Joshua Tree National Park is in south central California. Over half of the park is designated wilderness area. The park is the junction between two distinct deserts, the higher altitude Mojave and the lower Colorado Desert. This intersection yields a diverse mix of plants and wildlife. The park almost has an eerie beauty… a mix of desert, dramatic rock formations, and unique plants. Good to know – Locals commonly refer to Joshua Tree as “J-Tree”.
Many of the most famous spots are accessible by car. One highly-recommended stop along the drive is Keys View, which is a lookout with outstanding views. For those who are more inclined to walk the park, they can literally get lost exploring the endless hiking trails.
Camping is a very popular choice for park visitors. Joshua Tree has several campgrounds, but they book up, especially in the busy season (spring). One of main draws for camping in J-Tree is that the nighttime skies are incredibly clear for viewing the stars.
Joshua Tree has an abundance of rocks for scaling. The most notable area is Echo Cove, which has trails for beginners to experts. Nomad Adventures is a rock climbing outfit that has been operating at J-Tree for decades.
Winter and spring are the busy seasons as the weather is more tolerable. Winter high temps are in the 60s.
Spring is the busiest time of year. The campgrounds book out well in advance. By May, daily highs are in the mid-80s.
Unlike many US National Parks, summers are the slow season at J-Tree. It is simply too damn hot. Temps regularly reach 100.
Early fall is relatively slow as September is still very hot. By October, the tourism begins to pick up with the falling temperatures.