Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is known for its spiky Joshua Trees that grow out in unpredictable and unusual angles. Huge boulder piles also litter the alien landscape, that sits between the boundaries of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts.
Surprisingly, Joshua Tree isn’t all sand and boulders. During winter and spring, the historic Barker Dam fills a reservoir, that used to be used to feed cattle and farms in the area before the park was created. The easy Barker Dam Nature Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the park.
Joshua Tree’s surreal appeal draws casual day trippers from San Diego and LA, hikers, and hard-core rock climbers from all around.
Places to Stay While Visiting Joshua Tree
There are no lodging options within Joshua Tree NP other than a few campgrounds. Most visitors stay along Route 62, either in Joshua Tree, CA or Twentynine Palms, CA, then commute in. Both of these towns are a perfect proximity to the park, and you’ll likely travel between the two multiple times, no matter which city you end up staying in.
Twentynine Palms, CA is the best place to stay if you are visiting Joshua tree for more than one day. Nearby Palm Springs is also a good option, albeit a little farther away.
- Twentynine Palms, CA (4 miles away)
- Joshua Tree, CA (5 miles)
- Yucca Valley, CA (11 miles)
- Indio, CA (26 miles)
- Palm Springs, CA (37 miles)
VISIT Joshua Tree National Park:
Park Details
Joshua Tree National Park was established in .
| Address | |
|---|---|
| Phone | 760-367-5500 |
| Hours | 365 days a year, 24 hours a day |
| Entrance Fee | $30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Joshua Tree National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Joshua Tree National Park are October, November, March & April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 229,995 | 285,687 | 375,049 | 383,735 | 285,611 | 181,050 | 125,568 | 123,163 | 163,241 | 213,088 | 334,802 | 363,411 |
| Precipitation | 8 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Avg Temp | 64 | 67 | 75 | 81 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 102 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Max Temp | 74 | 78 | 86 | 93 | 99 | 108 | 111 | 109 | 104 | 96 | 83 | 73 |
| Avg Temp | 38 | 41 | 44 | 47 | 54 | 61 | 70 | 71 | 65 | 54 | 44 | 38 |
| Min Temp | 28 | 30 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 49 | 59 | 59 | 52 | 42 | 31 | 27 |
Joshua Tree National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Joshua Tree National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Visit Joshua Tree National Park from LA or SD in One Day | 300 | 1 |
| Route 66 National Park Road Trip | 2,300 | 13 |
| Channel Islands, Joshua Tree to Death Valley | 597 | 8 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Joshua Tree National Park.