Pro

Vast tracts of open desert and the bouldering is superb
Con

Hot, can get crowded, rattlesnakes and sidewinders
In a nutshell

Southern California's climber's paradise!
34 Reviews A magnet for climbers the rocks of the Park are an outstanding sight at any time of the day. There must be some concern that the activities of climbers - both the ordinary visitor who sprints over them is ordinary trainers/sneakers and serious climbers wearing climbing gear will cause erosion but I...
18 Reviews One of the most visited spots in the Park from which a panoramic view can be obtained on a clear day. We had been told that it was often too crowded to get close to the best viewing point but there were few people about when we were there. It was very hazy, we thought, then read a notice posted up...
12 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...
17 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...
16 Reviews As you cross out of the Mojave desert and into the Colorado desert, the scenic drive has fewer points to stop at. One of the more impressive ones is this patch of Cholla cacti. The Cholla is also known as the jumping cactus - if you should get too close and brush up against this cactus, the spines...
5 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...
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...
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...
2 Reviews and 10 Opinions In the northwest corner of the park, the road to Black Rock Canyon dead-ends when it reaches the...
6 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...
4 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...
3 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!
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...
10 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.
44 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...
10 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...
8 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...
11 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.
Plan a Joshua Tree National Park vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Joshua Tree National Park locals

Just off Park Boulevard after entering from the western side is a great off the road area to explore and check out. Without requiring any hiking or work to get...
2 members live in Joshua Tree National Park
Q: Is there a shuttle that can get me to and from Desert Hot Springs into the park to reach trailheads?

A: Sorry, I've been all over the net looking for options and haven't found any. The park states that there is no public transport to the park, and I know for certain there's...
Read 5 Replies
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Joshua Tree NP, a plants Heaven

In southern California, three hours drive from Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park covers nearly 900,000 ha. It is a typical Northern America type of desert. It includes the eastern most tip of the...
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The Joshua Tree National Park houses a surprisingly diverse plant and animal life. The main attraction, of course is the Joshua Tree itself (Yucca brevifolia). Additionally, there is the landscape...
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Joshua Tree National Park by Kimberlyann

Joshua Tree National Park includes two types of deserts, each determined by their elevation. Below 3,000 feet in the eastern part of the park you will find the Colorado Desert. Here you will find such...
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Located in the desert of southeast California, only a couple of hours east of LA and a long 8 hours drive from San Francisco, Joshua Tree is one of the less known National Parks. I guess the reason......
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Deep Into the Heart of Lightness

The grandeur, grace and utter wastness of Southern California's Joshua Tree National Park. ______________ Brilliant light and brooding shadow, of endless distance and rich texture. A setting...
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