Joshua Tree National Park Hiking/Camping Guide
Hiking/Camping
Because of the park's very dry climate, fire danger in Joshua Tree is almost always very high. Be cautious. Campfires are allowed only in designated fire rings or grills that are found in park campgrounds or picnic areas. Keep fires small. Bring your own firewood. You may not gather park vegetation, whether living or dead, to fuel your campfire. If you plan to have a campfire, bring extra water to douse it thoroughly.
Black Rock Canyon is about 6 miles from the house!
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Black Rock Canyon Campground
9800 Black Rock Canyon RdBecause of the park's very dry climate, fire danger in Joshua Tree is almost always very high. Be cautious. Campfires are allowed only in designated fire rings or grills that are found in park campgrounds or picnic areas. Keep fires small. Bring your own firewood. You may not gather park vegetation, whether living or dead, to fuel your campfire. If you plan to have a campfire, bring extra water to douse it thoroughly.
Black Rock Canyon is about 6 miles from the house!
The Hidden Valley Nature Trail is an ideal trail for those without a ton of time to explore the park, making it one of the more popular hiking trails in Joshua Tree.
It includes a one-mile loop with lots of interpretive signage about the different types of plants, geology, and animals that can be found in Joshua Tree National Park.
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Природний маршрут Hidden Valley
74485 National Park DriveThe Hidden Valley Nature Trail is an ideal trail for those without a ton of time to explore the park, making it one of the more popular hiking trails in Joshua Tree.
It includes a one-mile loop with lots of interpretive signage about the different types of plants, geology, and animals that can be found in Joshua Tree National Park.
The Barker Dam Nature Trail is a great trail for easy wildlife viewing due to the presence of water in the old dam.
This is an easy 1.3-mile loop trail with very little elevation gain. You can access the trail by parking in the Barker Dam Trail parking lot.
This dam is a historic water trough that was built for cattle by C.O. Barker in 1900.
If you want a chance at glimpsing wildlife (perhaps a bighorn sheep), go early, be very quiet, and keep your distance. You don’t want to scare desert wildlife away from the water they may need to survive!
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Barker Dam Nature Trail
Barker Dam Nature TrailThe Barker Dam Nature Trail is a great trail for easy wildlife viewing due to the presence of water in the old dam.
This is an easy 1.3-mile loop trail with very little elevation gain. You can access the trail by parking in the Barker Dam Trail parking lot.
This dam is a historic water trough that was built for cattle by C.O. Barker in 1900.
If you want a chance at glimpsing wildlife (perhaps a bighorn sheep), go early, be very quiet, and keep your distance. You don’t want to scare desert wildlife away from the water they may need to survive!
The Cottonwood Spring Oasis is about a tenth of a mile from the Cottonwood Campground and is a great spot to see wildlife during wet times of year (winter and early spring).
Simply meander down the dry streambed and look for palms and green growth in the distance.
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Cottonwood Spring
Lost Palms Oasis TrailThe Cottonwood Spring Oasis is about a tenth of a mile from the Cottonwood Campground and is a great spot to see wildlife during wet times of year (winter and early spring).
Simply meander down the dry streambed and look for palms and green growth in the distance.
The Cholla Cactus Garden is a short quarter-mile path located just off Pinto Basin Road (the main north-south road in the park).
This wheelchair-accessible path meanders through a forest of waist-height cholla cactus.
These short, fuzzy-looking cacti are great to visit during golden hour when they catch the rising (or setting) sun and look like they’re glowing.
Local tip: Make sure to wear closed-toe shoes and don’t get too close to the cacti as you walk the path. They’re called “jumping” cholla for a reason.
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Cholla Cactus Garden
Cholla Cactus Garden TrailThe Cholla Cactus Garden is a short quarter-mile path located just off Pinto Basin Road (the main north-south road in the park).
This wheelchair-accessible path meanders through a forest of waist-height cholla cactus.
These short, fuzzy-looking cacti are great to visit during golden hour when they catch the rising (or setting) sun and look like they’re glowing.
Local tip: Make sure to wear closed-toe shoes and don’t get too close to the cacti as you walk the path. They’re called “jumping” cholla for a reason.
Bill and Frances Keys were two early American settlers to the Joshua Tree region and their remote farmhouse, Keys Ranch, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can take a tour of Keys Ranch with a ranger guide in October-May. The tickets can be purchased on recreation.gov and are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. The tour lasts about 90 minutes.
Key's Ranch
74485 National Park DrBill and Frances Keys were two early American settlers to the Joshua Tree region and their remote farmhouse, Keys Ranch, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can take a tour of Keys Ranch with a ranger guide in October-May. The tickets can be purchased on recreation.gov and are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. The tour lasts about 90 minutes.
Skull Rock is another one of the very famous rock formations in the park. The giant boulder looks like the top half of a skull in the right light.
You can see Skull Rock on the Skull Rock Nature Trail, which is near Jumbo Rocks Campground. The trail is 1.7 miles and rated as easy.
If you don’t want to do the hike, Skull Rock can also be seen from the side of the road, for an easy and quick photo op.
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Skull Rock
Skull Rock is another one of the very famous rock formations in the park. The giant boulder looks like the top half of a skull in the right light.
You can see Skull Rock on the Skull Rock Nature Trail, which is near Jumbo Rocks Campground. The trail is 1.7 miles and rated as easy.
If you don’t want to do the hike, Skull Rock can also be seen from the side of the road, for an easy and quick photo op.
The original home was made of adobe and consisted of the main house and two bunkhouses, plus a corral and a well. The buildings were in decent shape until the 70s when they burned.
Since then, park archeologists have stabilized the remaining walls and what’s left is still an interesting sight to see.
To get to the ruins, you can start in Ryan Campground or the trailhead just outside the campground. The trail is 0.8 or 1.2 miles round trip, respectively, with very little elevation gain.
Ryan Ranch
The original home was made of adobe and consisted of the main house and two bunkhouses, plus a corral and a well. The buildings were in decent shape until the 70s when they burned.
Since then, park archeologists have stabilized the remaining walls and what’s left is still an interesting sight to see.
To get to the ruins, you can start in Ryan Campground or the trailhead just outside the campground. The trail is 0.8 or 1.2 miles round trip, respectively, with very little elevation gain.