Best known for the striking Joshua Trees that gave the park its name, the Joshua Tree National Park actually offers substantially more than just a few interesting trees, and may be worthy of allowing several days out of your road trip itinerary.
Originally designated a US National Monument, Joshua Tree was upgraded to National Park status in 1994. This huge park covers over 1,234 square miles of land and includes two distinct desert ecosystems. The abundance of Joshua Trees standing tall against the barren desert makes this a very photogenic park, especially when combined with the bizarrely shaped rock formations.
Being in the desert the Joshua Tree National Park experiences high temperatures so you’ll want to make sure you start your activities early in the day to avoid being out in the hottest times. There are hiking trails to enjoy here, though most come with a moderately strenuous rating, and again will be best tackled earlier in the day. These range from 3 miles to 16 miles in length and offer hikers a multitude of amazing vistas.
Those traveling by car or RV should certainly stick to the main paved roads which are all in good enough condition for a fairly smooth and comfortable ride. Off-roading on dirt trails is possible for those with a high vehicle and 4wd; the Geology Motor Tour for example is a self guided tour for visitors with 4wd and involves 16 stops en-route.
Joshua Tree National Park has also become a top climbing destination with thousands of named climbing routes throughout the park. How about signing up the whole family for a day of rock climbing, for an unforgettable experience and views of the park that you wouldn’t normally get to see?!
Other park attractions include the Cholla Cactus Garden and although you may be tempted to touch these prickly cholla cacti, please don’t touch!
Staying for more than a day? Make use of the numerous campsites within the park. Some of these do have restrictions on the size of motorhome permitted, but we’ll make the reservations for you so there’s no need to worry.
Quick Facts:
--- The 1987 release of U2’s "The Joshua Tree" album featured photos of the trees and landscapes here and helped to really increase the popularity of this park.
