This strange land in southern California presents a showcase of strange trees and rocks that may leave folks wondering if they entered the pages of a Dr. Suess book. The range of activities in Joshua Tree offer an equally bizarre arrangement. There are some really cool places in this park, and you can explore them all.
Here are some of Park Junkie’s favorite activities in Joshua Tree.
Guide to Joshua Tree
Hiking in Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree is a massive park, with nearly 800,000 acres of rugged terrain that covers two distinctly different desert landscapes. Located in the northern region of the park, the Mohave desert is the more regularly visited, and is home to the famed Joshua Tree, while the Colorado desert, a smaller desert that is technically part of the larger Sonoran desert, makes up the vast valleys of the parks southern region.
HERE
Most of the park’s trails are found in the northern section, along Park Boulevard. Most lead through widely spaced forests of Joshua Trees and strangely arranged piles of pinkish rock that lend the terrain an otherworldly appearance. The southern region of the park is home to a few trails as well, These through a more sparse landscape that is largely absent of Joshua Trees, due to its lower elevation and hotter climate.
Below are listed most of the well-traveled trails in the northern region of the park, including the Black Rock area, and Park Blvd. Trails are listed in order of difficulty. Distances are round trip unless otherwise indicated.
| TRAIL | Difficulty | LOCATION | LENGTH | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barker Dam | Easy | Barker Dam parking area, east of Hidden Valley | 1.3 miles | Short loop trail, leads through rocks and Joshua Trees to site of old dam. |
| Cap Rock | Easy | Cap Rock parking area, Keys View Road | 0.4 miles | Loop trail through boulders and Joshua Trees. |
| Discovery Trail | Easy | Skull Rock parking area, trail on north side of Park Blvd. | 0.7 mile | Loop trail through large rocks, connects Skull Rock & Split Rock Trail. |
| Hidden Valley | Easy | Hidden Valley picnic area | 1 mile | Loop through large rocks and Joshua Trees in enclosed valley. |
| Hi-View | Easy | Northwest of Black Rock Camp | 1.3 mile | Loop through Joshua Trees. Good panoramic views. |
| Indian Cove | Easy | Indian Cove Camp, west of Twentynine Palms, north side of park. | 0.6 mile | Loop trail teaches plant ecology and history. |
| Oasis of Mara | Easy | Oasis Visitor Center | 0.5 mile | Loop along desert oasis in Twentynine Palms. |
| Ryan Ranch | Easy | Ryan Ranch Trailhead – Park Blvd | 2 mile | Out & back along old rand road with historic ranch structure. |
| Skull Rock | Easy | Skull Rock parking area – Park Blvd | 1.7 mile | Loop through large boulders. |
| Lucky Boy Loop | Moderate | Lucky Boy Trhd on Desert Queen Road | Loop leads to overlook, and connects to Desert Queen area. | |
| Lost Horse Mine | Moderate or Strenuous | Lost Horse Mine Trhd | 4 miles O&B or 6.5 loop | Out & back hike to old gold mine, or more strenuous loop that continues past mine. |
| Pine City | Moderate | Desert Queen Mine | 4 mile | Out & Back hike through stands of Junipers and Mohave Desert vegetation. |
| Split Rock Loop | Moderate | Split Rock Trhd | 2.5 mile | Loop trail leads through rocks and Mohave Desert |
| West Side Loop | Moderate | Black Rock | 4.7 mile | Loop trail explores ridges above Black Rock and large Joshua Trees. |
| Boy Scout Trail | Strenuous | Boy Scout Trhd – Park Blvd or Indian Cove | 8 mile – one way 16 mile RT | Best hiked with shuttle, or overnighter. Trail leads through Wonderland of Rocks and into deep canyon. |
| Forty-nine Palms Oasis | Strenuous | 49 Palms Trhd – west of 29 Palms on Hwy 62 | 3 miles | Out & Back, leads to fan palm oasis in rocky canyon. |
| Panorama Loop | Strenuous | Black Rock | 6.6 miles | Loop trail winds up sandy wash and returns on ridgeline of Little San Bernardinos. Dense Joshua Trees. |
| Ryan Mountain | Strenuous | Ryan Mtn Trhd | 3 mile | Out & Back hike leads up up up & back down. Park’s most popular hike, with great views of surrounding areas. |
| Warren Peak | Strenuous | Black Rock | 6.3 miles | Out & Back to summit. Quiet views of western side of park. |
| Willow Hole | Strenuous | Boy Scout Trhd | 7.2 miles | Out & Back hike leads into Wonderland of Rocks, then into basin with grove of willow trees. |
| California Riding & Hiking Trail | Strenuous | Several | 35 miles | Trail runs from Black Rock to North Entrance of Park. |
Below are listed most of the well-traveled trails in the southern region of the park, including trails along the Pinto Basin Road. Trails are listed in order of difficulty. Distances are round trip unless otherwise indicated.
