at this point in the road eventually led to the creation of Red Rock Canyon State Park in 1968. A dirt road crosses the center of the view. In the 1999 photo, a total of 17 species are now present in the foreground. No Yuccas, Joshua trees or other plants have persisted over the 66 years between the dates of the photographs. In most of the repeat photography, few Yuccas appear to live longer than about 40 years. Many more plants appear in the 1999 view, partially in response to decreased disturbance as well as increased precipitation in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, the road that previously crossed the foreground is difficult to detect. The foreground of this view is geomorphically active, and small rills and gullies cross parts of the foreground. Young geomorphic surfaces, such as that portrayed in this 1999 view, support young plant assemblages that recover relatively quickly following cessation of disturbance. Filming location Providing several unique, dramatic areas, and close to Los Angeles, since the 1930s Hollywood has frequently filmed at Red Rock Canyon, including motion pictures, television series, advertisements, and music videos. Among the many westerns filmed there were The Big Country, Man of the West, and The Outlaw, and such diverse movies as Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Buck Rogers (serial), Capricorn One, The Mummy, Zorro Rides Again, Jurassic Park, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Missile to the Moon, The Car, Westworld, Savages, and TV series Airwolf , Galactica 1980, Lost in Space and The Twilight Zone . 40 Guns to Apache Pass, the last film of Audie Murphy, was shot there in 1966. The 2005 music video Cater 2 U by Destiny's Child was filmed at Red Rock Canyon. The 2006 video for British rock band Muse song "Knights of Cydonia" was shot in the park as well. The opening scene of The Darkness(2016) was also filmed here. Astronomy Red Rock Canyon is one of the darkest skies within a two hour driving distance of Los Angeles. The dry climate, frequently cloudless skies, and relatively low light pollution enhance nighttime viewing conditions. The park is a Bortle class 2-3 site, ranging from an "average dark sky" in northern regions to a sky typical of a rural area in southern regions. On a clear night with no moon, visitors with good eyesight and dark adapted vision may see both