JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
Named after the funky trees that grow only in high desert microclimates, Joshua Tree National Park shows off Mother Nature’s other-worldly desert landscapes. The mountains, rock hills, enormous boulder outcroppings, oases, and unique vegetation provide an amazing natural playground for exploring.
Where
Southern California, accessible from Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and Las Vegas
What to Do
Hiking, camping, rock climbing, bouldering, photography, wildlife watching, stargazing
When to Go
The park is open year-round. Temperatures are most comfortable in the spring and fall, 50-85°F. Winter gets cooler with freezing nights, and summer is hot, over 100°F during the day.
Don’t Miss
Visit the Cholla Cactus Garden located at the meeting of the Mojave and Colorado deserts. More than a thousand chollas with their fuzzy-looking spikes stretch out across the desert floor.
Climb the monzogranite. Joshua Tree is one of the world’s premier climbing meccas with over 8,000 climbing routes and 2,000 boulder problems. Giant rocks with unique formations, including cracks, slabs, and steep faces, are strewn throughout the park as if the climbing gods threw them down.
Watch the sunset from Cap Rock or Quail Springs.
Check out the scenery from Keys View, a lookout point with views of the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas fault line, and on a clear day, Mexico.
If you love wildflowers, visit in the spring. The Joshua trees bloom along with many other plants, shrubs, and cactuses. The Cottonwood Spring Oasis area supports a huge variety and concentration of blooming wildflowers.
The Desert View Conservation Area, just outside the park, is a 605-acre preserve for desert tortoises. More secluded and quiet than Joshua Tree, the area also provides the opportunity to see other desert wildlife, such as bighorn sheep, wild cats, and other reptiles.
The most accessible areas of Joshua Tree can get crowded, but with over 450,000 acres of designated wilderness area, the park has plenty of space to explore places that most people will never see.
Read More...Insider Tips
Get the lastest climbing info and meet other climbers at the park’s Climber Coffee, every Saturday and Sunday morning from 8-10 a.m. from mid-October through April at Hidden Valley Campground. Meet the climbing ranger and get your questions answered while enjoying a free coffee, tea, or cocoa. (BYOM: Bring your own mug!)
Weather can change quickly in the park. Dress in layers so you can adjust your clothes as conditions change. (See our Layering Guide.)
This is a great place to unplug. There is no cell service in the park.
Bring your own water—and lots of it. Potable water is hard to find in the park.
If you don’t want to camp in the park, accommodations abound in the nearby town of Twentynine Palms. Along with hotels and inns, you’ve got unique options like renovated trailers at Hicksville Trailer Palace or poolside glamping yurts.
Read More...Clothing Guide
