At Joshua Tree, there’s something magical about its alluring desert landscapes and far out trees. The park meets at the junction of two deserts. Mojave Desert is a high desert to the west and Colorado Desert is a low desert to the east. Plus, the Little San Bernardino Mountains border the southwest. It takes a special breed of plants and animals to survive here. Explore the mysteries of jumbo rock mounds rising in the desert and enjoy its dark skies.

MUST SEES

Joshua Tree

With spiky yucca-shaped blades on twisting branches of a palm tree-like trunk, Joshua trees spark the imagination. This member of the Agave family thrives in the high desert.

Skull Rock

Rain drops have slowly eroded this rock formation. As water accumulated, the eye sockets widened. Now, this pirate skull shaped rock is a favorite of hikers and rock scramblers.

Cholla Cactus Garden

Cholla is a shrubby cactus with yellow flowers. Beware of its painful, silvery, bristle-like thorns, which easily attach to skin. At dawn/dusk, the spines shimmer and glow when the light is right.

Split Rock

The Split Rock Trail has its share of rock formations that resemble faces and turtle heads. As for Split Rock itself? The name says it all. The rock has a smooth straight crack down the middle.

Ocotillo

At the Ocotillo Patch, these desert plants bloom during spring. From spiky thorny stalks, red flowers bloom and fall off practically overnight to conserve moisture.

Rocky Landscapes

Joshua Tree’s landscape is bizarre. It looks like giant piles of marbles scattered across the flat desert. Flash floods have washed away the surface, exposing huge boulders one on top of another.

Ryan Mountain

Hike 3 miles round-trip to Ryan Mountain for great panoramic views of the park. From the 5,456-foot peak, you can view San Jacinto and San Gorgonio.

Joshua Tree Bloom

The ivory flowers of the Joshua tree only bloom under certain conditions, after a recent rainstorm or winter freeze. Some Joshua trees have no branches because they have never bloomed.

LOGISTICS

Pioneertown

Spend the night at Pioneertown, built as a set to film Westerns and serve as a residence for industry workers. At Pappy & Harriet’s, wet your whistle, enjoy Santa Maria BBQ tri-tip, or catch some live music.

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