Dos Palmas Oasis
A short 5 mile drive to the east of our campground lies another world, a fresh water palm fringed oasis. We drove to Dos Palmas Oasis and hiked 5 miles into and around this ‘jungle’ in the desert. The generous supply of water results from seepage through earthquake faults at the foothills of the Orocopia mountains. The seeming instant transition from desert scrub to tropical palms was amazing.
The palms appear to be wearing thatch skirts!
A pathway has been cut through the thick growth of the nearby San Andres Oasis. We were dwarfed by the huge palms.
A closeup of the palmettos reveals the sharp saw teeth lining the stems. We expected to see more sharp teeth, in the jaws of alligators maybe, we had the feeling of being in the swamps of Florida!
