YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. — On a hill in Yucca Valley, you will find not one, but multiple life-sized statues of Jesus overlooking the small desert town. The statues are a part of a spiritual roadside attraction called Desert Christ Park.
Open year-round, Desert Christ Park Foundation president Roxanne Miller is happy to show off the nearly 40 statues sculpted by artist Antone Martin.
“The statue on the hill is the original one that Antone Martin and Eddie Garver brought to Yucca Valley,” said Miller.
Martin was a sculptor and poet. In 1951, he was looking for a place to put a concrete Jesus statue he had recently made. A Yucca Valley pastor by the name of Eddie Garver had just the place.
“He wanted to create a park dedicated to Christ and Antone Martin had the ability to create those sculptures to go in that park,” said Miller.
The idea was to create a series of statues along a trail depicting the life of Jesus Christ. The idea caught the attention of Life Magazine which documented the delivery of the first statue.
“It was in April 1951. They caught them bringing it up on the hillside and everything,” said Miller.
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Martin spent the next 10 years sculpting some of Jesus’ most famous moments. He died in 1961 and the statues stood untouched and slowly falling apart in the harsh desert climate.
“Restoration started in 2016,” said Miller.
Thanks to a group of volunteers, the statues are slowly receiving much needed repairs.
“Some needed arms, some needed legs,” said Miller.
Desert Christ Park is free and open to the public every day. You don’t have to be religious to walk the trail. Antone Martin’s statues are for everyone to enjoy.
“I hope [visitors] walk away with a little peace in a chaotic world," said Miller.
Another spiritual spot on the backroads: Peace, beauty and enlightenment found below the Trinity Alps.