| Joshua Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve | |
| Map: | USA California#USA |
| Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Santa Lucia Mountains, Monterey County, USA |
| Nearest City: | Carmel, California |
| Coordinates: | 36.4217°N -121.9072°W |
| Area Acre: | 5,887.31 |
| Established: | February, 1990 |
The Joshua Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve in Big Sur, California, is owned by to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is located between Big Sur Coast Highway to the west, Palo Corona Regional Park and Mitteldorf Preserve on the north, and Santa Lucia Preserve and U.S. Forest Service land to the east.[1] [2] It is only accessible through the Santa Lucia Preserve, a private, gated, community of about 300 homes on in Carmel Valley, California.
The Big Sur Land Trust purchased the 9898acres Palo Corona Ranch in 2002 and 2004 for $32 million from Craig McCaw. The southern portion comprising 4300acres was used to form the Joshua Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve. All ecological reserves are maintained for the primary purpose of developing a statewide program for protection of rare, threatened, or endangered native plants, wildlife, aquatic organisms, and specialized terrestrial or aquatic habitat types. Visitors are required to obtain "Daily or Annual Lands Pass for Authorized Uses other than Hunting".[3]