Joshua Tree National Park Travel Guide

 
by cherokee49ca
 
  •   Joshua Tree National Park
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  • Monzogranite clambering - feel the power!
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  •   Joshua Tree National Park
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  • The Joshua Tree
      The Joshua Tree
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Pro

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 Vast tracts of open desert and the bouldering is superb 


Con

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 Hot, can get crowded, rattlesnakes and sidewinders 


In a nutshell

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 Southern California's climber's paradise! 

 

Explore Joshua Tree National Park

Things to Do  

Key's View

Key's View, Joshua Tree National Park

 15 Reviews  Here you can see the San Andreas Fault where two continental plates; the Pacific Ocean Crust and the North American Crust have collided and push against each other causing instability and earthquakes. 

Walking / Hiking / Climbing

Walking / Hiking / Climbing, Joshua Tree National Park

 53 Reviews  There are six "established" hiking trails ranging in distances from 3 miles to 16 miles. They are as follows: Mastodon Peak - 3 miles Ryan Mountain - 3 miles 49 Palms Oasis - 3 miles Lost Horse Mine/Mountain - 4 miles Lost Palms Oasis - 7.5 miles Boy Scout Trail - 16 miles 

Rock Formations

Rock Formations, Joshua Tree National Park

 21 Reviews  The indentation on this rock was formed by a combination of two geological processes; Undercutting and Cavernous Weathering. These are when moisture is trapped on the surface of the rock or in the soil long enough to erode away some of the minerals forming the rock. Then rain and wind wash away the... 

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park

 12 Reviews  The Cholla cactus could be taken for a Teddy Bear- it looks quite cuddley. Far from it ! Its thousands of needles will cause quite a lot of damage if you put out your hand to touch it or brush against one. Like all the plant in the Park it is wonderfully adapted to the climatic and environmental... 

Skull Rock

Skull Rock, Joshua Tree National Park

 9 Reviews  One of the interesting sites in Joshua Tree National Park is Skull Rock. You can park by the side of the road and Skull Rock is a very short easy walk south. If you feel more adventurous, you can drive on to the Jumbo Rocks Camping Area and take a longer interpretive trail to Skull Rock. The trail... 

Mines

Mines, Joshua Tree National Park

 6 Reviews  This is a great hike with a surprise in the end. From Keys View Rd, turn east on the dirt road when you see the sign. Leave your car in the parking lot and it's a 2-mile hike (one way). Last time I did it was in summer 2000. There's no shade and I didn't carry water, so it felt like 20 miles... 

Cacti

Cacti, Joshua Tree National Park

 12 Reviews  Another plant in the park, which is frequently mistaken as a cactus due to the thorns and its appearance, is the Ocotillo. The Ocotillo is actually a type of deciduous plant; but unlike most deciduous trees it does not grow leaves in the spring and lose them in the fall. It grows leaves after a... 

Ryan Mountain

Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park

 3 Reviews  The Ryan Mountain trail is a 3 miles roundtrip leading to probably the best views in the park. The trail begins at Ryan Mountain parking area and climbs steadily. With a 1000-foot elevation gain over only 1.5 miles it will make you sweat a bit but it's over so quickly that you won't get tired. On... 

Barker Dam

Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park

 1 Review  Barker Dam itself was a bit of a letdown and was not nearly as interesting as the trail leading to it. Barker Dam began as a catch basin to store water for the ranchers in the area. It was made into a dam by the Barker and Shay Cattle Company, and then expanded by Bill Keys the owner of the biggest... 

Hidden Valley

Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park

 1 Review  Probably the most interesting and beautiful place I saw in Joshua Tree National Park was Hidden Valley (although from what I understand Key's View is at least as good). Hidden Valley, and the Hidden Valley Trail, is definitely worth a stop. These first photos show the parking/picnic area. 

Hotels  

Jumbo Rocks Campground

 1 Review and 18 Opinions  Jumbo Rocks Campground has 124 sites nestled amongst various rock formations. Most sites have a... 

Hidden Valley Campground

 1 Review and 5 Opinions  Once the sun drops, you'll be treated to a brilliant a night sky. No overhanging trees to block your... 

Transportation  

Information / Sources

Information / Sources, Joshua Tree National Park

 5 Reviews  The main park road angles from the south entrance to the west entrance and neatly bisects the park into two halves. The main road is about forty miles long and the visitor van stop anywhere and start hiking in any direction. There really are no restrictions on hiking--just watch out for... 

By Car

By Car, Joshua Tree National Park

 3 Reviews  For the most part the park is all paved roads. There are however a few dirt roads that will take you to places. They are not really that difficult to traverse. All the same though, you still might want to leave your Ferrari at home. 

What to Pack  

Appropriate Shoes / Clothing

Appropriate Shoes / Clothing, Joshua Tree National Park

 3 Reviews  I visited in January and it was pretty chilly and cold in the morning. Keep in mind you are up in the mountains too. Warm weather clothes are a very good idea. Remember what your mother said about layers. ;-) Good shoes are always a good idea. Especially here where you do a lot of hiking and... 

First Aid Items

First Aid Items, Joshua Tree National Park

 2 Reviews  You will want to wear sunscreen at Joshua Tree National Park. Even in the winter, you'll get a lot of sun in the desert. The last thing you want is to end up with a burn. Bring along the bottle so you can re-apply as the day goes on! 

Off The Beaten Path  

Bring Water

Bring Water, Joshua Tree National Park

 1 Review  Back Country Camping. The desert is a pretty forbidding place. It's hot and dry during the day and cold at night. Also there are few spots for shade or shelter. Car camping in the cool campsites is fun, but being in the desert can be a lot nicer if you're not surrounded by people. If you want to... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Rock Climbing.

Rock Climbing., Joshua Tree National Park

 11 Reviews  Intersection Rock has three routes, or lines to climb. There are the Left Ski Track with a 5.11a difficulty; the Right Ski Track with a 5.3 difficulty and the North Overhang with a 5.9 difficulty rating. 

Favorites  

Flora / Fauna

Flora / Fauna, Joshua Tree National Park

 38 Reviews  The Rock formations are really nice to look at and take pictures and they have some pretty nice camp sites......Jumbo Rocks. There were very few flowers in bloom in the month of March i suppose because of lack of rain ......But i did enjoy my one day road trip to the desert and i plan on going back... 

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park

 9 Reviews  This picture was taken in the early evening, at sunset, and shows the silhouette of a Joshua tree with in the background two ranges of high mountains that might be the Santa Rosa mountains but I am not absolutely sure of their identification. 

Information / Sources

Information / Sources, Joshua Tree National Park

 6 Reviews  They were awesome. They helped us not only with information about the park, but also information around the whole 29 Palms Area. Where does the water in the tap come from? What is the bird that sounds like...? Why are there all these fences around the houses? They could answer all of it and they... 

Desert Views

Desert Views, Joshua Tree National Park

 3 Reviews  Surprisingly, the Joshua Tree was not what impressed me the most. We did the 1 mile hike at The Barker Dam where I found the most amazing site ever. It 's like one of those beauties that never get recognition, therefore it had no name. I loved it's framework of branches and twigs coming from... 

Comments

Map of Joshua Tree National Park