Yucca brevifolia might be the namesake of this national park in the desert east of Los Angeles. Still, it’s far from the only thing to see at Joshua Tree.
Dozens of trails are open to hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and the stony terrain makes it one of America’s rock climbing meccas. Spring brings a carpet of wildflowers, and the super-clear desert night sky makes the park an oasis for stargazing.
Newcomers and unique transitions
Newcomers among the three million visitors who pass through each year are often surprised by the abrupt transition between the park’s Mojave and Colorado deserts.
The Mojave or “High Desert” claims the park’s western half, where giant branching yuccas thrive on sandy plains studded by massive granite monoliths and rock piles. These are among the most intriguing and photogenic geological phenomena found in California’s many desert regions.
The Colorado or “Low Desert” thrives on the park’s gently declining eastern flank, where temperatures are usually higher. It often seems sparse and forbidding. Yet here and there are colorful desert “gardens” of flowering ocotillo and cholla cactus.
Joshua Tree fast facts
Location: California
Established: National monument 1936; national park 1994
Size: 795,156 acres
Annual visitors: 3.27 million (2023)
Visitor centers: Joshua Tree, Oasis, Cottonwood, Black Rock
Entrance fee: $30 vehicles; $15 individuals
Where to find the best views in the park
Dear Lykkers, keys View is one of the most iconic panoramas in the entire Park System. It’s located on the crest of the Little San Bernardino Mountains and offers a mile-high vista of Coachella Valley, and at a distance: the Salton Sea, Mount San Jacinto, San Andreas Fault, and the Anza-Borrego Desert. The view is especially enchanting at dusk when Palm Springs, Indio, and other valley cities sparkle with millions of lights.
In the heart of the park, 5,456-foot Ryan Mountain renders bird’s-eye views of Hidden Valley and Queen Valley at the top of a steep, difficult hike that (out and back) totals three miles.
Where to find the park’s best trails
Three short nature trails in the heart of the park—Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, and Cap Rock—are a great introduction to Joshua Tree’s natural and human history. They’re all a mile or less in distance and take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to hike.
Among the more challenging trails that can be accessed from the Hidden Valley area are the eight-mile Boy Scout Trail into the boulder-strewn Wonderland of Rocks and the 36.6-mile California Riding & Hiking Trail—normally done as a two- or three-day backpack trip.
Great hikes in the Cottonwood area include the three-mile route to Mastodon Peak and the 7.5-mile trek to remote Lost Palms Oasis.
Top experiences in Joshua Tree
The park’s premier attractions—forests of giant branching yuccas known as Joshua trees, massive rock formations, fan palm oases, and seasonal gardens of cholla and ocotillo—can be enjoyed on a leisurely half-day auto tour along the main park roads.
Starting from the main visitor center in the town of Joshua Tree, Park Boulevard crosses the western half of the park to Hidden Valley. Along the way, there is a trailhead for the short hike up Cap Rock and ranger-led tours of historic Ryan Ranch as well as the turnoff to panoramic Keys View.
Continuing over Sheep Pass, the boulevard drops into Queen Valley and a huge Joshua tree forest. The 18-mile Geology Tour Road runs south through the valley, with 16 stops along the way that explain how the park’s dramatic landscape was formed. Along the valley’s eastern edge are the Jumbo Rocks and eerie Skull Rock, a natural formation that looks like a skeleton’s head.
Reaching the T-junction at Pinto Wye, drivers turn left and explore the lush Oasis of Mara palm grove beside the Oasis Visitor Center. Or hang a right and follow Pinto Basin Road into the park’s lesser-known eastern expanse where other iconic desert plants—cholla cactus, ocotillo, cottonwood trees, and California fan palms—overshadow the famous trees. The most popular stop along this route is the gorgeous Cholla Cactus Garden.
Best things to do for families
Keeping kids engaged and entertained at Joshua Tree is just a matter of simple pleasures like camping in the desert and scrambling between giant boulders at Skull Rock, Heart Rock, and other stony outcrops. Or pack a telescope and stargaze in the almost-always-clear Mojave Desert night sky.
Depending on the age of the children, short to medium-length hikes are another great family activity. Among the most kid-friendly trails are Barker Dam, Cholla Cactus Garden, the Oasis of Mara, and the Skull Rock Loop.
Right outside the park, several manmade attractions are bound to thrill the kids including the oddball Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum north of the town of Joshua Tree and Smith's Ranch Drive-In Movie Theater in Twentynine Palms.
Where to stay
Eight campgrounds with more than 500 total spaces provide the only way for visitors to stay overnight inside the park. Five of the campgrounds can be reserved at Recreation.gov while the other three are first-come, first-serve.
Those who need a roof over their head can choose from numerous hotels in the towns of Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms. Another option is staying in Palm Springs and other Coachella Valley communities—all around an hour’s drive from the park entrances.
