Joshua Tree National Park: everything a first-time visitor could want to know

20.07.2024 - 21:40 / lonelyplanet.com / Joshua Tree

Jul 19, 2024 • 10 min read

What makes Joshua Tree National Park so memorable? It’s a little bougie. It’s a little woo-woo. And its natural beauty is simply astonishing.

Between the Coachella Valley and the vast high desert of interior California, the park is within easy drive of marvelously midcentury playground Palm Springs and the holistic hot spot that is the city of Joshua Tree. (You don’t have to follow your hike with a martini at a Rat Pack–era lounge or a sound bath in a magical dome inspired by extraterrestrials. But you can – details below.)

The national park is where two deserts with totally different ecosystems – the Mojave and the Colorado – meet. It’s home to striking succulent-filled fields, towering rocks eroded into skull- and animal-like forms, and groves of trees with blade-like leaves.

Spend a day here and you’re less likely to ask “What desert am I in?” than “What planet have I landed on?”  

And because deserts are inherently places of wonder, first-time visitors are likely to have many questions. Is Joshua Tree National Park doable as a day trip from Palm Springs? What about from Los Angeles? Will I see actual trees named Joshua? And where do I find the dome that must have been designed by aliens?

Curious? We have answers.

As you probably guessed, desert-based Joshua Tree gets blazing hot in the summer – like, triple-digits-every-day hot. This does make May through September the low season, when you’re more likely to score deals on hotel rates. The blazing heat, however, can be dangerous, so visitors are advised to check the weather daily and stay flexible with plans, whether limiting outdoor activities to early mornings (before 9am) or evenings (after 5pm), or avoiding them altogether. The park also warns guests of increased bee activity during summer, which may persuade anyone with an allergy to visit in the cooler months.

October through April is peak season, with April being especially busy because of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in nearby Indio (about 25 miles from the park’s south entrance). While it’s always fun to mix music with outdoor adventure, you’re likely to pay an arm and a leg for lodging everywhere from Palm Springs to Pioneertown, including every Airbnb and converted Airstream in the area. Fall, winter and spring have pleasant daytime temperatures for hiking and climbing, ranging from low 60s to mid 80s (F) – but nights can get cold, especially December through February, when it can dip into the 30s.

There’s enough desert eye candy to treat your senses for a week…or much more. But if, say you’re visiting Palm Springs and want a national-park pit stop, a shorter visit can work. (For that post-hike martini back in Palm Springs, by the way, head to Melvyn’s.)