Desert Runcation Part 1: Joshua Tree National Park

We have a tradition (does two times make a tradition?) of taking a desert runcation in late winter/spring to combat the dark and rainy Seattle days. Last year we spent time in Zion National Park (part 1 and part 2.) This year we went to Southern California with the goal of exploring Joshua Tree National Park and the surrounding area. It was fantastic! Sunny solitude in the desert was exactly the recharge I needed.

Our first day we got to the park before dawn in an attempt to photograph sunrise. As sometimes happens, the sunrise was a bit anticlimactic, but all was not lost. We stopped at a pull out next to the road to look at some interesting Joshua trees, and I was struck by the utter stillness. There wasn’t another soul in sight, nor any critters stirring in the brush.

As a sidenote, all of the park literature has illustrations of Joshua trees full of birds, insects, and reptiles. I assume they’re trying to emphasize that the desert isn’t a barren wasteland, but full of life. I applaud this admirable goal! However… we really didn’t see much wildlife, lol. Only this roadrunner at the Visitor Center that was either threatened by Adam…or looking for love. There were other people around, but it only reacted this way when Adam was near it, ha!

Timing

February is a great time to visit the park. It wasn’t hot, but got up to a comfortable 65 degrees. The first day it was actually in the mid-30s in the early morning, so watch the weather and bring layers. There are warnings at some trailheads about heat and water, so you know, be prepared.

We dedicated a day and a half of our trip to exploring the park, and used the rest of the time to explore the surrounding area (I’ll share more in the next post!) This timeframe may seem limiting, but it actually worked out well because it’s not a huge park. We didn’t make it to every trail in the park, but we hiked/ran many of them and got a good sense of this unique landscape. I would definitely go again to explore the rest!

Trails We Explored:

• Hidden Valley Trail – (1 mile – loop – good for walking) We got to the trailhead just after sunrise, and wow. It was a short and easy trail, but a perfect introduction to this unique landscape. The sun slowly illuminating the rocks as the morning progressed was beautiful. We took a lot of photos here.

• Barker Dam Trail – (1.2 mile – loop – good for walking) Another easy trail, but it had some iconic scenery with rocks and Joshua Trees as well as some nice reflections at the dam itself. There are also some petroglyphs/pictographs near the end of the trail. Surprisingly, there is more history here than you would expect in a desert, including ranching when the landscape was more lush. Overall the park was good about signage educating the public about the history of the area.

• Ryan Mountain Trail – (3 mile – out-and-back – good for hiking or running) A very straightforward up and down trail that gives a 360 view of the surrounding area. The coolest part of this trail is seeing the iconic piles of monzogranite in the distance. After looking at them from the ground, it gives you an interesting perspective on the landscape. At the bottom there are some nice, wide boulders that make the perfect picnic spot in the sun.

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• Boy Scout Trail – (8.3 mile – out-and-back/one-way – good for hiking or running) I really liked this trail, especially because we went early in the day. It appeared to be a favorite with other trail runners as well. We did an out and back run from the Keys West Trailhead. The beginning was simply classic – Joshua Trees and monzogranite boulders in abundance. The first few miles were very flat and runnable, and then it got sandier and rockier with more cacti. After 4.5 miles, we got to the highest point where you could look out over town. We turned around here and went back to the trailhead. Definitely not because we didn’t want to climb down in order to climb right back up again. Nope, definitely not for that reason at all. 😉

• Skull Rock Nature Trail – (1.8 mile – loop – good for walking) This trailhead is directly across from the Jumbo Rocks Campground. It’s not on the park map, and was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed this one because of getting up close to the monzogranite boulders. It was an easy trail with some small spur trails off it if you’d like to explore a bit more. It was a beautiful trail that loops around to the iconic Skull Rock. This trail also had brand-new informational signage installed by local Boy Scouts. Way to go, Scouts!

• Go ahead and skip: Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail. It’s a 3 mile out and back that’s moderately strenuous, and I didn’t feel was really worth it. The scenery on the way wasn’t that great, and the payoff is just a group of palm trees that you can’t walk around in. <shrug> Meh. There are cooler trails around. I’m told it’s better when the wildflowers and cacti are in bloom, however.

Unfortunately for this trip, we did not get on the California Riding & Hiking Trail, which is a 37 mile traverse across the park used by many trailrunners. (Next time!) We also didn’t get down to the southern part of the park, so I can’t speak to any of those trails, either.

Some things we learned on our visit to Joshua Tree:

• Start early! We arrived very early on two days and basically had the trails to ourselves. We’ve learned this is a good strategy for most national parks anyway, but especially pertinent here because the park doesn’t have a lot of parking areas. If you go later in the day, just be prepared to wait a bit at the entrance and possibly have to wait for parking.
• Look up trails on non-national park sources. The official park map, while helpful for the average driving tourist, doesn’t have every trail listed on it. I use free REI apps to help with this: Hiking Project and Trail Run Project. They may not have every trail in your area (it’s crowdsourced), but they work especially well in areas like national parks. You can see trail descriptions, elevation, and it’ll even show you where you are on the map (even if you’re out of cell phone range.) I’ve linked the trail names above to the trail descriptions, so check it out if you’re interested. (I’m not affiliated with them in any way, but just really like this resource!)
• Bring water! While there are pit toilets at trailheads, there is no water there. We brought a couple extra gallons in the car, so we could refill our hydration packs between hikes/runs and stay out all day without being parched. This may seem somewhat obvious as it’s the desert, but there really isn’t water available to filter. Sooo…bring your own.
• Bring a cooler with food. Not that I ever expect this, but there is no food available for purchase at the park. It was not hot when we were there, but we brought a soft cooler from home to use with store-bought ice. That way we can pack sandwiches, fruit, and smoothies, and not have to leave the park for sustenance and lose precious trail time. Also, you should probably bring Haribo Gold Bears and Oreos because they’re the bomb after (and during) a hike. Just saying.
• Catch a sunset. We didn’t have a particular spot in mind for sunset, but knew we wanted to see one. We came in from the West Entrance, and just drove until we found a spot where the light was good and had plentiful Joshua Trees for us to use as silhouettes. Also, stay until after the sun has set! So many people leave before then, but that’s when the colors are the best.

Further logistical details:

I was surprised at the limited amenities on the northern side of the park. There weren’t as many hotels and restaurants as I would expect. There’s one grocery store (Stater Bros), and while not fancy, it was certainly sufficient. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad there’s not a monstrosity of a resort there! I was just surprised given the popularity of the park that it wasn’t more…touristy. I’m there to enjoy the outdoors, so I don’t need a 5-star anything, but just be aware there’s no Starbucks out there, okay? 😉

As for us, we stayed at an Airbnb in Twentynine Palms. It wasn’t glamorous, but was tidy, close to the park, and had everything we needed. If you’re more interested in camping, there are campgrounds within the park, but they fill up quickly. So book ahead if you’d like to go that route.

Joshua Tree National Park was fascinating to visit, and has such a unique landscape! I always leave national parks with a sense of wonder and renewed desire to visit them all, and Joshua Tree was no different. Part 1 of our sun-seeking winter getaway was wonderful! Stay tuned for part 2…