These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
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It’s crazy how much time we spend at Joshua Tree National Park. Since it is only about 2 hours from our house, Joshua Tree National Park is our go-to place for a weekend getaway. With its otherworldly landscapes, awesome hikes, and tons of off-the-beaten-path things to explore, there is always something for us to do. After many times here, we compiled a perfect long weekend, or 3-day itinerary full of unique scenery and gorgeous hikes encompassing what Joshua Tree National Park is all about.
First thing first, if you haven’t been to Joshua Tree National Park before, here are some of the important things you should know when visiting.
Joshua Tree National Park is located next to 29 Palms, Joshua Tree, and about 1 hour from Palm Springs in California. There are 3 entrances to get into the park:
West Entrance:
From 29 Palms Highway (CA-62), turn onto Park Blvd. This entrance is the busiest entrance for Joshua Tree National Park due to its proximity to nearby cities. There is usually a long line of cars waiting to get in during the weekends, holidays, or special events. We highly recommend entering through either the North Entrance or the Cottonwood Entrance.
North Entrance:
From 29 Palms Highway (CA-62), turn onto Utah Trail. From Palm Springs, you’ll need to drive past the exit for the West Entrance to get here.
Cottonwood Entrance:
It is located on the other side of the Joshua Tree National Park. The Cottonwood Entrance connects with the other entrances using the Pinto Basin Road. It’s located off I-10 east of Palm Springs.
There is a fee to enter the Joshua Tree National Park. It is $30/private vehicle for entrance up to 7 days. If you have an American the Beautiful pass, you don’t need to pay anything else. For more info, you can check out the park’s website.
There are several options for lodging in Joshua Tree National Park. If you want to stay inside the park, there is only a camping option. Joshua Tree National Park doesn’t have any lodges or hotels inside the park. If you don’t like camping, you can stay right outside the park, at either Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms. It is only a short drive in.
Camping:
There are many beautiful campgrounds inside Joshua Tree National Park. You can reserve Black Rock, Cottonwood, Jumbo Rocks, Indian Cove, and Ryan in advance. Hidden Valley, White Tank, and Belle Campgrounds are first-come, first-served. Black Rock and Cottonwood are the only 2 campgrounds that have water, flush toilets, and dump stations. The rest only have pit toilets and no water. Jumbo Rocks, Hidden Valley, and White Tank are our favorites.
If the campgrounds inside the park are full, there are many options outside the park. For more info, check out the park’s website.
Hotels:
There are many hotel and motel options on the Joshua Tree/ 29 Palms side of the park. There isn’t much near Cottonwood Entrance. Depending on your budget, you can find many options that suit your needs.
Airbnb:
If you’re looking for something different, Joshua Tree has many choices for unique Airbnb. We haven’t stayed at any Airbnb ourselves since we preferred camping instead, but there are many to choose from.
In our recommended itinerary, we group activities and hikes that are closed together in the same day. This way, you can maximize all your time at the park instead of having to drive back and forth. We tend to pack our days pretty full. However, you can always adjust the itinerary to fit with your fitness and energy levels. Besides the main recommendations, we also added alternate options so you can choose what is best for you.
Your first day at the Joshua Tree National Park should start with some of the iconic yet shorter hikes. These hikes and activities will give you the first taste of this beautiful park that we love so much.
1 mile R.T. | 118 feet | 24 min | Easy
The Hidden Valley trail is a short and easy hike. It is a wonderful introduction to the beautiful landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. There are tons of giant boulders and iconic Joshua Trees. Hidden Valley is also a popular climbing spot so you will see many rock climbers hanging off the tall walls. If you’re one of those adventurous souls who love scrambling, we recommend checking out our favorite Chasm of Doom!
3 hours | Difficult
Chasm of Doom is an off-the-beaten-path adventure. This means there are no signages to guide you. You will have to find your way through rabbit holes and scrambling up and over giant boulders. But it will lead through super cool tunnels in between the rocks on Hidden Valley. The main event for this adventure is a section called “The Coffin.” It is a very tight passage where you’ll have to lie down on your back to scoot over to the other side. The gap is about 1ft or so tall. It is not for the faint of heart.
1.3 miles R.T. | 59 feet | 26 min | Easy
If Chasm of Doom is not your thing, you can head straight over the Barker Dam Trail. It is just down the street from the Hidden Valley Trail trailhead. Barker Dam is a cool hike where you’ll get to see a lot of water in the middle of the desert, if you come at the right time of course. Usually, after a few big rainfalls, the dam is full of water and turns into a big lake. It is quite beautiful to see.
2 miles R.T. | 80 feet | 1 hour | Easy
If you’re one of those avid hikers and want to add miles to your day, we recommend checking out Wall Street Mills. From Barker Dam trailhead, you can either hike to Wall Street Mills trailhead or hop in the car and drive over. It is an additional 0.5-mile round trip if you’re hiking from Barker Dam. This hike leads you to the historic Wall Street Mills. It was pretty interesting to see these old mills.
