Formed in 1982, Joshua Tree Search and Rescue (JOSAR) was established by Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) in order to provide professional rescue response to emergencies within the park. JOSAR is comprised of both staff and volunteers of JTNP. JTNP is located approximately 150 miles east of Los Angeles in the Southern California desert, and encompasses approximately 795,000 acres, the majority of which is designated wilderness. Recreational activities (technical rock climbing, bouldering, scrambling, hiking, and backpacking) as well as environmental hazards (flash floods, poisonous snakes, abandoned mine shafts, extreme weather conditions, and vertical canyon walls) generate a variety of search and rescue incidents within the park.