Welcome, to Joshua Tree National Park! Established on Halloween of 1994, Joshua Tree NP is the site of two deserts, the Mojave and the Colorado and contains the ever so famous, scraggly looking, Joshua Tree. Below I have everything you need to make the perfect day trip to Joshua Tree National Park! Packed with trails, vista points, cool rock formations, and more!
Overall Tips to Enjoy Joshua Tree National Park
– Avoid crowds
- Start early in the day
- Joshua Tree Visitor Center opens at 7:30 AM
- Hit the park in the middle of the week
- We headed over on a Wednesday and the park wasn’t nearly as busy as I expected it to be
– Check the weather
- Desert temperatures can vary day to day, we had expected 80 degree weather but had mainly high 60’s low 70’s, perfect for hiking but when we weren’t hiking we were a bit chilly without sweatshirts
– Come prepared
- There is no water, food, or gas available once you enter the park. Be prepared with enough water to stay hydrated
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Start Exploring
Enter the park through the West Entrance, stop at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center to grab your passport stamp, talk with a park ranger to see if there is anything to be aware of before entering the park, and grab some coffee and to-go food from the Road Runner café. Don’t forget to snag your Junior Ranger booklet to complete for a pin! (You can be ANY age to complete a Junior Ranger badge)
Now that you’re in Joshua Tree
Make your first stop at the Boy Scout Trailhead. The perfect flat and mild trail to warm up your legs for the day. Gorgeous views of mountains in the distance and no shortage of desert plant life to catch your eye! Keep an eye out for ground squirrels (the desert’s chipmunk), lizards, and rattlesnakes! The trail in total is 7.5 miles and is a big trail for backpackers. A vault toilet can be found at the trailhead.
Continue down Park Boulevard (the main road) and head to the Hidden Valley Trail. This high traffic trail is very much worth it! Arrive early to beat the crowds and enjoy all the rock formations and learn about the desert biome throughout the trail! This trail has minimal elevation gain, however, you are hiking on rocks frequently throughout the hike. It is a 1 mile loop in total and vault toilets can be found at the trailhead.
Time for a Rest
Jump back on Park Boulevard and eventually turn right to head to Keys View. You’ll pass Cap Rock on the left, when you see the rock formation you’ll understand where the name comes from. Take the short trail at Cap Rock or, simply observe the rock formations from the road. Finally, you’ll continue all the way down Keys View road and reach Key Views, a gorgeous vista point over the Coachella Valley.
Back to the Adventuring
You will take the same road out that you came in on and make a right onto Park Boulevard. You’ll continue down until you hit the trailhead for Ryan Mountain. This is a strenuous but extremely rewarding trail! You hike 1.5 miles and 1,656ft up to the summit (the trail is 3 miles in total). The trail has lots of steps (made out of rocks) and can be narrow at times. Once at the top, you have 360 degree views of the park!
After this hike, take it easy with just a drive. Continue down Park Boulevard and eventually make a right onto Pinto Basin Road to head to the Cholla Cactus garden and toward the Cottonwood Visitor Center. As you head to the Cholla Cactus Garden you’ll notice the Joshua Trees begin to disappear here as you leave the Mojave Desert and enter the Colorado desert!
Once you reach the Cholla Cactus Garden you’ll turn around and head up to Arch Rock! A mile out and back hike featuring some cool rock formations!
Continue down Park Boulevard and you’ll exit the park and head to the Oasis Visitor Center, also knowns as the Joshua Tree Cultural Center. Here, stamp your passport again (there are different stamps at each visitor center), turn in your Junior Ranger booklet, and walk about the desert oasis!
Let me know if there is anything you would add to this Joshua Tree NP Guide in the comments below, on Instagram or on my Youtube! Enjoy your time in the desert, be safe, and remember to leave no trace!