic methods. The bestiary for this savannah landscape includes some of
2030-503: The most unusual creatures to inhabit North America – animals such as: Geochelone , a giant bathtub-sized tortoise; Aiolornis incredibilis , the largest flying bird of the Northern Hemisphere, with 17-ft (5.2-m) wing span; Paramylodon , Megalonyx and Nothrotheriops , giant ground sloths, some with bony armor within their skin; Pewelagus , a very small rabbit; Borophagus , a hyena -like dog; Arctodus ,
2088-609: The northernmost end of an active rift valley and a geological continental plate boundary. The trough extends north from the Gulf of California to San Gorgonio Pass , and from the eastern rim of the Peninsular Ranges eastward to the San Andreas Fault zone along the far side of the Coachella Valley . Over the past seven million years, a relatively complete geologic record of over 20,000 ft (6,100 m) of fossil-bearing sediment has been deposited within
2146-470: The palo verde-cactus shrub ecosystems with the palo verde tree ( Parkinsonia microphylla ), cacti , and ocotillo . In the washes, Colorado/Sonoran microphylla woodlands can be found. These woodlands include such plants as smoke tree ( Psorothamnus spinosus ), velvet mesquite ( Prosopis velutina ), and catclaw ( Acacia greggii ). The park is home to elephant trees ( Bursera microphylla ), which are "fairly common in parts of Baja California but north of
2204-557: The park along the rift valley's western margin. Paleontological remains are widespread and diverse, and are found scattered over hundreds of square miles of eroded badlands terrain extending south from the Santa Rosa Mountains into northern Baja California in Mexico. Both marine and terrestrial environments are represented by this long and rich fossil record. Six million years ago, the ancestral Gulf of California filled
2262-527: The park date from six million to under a half million years in age (the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs), or about 60 million years after the last dinosaur age ended. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park lies in a unique geologic setting along the western margin of the Salton Trough. This major topographic depression with the Salton Sink having elevations of 200 ft (61 m) below sea level, forms
2320-486: The park on August 24, 2020, on the 75th anniversary of Johnson's birth. At the renaming, Cuomo also announced the addition of art and signage within the park that would reflect Johnson's work. The state government closed parts of the park in early 2021, adding trees, paths, gardens, and event spaces as part of a renovation. The state originally planned to commission a mural honoring Johnson, but these plans were scrapped in mid-2021 after community members and activists criticized
2378-439: The preserved microscopic plant pollen and algal spores to baleen whale bones and mammoth skeletons. Many of the species are extinct and some are known only from fossil remains recovered from this park. Combined with a long and complete sedimentary depositional sequence, these diverse fossil assemblages are an unparalleled paleontologic resource of international importance. Both the Pliocene - Pleistocene epoch boundary and
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2436-410: The region's long-vanished tropical past. The inland of southeastern California was not always a desert . Paleontology , the study of the fossilized remains of ancient life, is the key to understanding this prehistoric world. The park has an exceptional fossil record which includes preserved plants, a variety of invertebrate shells, animal tracks, and an array of bones and teeth. Most fossils found in
2494-517: The remains of marine vertebrates , such as sharks and rays , bony fish , baleen whales , walruses and dugongs . Marine environments such as an outer and inner shelf, platform reef, nearshore beach, and lagoon , are all represented within the Imperial Formation. As the sea became more shallow, estuarine and brackish marine conditions prevailed, typified by thick channel deposits of oyster and pecten shell coquina that now form
2552-445: The reptile class, desert iguanas , chuckwallas , and the red diamond rattlesnakes can be seen. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is home to multiple endangered species . Unfortunately, the building of roads and highways have a severe effect upon these species and roadkills are cause for serious concern. Roads not only contribute to habitat fragmentation which starkly divides ecosystems, but led to 18 roadkillings within just 5 days in
2610-519: The same time, sediments eroded from the growing Santa Rosa Mountains and the other Peninsular Ranges to spread east into the trough. These sediments provide an almost unbroken terrestrial fossil record, ending only a half million years ago. Here, the deposits of ancient streams and rivers trapped the remains of wildlife that inhabited a vast brushland savannah laced with riparian woodlands . This record of changing environments and habitats includes over 550 types of fossil plants and animals, ranging from
2668-517: The seaway. Fossil hardwoods from the deltaic sands and associated coastal plain deposits suggest the region received three times as much rainfall as now. The Anza-Borrego region gradually changed from a predominantly marine environment into a system of interrelated terrestrial habitats. North of the Colorado River Delta and intermittently fed by the river, a sequence of lakes and dry lakes has persisted for over three million years. At
2726-503: The site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal . The park was renamed in honor of gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson in 2020, becoming the first New York state park to be named after an LGBTQ person. Marsha P. Johnson State Park is built on the former site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal , the first offline railroad terminal to be located in Brooklyn (opened in 1870 as Palmer's Dock). It
2784-474: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by
2842-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park
2900-608: The strata contain fossil clues to the origin and development of modern southwestern desert landscapes. The first fossils, marine shells from the ancient Gulf of California and freshwater shells from a prehistoric era Lake Cahuilla , the precursor of present-day Salton Sea , were collected and described by William Blake in 1853. Blake was the geologist and mineralogist for the Pacific Railroad Surveys commissioned by Congress and President Franklin Pierce to find
2958-506: The sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in
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#17327976153683016-408: The surrounding area, bighorn sheep continue to lose their habitat. Coupled with the increasing extreme temperatures and decrease in precipitation, bighorn shape face a decreasing free-standing water availability crisis. Bighorn sheep face considerable habitat loss at the hands of humans ranging from water diversion to noise pollution and habitat fragmentation. As critical members of this desert biome, it
3074-550: The surrounding mountains and deserts include the Cahuilla , Cupeño , and Kumeyaay (Diegueño) Native American tribes. It was the homeland of these peoples for thousands of years, and their artists created petroglyph and pictogram rock art expressing their cultures. Common foods of their diets included the Agave deserti , jumping cholla cactus, jackrabbit , bighorn sheep , and Indian rice grasses. Food-processing and harvesting
3132-450: The tourist dependent towns nearby. As the environment changes with climate desertification, locals and developers search for ways to maintain tourism, some attempt to maintain steady tourism with mega development of resorts or artificial oases. However, a study conducted on North-West China deserts in 2020 showed that artificial oases vegetation is not acclimated to drought conditions, and they consume large amounts of groundwater which deplete
3190-409: The visitor center. The park has Wi-Fi access. The park is approximately a two-hour drive northeast from San Diego , southeast from Riverside or Irvine , and south from Palm Springs . Access on the east- Coachella Valley side is via County Route S22 and State Route 78 . Access on the west- Pacific Ocean side is via California County Route S2 and State Route 78. SR-79 provides access through
3248-417: The water table level and outcompete native vegetation that store water in their roots. Since deserts have such extreme weather, the species that inhabit them are highly dependent on each other, and developing on deserts or creating artificial oases will not only impact vegetation but also animals. The expanses of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park's eroded badlands also provide a different view into
3306-473: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like
3364-600: Was labor and time intensive. Roasting pits, bedrock milling and grinding features, cupule petroglyphs, and bedrock mortars all lead to this conclusion. Many artifacts have been found, such as obsidian , pumice , and fish bones, which tell us that these communities had extensive regionally internal trade networks. These were all observed at the CA-SDI-813, also known as the Mine Wash Site in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Anza-Borrego Foundation, founded in 1967,
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