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Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, CA

Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicOutdoor Adventure

Joshua Tree National Park

74485 National Park Dr · Twentynine Palms, CA

Why you should go…

Two desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together across this park of nearly 800,000 acres. You can hike the Hidden Valley nature trail, look over the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault from Keys View, and walk through the Cholla Cactus Garden. Rock climbers come for thousands of named routes, and the park has been a designated Dark Sky Park since 2017. There is no gas, food or lodging inside the park, so bring water.

  • #national park
  • #desert hiking
  • #rock climbing
  • #stargazing
  • #scenic drive

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Joshua Tree National Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Covered Wagon Tours

    $50+

    Mule-drawn covered wagon rides into the Coachella Valley Preserve with a chuckwagon BBQ and cowboy music.

    29 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Classic Club

    $50+

    Play an Arnold Palmer designed championship desert golf course near Palm Springs.

    30 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Palm Springs Air Museum

    Under $25

    Living history museum with one of the world's largest flyable collections of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam era aircraft.

    34 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Attractions
    Quirky Fun

    Escape Room Palm Springs

    $25–$50

    Private, family-friendly escape rooms in Palm Springs with themes from bank heists to a wizard school.

    35 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Tahquitz Canyon

    Under $25

    A 1.8-mile loop trail on Agua Caliente tribal land in Palm Springs that climbs to a seasonal 60-foot waterfall, with a visitor center and ranger-led hikes.

    37 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Indian Canyons

    Under $25

    Palm oasis canyons on Agua Caliente tribal land near Palm Springs with hiking trails and a trading post.

    37 mi awayMore like this