30 mins – 1 hour
If you still have time to spare, we recommend adding Hall of Horror to the itinerary for your first day in Joshua Tree National Park. There is a short hike around the area, but the best part about Hall of Horrors is all the fun scrambling around the run. One of the spots that we like is the actual Hall of Horrors, a small slot canyon hiding behind all the boulders. It’s pretty fun to explore. And you can spend as much or as little time as you want here.
30 mins – 1 hour
Keys View is one of the best spots to watch sunset in Joshua Tree National Park. It is about 15 15-minute drive from the Hall of Horrors. After parking, there is a short uphill walk to the main viewing area. Of course, you can watch the sunset anywhere you like. Since this is a popular spot for sunset, you’ll encounter a lot of people here. From here, you could see the Salton Sea, Santa Rosa Mountains, San Jacinto Peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, and more. On a really clear day, you could even see Signal Mountain in Mexico!
As long as you want
If you’re camping inside the park or don’t mind the drive, we recommend checking out the stars from here. This park is one of the few spots in southern California where you can actually see the milky way if the conditions are right. Our favorite spot for stargazing is at the Hall of Horror. We usually try to do night rockclimbing while looking at the stars.
Day 2 on your itinerary for Joshua Tree National Park is reserved for longer but awesome hikes.
4 miles R.T. | 656 ft | 3 hours | Moderate to Hard
Desert Queen Mine to Eagle Cliff Boulder House is our favorite hike in Joshua Tree National Park. It is an off-the-beaten-path hike. There are no trail signages so you’ll have to do some route finding to get there. But it’s such a beautiful with tons of things to see, especially if you love abandoned mines and boulder houses. It is not for beginner hikers but if you’re up for it, you’ll love this hike. Even though it is only 4 miles, this hike will take a lot longer because of the route finding so make sure to give it enough time.
7 miles R.T. | 320 ft | Moderate | 3-4 hours
If off-route trails are not your thing, check out Willow Hole trail. This trail seems long but it’s quite flat most of the time. The trail is also very well-defined. You’ll get rewarded with a unique water hole in the middle of the desert. This first section of this trail is also popular with backpackers and rock climbers.
3 miles R.T. | 1,050 ft | Moderate | 2-3 hours
Ryan Mountain is a great addition to your Joshua Tree National Park’s itinerary. It is one of the most popular hikes in the park. This trail is very steep but it is easy to follow. It also has one of the best panoramic views of the park. From the top, you can see the massive peaks of San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. If you’re up for it, you can watch the sunset from the top of Ryan Mountain. Besides Keys View, this place is another spot that amazing for sunset. Don’t forget to bring a headlight with you for the hike back though.
Your last day starts bright and early, but trust us, it’s worth it!
30 mins – 1 hour
We hope you’re ready to get up for sunrise because this spot is amazing during this time. Well, it is beautiful at both sunrise and sunset, but we found sunrise is just a bit better. Maybe because it’s less busy early in the morning? There is something about watching the fuzzy needles on the cholla cactus glow under the golden light. It is a sight to behold. Don’t forget to bring a jacket. It’s cold out.
1.7 miles | 108 feet | 36 mins or more | Easy
After the sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden, it is a short drive back to the Arch Rock Trail. Since it is early enough, you’ll most likely have to whole place to yourself. This trail is one of the most popular trails in the park. It is also our favorite short hike in Joshua Tree National Park. The Arch Rock trail has a detour to Heart Rock. It’s literally a giant boulder that is shaped like a heart. It’s pretty cool to see. After the Heart Rock, make your way over to the Arch Rock. The area around Arch Rock is very beautiful. We recommend spending some time here exploring around.
2.4 miles | 275 feet | 58 min | Easy
Still looking for more hiking? Split Rock is another fun, beautiful, and easy hike to do. It is also one of the most underrated trails in Joshua Tree National Park. We love this trail. There are so many fun rock formations to explore along the way.
15 – 30 minutes
Skull Rock is a quick stop, very close to the trailhead for Split Rock Loop trailhead. Since it is located right off the road, there will be a lot of visitors here. So, you’ll have to share your time. But it’s worth a quick stop. It is a rock that is shaped like a lopsided skull. You kind of have to see it at the right angle, but it’s still pretty unique to see. The area around skull rock is pretty fun to explore too. And if you want, there is a short 1.7-mile natural trail that connects to the other side of the road and loops back via Jumbo Rocks campground.
30 mins – 1 hour
Besides all the fun stuff inside the park, there are a few unique stops in the 29 Palms area that we think are worth a visit. The Glass Outhouse Art Gallery is one of them. It is a quirky little outdoor gallery that features an outhouse covered with one-way glass panels. So, if you’re inside, you can see everything outside clearly. It also has whimsical sculptures, interesting skeletons, and many other fun recycled art pieces. If you have time, you definitely should add this to your itinerary to Joshua Tree National Park.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
Nice to meet you!
Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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