Joshua Tree National Park is a desert wonderland of jumbled rock formations and mysterious, almost life-like, Joshua trees. Exploring the park's backcountry can be like visiting a planet of surreal landscapes. Located in Southern California, Joshua Tree is one of America's newest and most unique national parks.
When you visit, one of your goals should be to beat the infamous So-Cali crowds, as on weekends there seems to be almost a train of cars on the main park road. Most visitors are from nearby Los Angeles, which is only 140 miles to the west. The easiest route to peace and quiet is to go during the week or to go to one of Joshua Tree's backcountry areas, of which there are many in the park's 870 square miles.
Going at the right time of year is also important because Joshua Tree can get unbelievably hot. Summer temperatures are often over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and, even in spring, temperatures of over 90 degrees aren't uncommon. Be sure to check out our Joshua Tree temperature chart for more information. Winter is a great time to go with temperatures ranging from the 40's to the 70's. The Southern Californian winter always seems to start in late October or early November but December is also a great time to visit. If you are lucky, it will snow and you will have the outstanding opportunity to photograph snow covered Joshua and palm trees.
The vistas in Joshua Tree are otherworldly - the park would make a perfect setting for a science fiction movie, especially around the strange rock monoliths in the Wonderland of Rocks. Joshua trees themselves look like they came from another planet. Joshua tree stalks and branches seem to be almost hollow and even large branches easily sway in the wind. While Joshua trees are a type of yucca, only the sharp spears at the end appear yucca-like.
Like most deserts, this one is teeming with life if you look. Besides Joshua trees, there are Towering Nolinas, Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus and spidery looking Ocotillos. Animals abound too, especially at night. Coyotes are some of the largest animals you will probably see while visiting, but there are also Desert Bighorn Sheep and over 200 species of birds.
Joshua Tree is truly a hiker's park with almost endless opportunities to explore canyons, desert flats, mountains and 5 different oases. Much of Joshua Tree National Park is surrounded by mountains but there are also wide open spaces that are perfect for desert hiking. While Joshua Tree can get crowded there is plenty of room to get lost. Backcountry hikes lead to oases, canyons and rock monoliths. Other hikes take you through canyons or up mountains that look down upon the valleys and the now stick-like Joshua trees. The hike up Ryan Mountain is known for these spectacular panoramas.
Covington Flats is one of the many spectacular backcountry areas. Imagine wide desert plains surrounded by mountains and canyons. Some of the largest and oldest Joshua trees in the park are located in these flats. Covington Flats is perfect for long distance desert hiking or for climbing the surrounding mountains. Favorite hikes include the hike to Black Rock, which winds through a lush canyon filled with nolinas and pinyon pine, and the hike up Eureka Peak to view Palm Springs and Mt. San Jacinto. Joshua Tree is filled with places like Covington Flats - empty places that don't get casual visitors but instead offer the adventurous spectacular sights and solitude.
Besides hiking, Joshua Tree National Park is a mecca for climbers who come to scale the many rock monoliths in the park. Even if you don't climb, it is still very interesting to watch climbers scale Joshua Tree's dome-like monzogranite boulders. You can often see climbers off the main park road at Hidden Valley. If you want to start climbing, there are climbs for every level of experience and guide services are available in nearby Twentynine Palms.
