PHOTO: Storm damages sacred cultural site in California national park

Joshua Tree National Park in California is home to one of America’s most unique landscapes with nearly 800 species of plants. FOX Weather correspondent Robert Ray takes you on a tour of the park in the Mojave Desert.

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – A popular trail at Joshua Tree National Park closed down after a recent summer monsoonal event flooded the area and created unsafe conditions for hikers, officials announced Monday.

Thunderstorms dropped nearly half an inch of rain on Joshua Tree on Wednesday, or about five times the amount of rain the park sees in the entire month of September.

The Oasis of Mara trail, a paved, half-mile loop that begins at the park’s headquarters in Twentynine Palms, California, was severely damaged by the downpour.

Storm damage along the Oasis of Mara trail.

(Joshua Tree National Park / FOX Weather)

The picture above shows a portion of the trail where dirt appears to have washed out from underneath the paved path. On other parts of the trail, thick mud flows have dried up in place.

National Park Service officials noted that storm damage can be seen throughout the trail, where several sections have been undercut, while others have steep drop-offs.

The trail will be closed as repairs are planned and later implemented.

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The NPS warned park visitors of the impacts of monsoonal storms that usually occur from July through September.

FILE: A flooded road in Joshua Tree National Park.

(Joshua Tree National Park / FOX Weather)

“Rainstorms can turn dry washes into rivers within minutes,” park officials posted on Facebook. “Whether you are hiking or driving, never cross water; even a few inches of water can be dangerous.”

The Oasis of Mara trail courses through one of only five oases in the nearly 800,000 acres of Joshua Tree National Park.