We've been to this National Park before, but it was our first chance to try some of the hikes, and…read morethey were really beautiful. If you just do the drive, you might not really see everything this park has to offer, so it's worth doing the hikes, even if only the easier ones. We did the Hidden Valley hike, which is only around a 1 mile loop. It can get pretty crowded though and the parking gets filled fast, so it's better to go early. We also went on the Barker Dam hike, which is also just a bit over a mile. This one was my favorite of the two and you get to climb some nice rocks on this hike. We did the other typical stuff like see skull rock, but didn't do this hike, and saw keys view, which is also really nice, but if you do go, it's definitely worth to do some hiking since it makes the experience of this park so much better.

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Joshua Tree National Park was one of the most playful and surprising. My husband came up with what may be the park's most accurate unofficial name: "Amazing Boulders National Park... with a few Joshua trees." After spending a couple of days there, I had to admit he had a point. Yes, the Joshua trees are fascinating. These unusual plants are actually members of the yucca family rather than true trees, and they give the landscape a wonderfully whimsical character. But what completely captivated us were the enormous granite boulder formations scattered throughout the park. They seem to have been dropped from the sky by a giant child building a playground. Hiking here is simply fun. Around every corner, another incredible rock formation appears, and before long you find yourself spotting shapes in the rocks: an elephant, a skull, faces, animals, castles... your imagination takes over. Climbing on the boulders brought out our inner children. Unlike many hikes where you simply follow a trail, Joshua Tree encourages exploration and curiosity. One of the most fascinating aspects of the park is that it lies where two distinct deserts meet: the higher, cooler Mojave Desert, home to the Joshua trees, and the lower, hotter Colorado Desert, creating remarkable diversity in both plants and wildlife. We were fortunate to visit while many of the cacti were in bloom, adding splashes of color to the desert. We also enjoyed watching the abundant wildlife, including desert iguanas, ground squirrels, Gambel's quail, and countless birds that make this seemingly harsh environment feel surprisingly alive. The scenery constantly changes, from forests of Joshua trees to giant rock piles, hidden valleys, cholla gardens, and wide-open desert vistas. It is easy to understand why artists, photographers, climbers, and stargazers have been drawn here for generations. Joshua Tree National Park is one of those rare places that makes you smile while you're exploring it. It is beautiful, quirky, imaginative, and incredibly fun. Whether you come to hike, climb, photograph, or simply let your imagination run wild among the boulders, this park is unforgettable. Highly recommended, and if you find yourself calling it "Amazing Boulders National Park," don't worry... you're probably not the first.

At the north edge of Joshua Tree National Park, the Oasis of Mara doesn't try to impress you. It…read morejust is. And somehow, that lands deeper. What makes it special isn't just the pocket of life in the middle of all that desert, it's how thoughtfully it's been preserved and shared. The paved loop trail is an open invitation, designed so almost anyone can experience it, which matters. Beauty shouldn't be gatekept by steep inclines and perfect knees. When we visited, most of the loop was closed for repairs. The kind of moment where you think, "well, that's that." But then, plot twist, kindness showed up. A staff member took the time to talk with my husband and, seeing his mobility challenges, gave him permission to walk the full trail. That small act? It meant everything. We didn't just see the oasis, we experienced it. And what an experience it was. A slow, easy walk, the kind your body thanks you for. Quiet learning along the way. A desert iguana making a cameo like it had somewhere important to be. The soft, unmistakable call of a quail echoing through the stillness. No big show, just little moments stacking up into something meaningful. It's peaceful, beautiful, and layered with history you can feel even if you don't read a single sign. The kind of place that doesn't demand your attention but earns it anyway. Go. Walk it slowly. Let it sink in. It's one of those places that leaves a quiet mark and somehow stays with you longer than the louder stops.

Nothing very pretty. Plants looked burnt and neglected! One area was closed off for repair…read more Random info with history signs but not with cohesive storytelling. So sad that the Maaryam and other tribes were driven off this land. And worse that the water was depleted by 1940 so it had to be pumped in mechanically. Yuck- all around. The brush in the park looked much healthier than this. The only thing nice was that I could walk my dog in.

Pretty cool place the old 29 Palms has finally! This isn't the 29 Palms I grew up in! Lol…read more. includes the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, the Community Center including their new gym, some restaurants, and some little shops, but today there's a Farmer's Market. Photos are of Laurel Arismendi's, my little sister's, Good Vibes Dyes & Laureloops business setup. She sells tie dye of course and other cute stuff. You can check out her stuff online at https://www.goodvibesdyes.com/

Frail is easy to follow. It isn't too steep and it's a solid 1.6 miles to the spot from the parking…read morelot. Once at the palms, the temperature cools out dramatically under the shade. Pretty neat!

