Joshua Tree National Park was so declared by Congress in 1994. It is 795,146 acres, about a third the size of Yellowstone. It is located about 2.5 hours East of Los Angeles and 40 minutes from Palm Springs. It is made up of the Mojave Desert on the higher and cooler west side and the Colorado Desert on the east. It is named and most known for the prickly and funky looking Joshua tree, which in native to the Southwestern US but most prevalent here in Southern California. The trees grow about 3 inches per year for their first 10 years, then 1.5 inches per year thereafter.
The park is very unique and ruggedly picturesque. Amidst the barren wasteland you see fields of the Joshuas, growing in almost symmetrical, grid-like patterns. Then, on the horizon, you'll see piles of giant rocks and boulders, billions of years old, jutting up to the sky; almost like they were dropped into place from an excavator in the heavens. The rocks immediately harken you back to your youth when you just wanted to climb up anything you could.
Joshua Tree can easily be seen in a day or can be spread out as long as you fancy. It is easy to navigate and unlike other national parks, very easy to hike with younger kids due to the lack of real elevation change. On our day in the park, we did 2 medium length hikes and several other stops along the way to explore, snap pics, and climb the monolithic granite rocks.
Basic info
Joshua Tree can be accessed at a number of locations. There is the West entrance station and North entrance station that branch off from Route 62 in the North and the Cottonwood entrance off I-10 in the South. I recommend you start your morning in the North and leave through the South gate.
The park is open 24 hours and entrance fee is $30 per car or covered by the American the Beautiful annual pass or free 4th grade pass.
There is a small visitors center located in the village of Joshua Tree on Park Blvd. just south of Hwy 62 as well as at the Twentynine Palms and Cottonwood entrances.
There are limited facilities in the park so bring plenty of food and water for your trip.
Click on the image below for a full size Park map
Things to do
Hiking
Most all the hikes in the park are located in the northwest portion, in the Mojave Desert. You can focus most of your time here. Below are details on a few easy hikes in the park, you can find the full list of hikes here.
Barker Dam
- 1.4 mile loop
- 50 feet elevation
-40-60 minutes
This is a great starter hike and shows off the best Joshua Tree has to offer. The loop trail weaves through huge faces of rock formations and is littered by plenty of the famous trees. Stop along the way to bounce up from boulder to boulder to the top, for incredible panoramic views. The trail goes out to the Barker Dam, which forms a rare lake in the desert during certain times of year. You can see cacti blooming in the spring, lizards and small rodents scurrying about, and then loop around to see ancient Petroglyphs created by native Americans to show water sources and food locations.
Barker Dam trail is about 15 minutes from the West entrance and in close proximity to several other hikes.
Split Rock
- 2 mile loop
- 150 feet elevation
- 60 minutes
A small gravel road takes you to the parking lot for the Split Rock loop trail. Named for the huge boulder sliced in half, this trail has varied terrain, more huge rocks to climb, and some up and down parts. You feel alone and away from the cars, out in the desert, rocks as far as you can see. Split rock is further east in the park, close to Skull Rock and Ryan Mountain. My family was split on which of the 2 hikes above was our favorite, but they both are must dos.
Hidden Valley
- 1 mile loop
- 100 feet elevation
- 30 minutes
This hike is close to Barker Dam and features more rugged terrain and a narrow path into a valley. This is an easy hike to partner with Barker Dam.
Ryan Mountain
- 3.2 miles out and back
- 1050 feet elevation
- 90 minutes
This more strenuous hike is close to Split Rock, but the efforts are worth it for the views you get of the park at the top.
Other Stops to Make
All along the trek through the park, you will see pull offs and places to stop and admire the view or do some climbing. A few places of note:
Skull Rock
This well known stop has a loop hike associated with it, but as it is right off the road, you can easily stop for some pictures of the huge skull looking formation.
Hall of Horrors
This stop in between Barker Dam and Split Rock has some huge rock formations that are a bit challenging but can be scaled for some great views as well as a slot canyon you can wedge into.
Cholla Cactus Garden
As you make your way southeast toward the southern gate, the landscape begins to change as you descend into hotter climate. It's here that you'll find the Cholla cactus garden, a field of 3-5 foot high cacti. There is a very short loop trail here, but stop and meander through the garden, admiring the prickly plants.
Other Activities
The park website offers information of other activities, such as camping, horseback riding, and rock climbing. As you can imagine, this is a rock climbers dream and we saw many spots with climbers belaying up the faces.
Conclusion
I've just scratched the surface of what Joshua Tree has to offer. The park is truly remarkable, with landscapes out of a Mad Max movie. The serene plain, although bereft of civilization, has a simple beauty about it that must be experienced. If you are in southern California, Joshua Tree should definitely be on you or your family's radar.
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