| TRAIL | difficulty | LOCATION | LENGTH | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bajada | Easy | South of Cottonwood Visitor Center | 0.25 mile | Loop trail, good introduction to plants of the Colorado Desert. |
| Cholla Cactus Garden | Easy | 20 miles north of Cottonwood VC on the Pinto Basin Road | 0.5 mile | Short loop through Cholla Cactus Garden. Wear shoes. |
| Mastodon Peak | Moderate | Cottonwood Spring | 3 mile | Loop trail leads through rock gardens in the Colorado Desert |
| Lost Palms Oasis | Strenuous | Cottonwood Spring | 8 mile | Out & Back leads through brutal desert to remote canyon with stands of Fan Palms. Hot, little shade along trail. |
For more information about hiking in Joshua Tree, check out the park hiking page.
GET BACK
Backpacking in Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree provides plenty of space to find a quiet space to call your own and camp can be easily accessed. Numerous trails access areas that guarantee solitude and a night or two among the bizarre boulders may be just what the doctor ordered.
HERE
A night in the wild requires a permit, but that’s surprisingly easy to attain in J-tree. Self Registration Backcountry Boards are located at most trailheads that provide access to the park’s more popular overnight destinations. Simply fill out the form and leave the tab in your vehicle, to avoid the inconvenience of returning to find your car towed.
Camps are self-determined, but must be located outside of day-use areas, more than 1 mile from any roadway, and at least 500 feet from any trail. All backcountry water is considered non-potable and is reserved for wildlife, so you must carry enough water to last the duration of your journey.
For more information about backpacking in the Joshua Tree Wilderness, check out the park website.
NPS – Joshua Tree – Backpacking
GET BACK
Rock Climbing in Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree is a winter haven for rock climbers and has become a climbing destination all of its own. The park’s bizarre collection of massive monzogranite boulders provides the perfect setting for an extended climbing vacation.
There are more than 8,000 routes in the park and more than 2,000 boulder problems. Climbs range from easy 5.6 and 5.7 routes to complex climbs that offer challenges for the world’s best climbers. Most routes are one to two pitches in length, and combine styles that include crack, slab and face climbs.
For those who may doubt their ability to navigate the crags safely, there are a number of mountain guides in the area who can provide instruction, or guided trips into the park. A quick search of the interwebs will turn up a few services that are licensed to guide inside the park.
Check out this fellow. I met him atop the Grand Teton on some random adventure back in 2018. He runs a guide service there in J-Tree and offers a number of options that will put you up on the rock in a variety of California’s climbing locations.
If you’re solid in your ability, just head on into the park and pick a campsite at the Hidden Valley or the Jumbo Rocks Campgrounds and you’ll have little problem meeting some neighbor from whom you’ll receive all the beta you’ll need for a few routes. Otherwise, a good guide book may come in handy. There are a few available, but the Robert Miramontes guide seems to be the most well-received by the locals.
Joshua Tree Rock Climbing – 3rd Edition
Biking in Joshua Tree
4×4 Driving in Joshua Tree
Ranger-Led Activities
Guide to Joshua Tree
Relevant Links
National Park Guides
All content found on Park Junkie is meant solely for entertainment purposes and is the copyrighted property of Park Junkie Productions. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited without the express written consent of Park Junkie Productions.
YOU CAN DIE. Activities pursued within National Park boundaries hold inherent dangers. You are solely responsible for your safety in the outdoors. Park Junkie accepts no responsibility for actions that result in inconveniences, injury or death.
This site is not affiliated with the National Park Service, or any particular park.
