Joshua Tree National Park

Visited: Nov 2016

Nearby metro: Los Angeles, CA; nearby town: Twentynine Palms, CA (north entrance); Joshua Tree, CA (west entrance)

In the Mojave Desert just an hour outside of LA (but seemingly a world away) is the desert wilderness of Joshua Tree National Park. The desert has a reputation of being barren, featureless, boring, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It might be a harsh beauty, but a beauty nonetheless. The desert is an acquired taste, and Joshua Tree is a great way to acquire that taste. It will get you hooked on the desert. Just make sure to visit in the cooler months of winter, spring, or fall. So, enjoy your trip to a place where the streets have no name. (Get it? You see, it's funny because...I'm sorry, I'll stop).

Our first stop in the Park was the Cholla Cactus Garden. A little preview before we get to the eponymous more famous plant of the Park. Take the easy quarter-mile hike through this dense "forest" of Teddy Bear Cholla. Visit sometime between March-May to see the Cholla cacti bloom.

Don't touch!

Once you're done gazing on the Teddy Bear Cholla, you might realize that you still haven't found what you are looking for (I apologize, I wasn't going to do that anymore). Head to the Jumbo Rocks region. Here we got our first glimpse of the Joshua Tree. It isn't actually a tree (although very tree-like), it's a yucca. Scientific name is Yucca brevifolia. When Mormon pioneers first sighted the plant, they were reminded of the Biblical Joshua, raising his arms up to the sky in prayer. Therefore, they named it Joshua Tree, and the name stuck. The plant blooms between February and April.

The highlight of Jumbo Rocks is, of course, the Rocks. Joshua Tree is a mecca for climbers, there's all sorts of rocks to climb on, offering challenges from the novice to the most experienced. Jumbo Rocks is a giant natural playground. Take the short hike to Skull Rock (or you can park right alongside the road to see it).

Giant Marbles

Skull Rock is a popular spot.

As you continue to drive along the Park Boulevard, take a stop wherever you like and soak in the views of the Joshua Trees. They really are beautiful. Even if you don't like them, I'll enjoy them...with or without you. (That's the last one, I promise! Again, sorry).

Take the detour off the main road to go to Keys View for a great view of San Bernardino Mountains, Coachella Valley and Palm Springs.

Our last stop was Hidden Valley. This is a great mile hike in what is indeed a hidden valley, separate from the rest of the park. We spent a lot of time watching amateur rock climbers. A very pleasant hike.

Entrance fee is $25/vehicle. More info here: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm Joshua Tree is a great getaway from the sprawling metropolis that is LA. The desert is an unappreciated beauty. It is truly God's country (sorry, one last U2 reference) 😊