Joshua Tree National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Joshua Tree National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Other Guides for Joshua Tree National Park

Parks and Outdoors Destinations Near Joshua Tree National Park

Travel Guides In or Near Joshua Tree National Park

Pacific Coast Parks and Outdoors States/Provinces

Parks and Outdoors Travel Destinations

advertisement
Sunset behind Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park, California
Joshua trees at Joshua Tree National Park, California (Larry Brownstein/Photodisc/Getty)
Submit a travel tip

Submit a travel tip about Joshua Tree National Park.
Read Our House Rules

On This Page:

Joshua Tree National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Tips

By Ann Marie Brown
  • As next-door neighbor to the Los Angeles megalopolis, Joshua Tree has naturally become a very popular getaway. But the park remains a wonderfully low-key place, as 75 percent of its land designated wilderness.
  • You'll be in the jovial company of rock climbers at Hidden Valley Campground. This fairly primitive camp is set among the jumbled monzogranite boulders for which Joshua Tree is famous. Practice your bouldering technique at camp, or head to the neighboring Wonderland of Rocks. Jumbo Rocks is another climber-friendly campground.
  • Neighboring White Tank and Belle Campgrounds are good places to get away from the Joshua Tree crowds. The camps aren't suitable for RVs and the rock climbers have better places to go. Sites are nestled among the boulders, which block the wind and provide shade. The sandy soil makes a soft spot for tent pitching. Water is available at the Oasis Visitor Center a few miles down the road.

Joshua Tree National Park

It used to be that Angelenos who had outdoor play on the brain largely ignored southern California's deserts. Joshua Tree was an infrequently visited national monument—it had plenty of desert scenery but lacked the kind of dramatic natural wonders that put Yosemite, Death Valley, and Yellowstone on the map. Then, slowly but surely, word began to trickle out that the best winter rock climbing anywhere in the United States was here. Instead of stowing their ropes and rock shoes when snows ended the season in Yosemite and other Sierra Nevada hot spots, climbers began to make pilgrimages to the warm monzogranite faces of Joshua Tree. Read More

Ask a Question

Do you have a travel question about this destination or can you provide a tip to a fellow traveler?

ask a question

Join the discussion with Away.com's in-house experts in our travel Q&A.

1 Questions | 0 Answers
  • The Air Force trained Rescue & Survival technicians in Joshua Tree National Park in the 1950's. We camped near a "Giant" rock that had a large room dug under this rock. The person living there invited all of us into this room (about 20 of us). Sometime later in the late fifties I saw a picture of a VW sitting on top of this rock in Life Magazine. Does anyone know how to locate this rock? Or have you seen the picture?
    Know the answer? Answer this question

Hotels

29 Palms Inn

73950 Inn Ave.
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 Map

Distance: 16.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0

Roughley Manor Inn

74744 Joe Davis Rd.
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 Map

Distance: 17.2 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
from: $110

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites TWENTYNINE PALMS/JOSHUA TREE

71809 TWENTYNINE PALMS HWY
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 Map

Distance: 18.2 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0
3.0
All Joshua Tree National Park Hotels »
advertisement

Attractions

Ryan Mountain

expert favorite attraction
Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Park Dr.
Twentynine Palms, California 92277

Distance: 13.6 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Ryan Mountain offers hikers a strenuous ascent to a 5,461-foot summit. At its peak, visitors can enjoy views of Lost Horse, Queen, and Pleasant Valleys.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Mastodon Peak

expert favorite attraction
Cottonwood Spring area
Joshua Tree National Park


Distance: 14.4 mi. (from destination center)

Description: The Mastodon Peak trail in Joshua Tree National Park is a three-mile day hike that features a cottonwood-shaded oasis, a gold mine, and a view of the desert.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Wall Street Mill

expert favorite attraction
Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Park Dr.
Twentynine Palms, California 92277

Distance: 15.0 mi. (from destination center)

Description: The Wall Street Mill Trail is a level hike that includes the historic Wall Street Mill, which is protected by the National Register of Historic Sites.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
All Joshua Tree National Park Attractions »

Airports

Major Airports near Joshua Tree National Park

Distance (mi.)
Ontario International Airport 98.0 map
San Diego-Lindbergh Field Airport 109.8 map
Santa Ana John Wayne Airport 113.4 map

Other Smaller Airports near Joshua Tree National Park

Distance (mi.)
Palm Springs Municipal Airport 34.0 map
El Centro/Imperial Imperial County Airport 77.6 map
Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport 100.0 map

Flight Deals to Joshua Tree National Park

Originating From
Seattle (SEA) to Ontario (ONT) $187
Denver (DEN) to Ontario (ONT) $200
Salt Lake City (SLC) to Ontario (ONT) $213
Austin (AUS) to Ontario (ONT) $234
Kansas City (MKC) to Ontario (ONT) $244

Feature Articles

More Joshua Tree National Park Parks and Outdoors Feature Articles (1) »
See All Feature Articles on Joshua Tree National Park »

Trip Ideas

  • Backyard Playgrounds
    Whether it’s for a few hours or a few days, we’ve all got to get away sometime. Since we can’t always explore the Amazon after work or trek Tibet in a weekend, we bring you an inspired list of the country’s best city-centric, all-natural playgrounds—ones within city limits, and ones just beyond the suburban sprawl—tailor-made for bite-sized bursts of urban adventuring.
  • Pacific and Indian Oceans: Southern California
    Top 10 Spots for Experiencing Sharks

GORPtravel Adventure Trips & Guided Tours

  • American Dream
    Intrepid Travel
    from $2316, 21 days
    Fulfil your own the American dream in this round-trip from San Francisco. From the deserts of the Navajo to the film studios of LA, anything can...
  • The Westerner
    Intrepid Travel
    from $1747, 14 days
    Designed to rouse the adventurous spirit, this is a western-bound tour of contrasting landscapes all the way from California through Arizona and...
See All Adventure Trips & Guided Tours from GORPtravel »

Joshua Tree National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guides

Camping |
»  All Parks and Outdoors Guides

Compare Rates

Powered by Trip.com
advertisement

Traveler's Currency Converter

Foreign Currency
U.S. Dollar Amount
$

Country
convert Currency

Powered by eZforex
advertisement