I could rave and rave about this hike. I almost didn't do it because it's a little out of the way -…read morethe trailhead entrance is off the main road past the first entrance if coming from Palm/desert hot springs. The hike itself probably only took me 45 mins or so to get to the oasis, and BOY was it worth it!! It's a shallow step/Rocky path most of the way, and right at the end you suddenly emerge over this hill and get an incredible view of a valley full of California fan palm trees! I came on a clear day with mild temps in the mid 70': and it was comfortable, and TOTALLY stunning. The volunteer @the welcome center said in summer they get some rain and it doesn't drain fast so water can pool and make it like a true oasis (don't swim in or drink that water). Overall, between Ryan mountain and this hike - it truly MADE my experience @J tree. Anybody going to visit the park I would recommend doing this trail :)

White Tank Campground is a small campground with 15 camp sites and has pit toilets, picnic tables,…read moreand fire pits. It costs $25 for an individual campsite and is a high-demand campsite so it runs out quickly. Even if you're not staying at the campground, you can still explore the area. The area includes Arch Rock and Heart Rock which are popular attractions at Joshua Tree. If the campground parking is full there's a small parking lot before you reach the campground. I recommend coming early because those two rocks will attract a lot of visitors.

White Tank Campground is located off Pinto Basin Road in the northern end of the Joshua Tree Park…read morenear Jumbo Rocks. It is about 28 miles from the Cottonwood Visitor Center. All campsites are first-come, first-serve. RVs and trailers are welcome but cannot exceed a combined maximum length of 25 feet. What's great about this campground is that it is quiet and is nestled among some of the bigger granite boulders. You get great views of the stars at night because of how secluded it is. Downfall is that there is no water and Wi-Fi. So you must rely on paper maps and road signs to find the campground. I love this spot because a couple of my favorite rock formations are here. There is a trail from within White Tank Campground that leads to Arch Rock. It is less than half a mile. Arch Rock is about 30-feet across and pretty cool to explore. If you continue walking down the trail, you will find Heart Rock. There are small signs that point the way. It is totally worth it to check it out. Heart Rock is a giant rock in the shape of a heart and makes for great photos.

My mother in law insisted we come here so we obliged. The parking lot is larger than other…read moretrailheads and it's a popular destination with cholla cactus dotting the landscape. It's a very short 0.5 mile loop and you can start on either side, you'll see the same things. It's popular for sunset or sunrise photography. The worst thing is you are on a twisting trail that's clearly bounded by rocks and ropes. Though you can get close to cactus I didn't feel immersed, more like I was doing a drive-by. Because the way the path is set up it's also very hard to take pictures without ropes, the path, and other people being in your picture. There is an area right across the street where you'll be more immersed but Cholla caxtus us a protected species so we didn't want to accidentally damage one or get stabbed.

In the Pinto Basin of Joshua Tree, where the Colorado desert morphs into the Mojave, you'll find…read morethousands of "teddy bear" cholla cacti thriving! They may look soft and cuddly but they're quite hazardous - designed to spike into skin and fur to hitch a ride in order to propagate! This reproductive tendency to easily snap off pieces at the stem and travel has earned these cacti another nickname - "jumping cholla" lol. Luckily, the NPS works hard to keep the trails through the garden well maintained - allowing us to explore and meander the 10 acres without getting poked and spiked! Some of the teddy bear cholla towered over me by at least a foot! And the surrounding area is all mountains in the distance so it's definitely worth a visit. The sunsets here are often dramatic with lots of interesting photo angles and opportunities. The cacti themselves are beautiful with their rich brown stems gradually blending into the pastel green of their crowns. And in the spring they have great big greenish blooms. There's plenty of paved parking at the trailhead and it's easy to find - right off one of the main roads so you really can't miss it. I'd say it's definitely a must see in the park. Entry to the national park has a fee but there's lots to see and do. They have plenty of visitors centers, other nearby bathrooms, and picnic spots. Cell and WiFi signal is very lacking in the park - plan ahead and download and offline maps you may need.

Just took a Joshua Tree morning tour with Wendy. She was excellent and patient with my family…read more Since we got into the park a little after 8am, we were constantly ahead of the crowds. Overall we really enjoyed our experience and would highly recommend using them. And we paid about $100 per person for a private morning tour. That's pretty good value IMO! The selection of different activities was very low but that was because we booked the busiest time of the season, and only about 3 weeks ahead of time. Booking process was very smooth. The only issue I had was they were unresponsive to any type of communication beforehand. After I booked online, I wrote them and email asking for confirmation, as well as called them and left a voicemail. I received no reply. I almost thought I might have been scammed! Thankfully that wasn't that case.

Great day hiking experience! Our guide was knowledgeable about the park itself and the plants,…read moreanimals, and geology. He also was flexible to adapt to our group's need to change plans when we realized not everyone was interested in rock scrambling.