Joshua Tree National Park Trip
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
General
East of Palm Springs in California lies Joshua Tree National Park, which features rich desert vegetation of beautiful cacti, cliffs, and rocks, creating interesting formations and an excellent view of the entire area. This is a large park where the distance between the northern and southern entrances is about 100 km. Between these two entrances, there are many stopping points for both short scenic views and short and long hiking trails. It is worth dedicating a full day trip to the park.
Visitors to the park are recommended to stay in the city closest to the park: Palm Springs (or in the nearby towns of Palm Desert or Desert Hot Springs):
Recommended Hotels in Palm Springs
Hotel prices are much higher in the winter months, which is the high season, especially on weekends and holidays. In the summer, you can stay in luxurious hotels at a bargain price.
One of the most luxurious hotels in the city is:
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
This is a luxurious 5-star resort spread over a vast area with 5 pools, 2 golf courses, and manicured lawns.
A 4-star hotel with uniquely designed rooms. Rooms for couples and also for four guests. Pool, internet, and free parking.
A 4-star hotel in a central location with a modern design. Rooms for couples and + 1 child. Two restaurants, pool, jacuzzi, internet, and free parking.
Courtyard by Marriott Palm Springs
A 3-star hotel by the Marriott chain. Featuring spacious family rooms. Heated outdoor pool. Gym, parking, free internet.
♦ Guided tours in Palm Springs for purchase from Viator:
Recommended guided tours in Joshua Tree Park from VIATOR:
Joshua Tree National Park Description
Map and Hiking Trails
A detailed map of the park can be found on the National Parks website: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/maps.htm
The park has many hiking trails of various lengths and difficulty levels. A description of the various trails including their lengths and difficulty level is given in a detailed table on the park's website: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/hiking.htm
Recommended trails and lookouts:
♦ Two circular trails about a mile long are Hidden Valley and Barker Dam, located about 23 km from the main visitor center in the northwest of the park.
♦ High Viewpoint: Two km further south from the Hidden Valley trail, there is a right turn to a mountain lookout point over the park (located about 12 km from the aforementioned trail).
♦ Lookout points: Jumbo Rocks - located about 14 km east of Hidden Valley.
♦ Another half km further along from Jumbo Rocks is a giant special rock in the shape of a skull, Skull Rock.
♦ Continuing down the road south (21 km from Jumbo Rocks or 41 km from the southern entrance), you will reach spectacular cactus gardens where it is recommended to walk a 400-meter circular trail.
♦ Near the southern exit of the park is a hiking trail to an oasis with a cluster of giant palms. (There is a continuation from there to a 12 km trail with high difficulty).
In addition, along the main road, there are many other stopping points with parking for views of the impressive landscape.
Joshua Tree
The park is rich in its northern part with cactus trees called Joshua Trees or by their scientific name Yucca brevifolia. These trees can reach a height of 6 meters; they have a long trunk that splits at its upper part into several branches at the end of which fans of long thorny leaves grow.
Typical landscape in the northern part of the park:
Cholla Cactus
Another type of cactus common in the southern part of the park is called the Cholla Cactus. A marked 400-meter circular hiking trail is located within a huge field of such cacti at the site called Cholla Cactus Garden, located 41 km north of the southern entrance of the park.
Cholla Cactus Gardens in the southern part of the park:
Giant Rocks in Joshua Tree Park
In the northern part of the park, there are giant rocks in various formations; there is even a giant rock in the shape of a skull - Skull Rock:
Giant rocks can be found particularly near the RV park called Jumbo Rocks Campground:
In the south of the park, near the southern visitor center, is an oasis with many giant palms and next to it a hiking trail named Lost Palms Oasis Trail:
Joshua Tree Park Visitor Centers
This is a large park and it has four visitor centers. Three of them are in its northern part and one in its southern part:
♦ It is recommended to start the trip at the main visitor center located in the northwest part of the park called: Joshua Tree Visitor Center and exit from the southern entrance to Highway 10. You can also do the reverse route. From this visitor center, you enter the park via a road called Park Blvd.
Address for this visitor center: 6554 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
The other two visitor centers in the northern part are:
♦ Oasis Visitor Center located 26 km east of the previously mentioned center at address: 74485 National Park Dr, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
♦ The additional center is called Black Rock Nature Center, located 14 km southeast of the main center at address:
9800 Black Rock Canyon Rd, Yucca Valley, CA 92284, United States
♦ The southern visitor center is located near Highway 10 and is called: Cottonwood Visitor Center
Address: Pinto Basin Rd, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
In the first part of the park from its northern side, you can find, as mentioned, the largest concentration of Joshua Trees and also rocky mountains:
In the second southern part of the park, you can find the lovely cactus gardens.
Short video about the scenery in Joshua Tree Park: