Last Updated on May 26, 2023 by Deanne
In 2021, Joshua Tree National Park welcomed more than 3 million visitors to the park. If you’re wondering what all the hype is about, think: glowing cacti, panoramic mountain peak views, captivating rock formations, and adventurous boulder climbing. Our guide to the best hikes shows you how to fully experience all this and more in just one day in Joshua Tree. We’ve included a specific Joshua Tree itinerary because the timing and order of your hikes does matter.
First, here are a few things to know as you plan your Joshua Tree National Park visit.
Joshua Tree Things to Know
Best time to visit Joshua Tree
Two deserts—the Mojave and the Colorado—meet in Joshua Tree National Park. Since deserts reach scorching temperatures in the summer and there isn’t much shade in Joshua Tree, we do not recommend a summer trip to the park. The best times to explore Joshua Tree are in the spring and fall when the weather is moderate, or winter if you like the temperature even a little cooler for hiking. On average, winter temperatures can span 40-75 degrees.
Entrance fee
The fee to enter Joshua Tree National Park is $30. If the entrance fee station is closed when you arrive to the park, you can still enter – you’ll just need to pay when you exit. (They will ask to see your receipt when you leave.)
Food and water
There are no grocery stores, restaurants, or water in the park, so you’ll want to bring food and plenty of water with you.
Dogs
No dogs are allowed on Joshua Tree trails, but leashed dogs are allowed within 100 feet of roads, picnic areas and campgrounds. If you want the freedom to explore more of the park (highly recommended) leave your dog at home with a pet sitter or use the boarding options in nearby towns.
Cell service
There is no reliable cell service in the park. Download any maps or information you need beforehand. There are free park maps available at the entrances.
Joshua Tree stargazing
Joshua Tree is an International Dark Sky Park and is great for stargazing. Stay overnight in one of the nine campgrounds to have your fill of stars lighting up the desert night sky.
If you can’t make it into the park to stargaze, however, you can enjoy the star-studded sky from nearby. That’s what we did. We slept under the stars the night before entering the park by glamping in a dome tent.
Glamping in Joshua Tree
Glamping in Joshua Tree is a popular way to overnight in the area. A combination of glamour + camping, “glamping” is a way to be close to nature without sacrificing certain comforts.
We rented a dome tent just outside the park in Twentynine Palms for our first glamping experience.
An outdoor area with chairs and a firepit, we could sit out and explore the stars, then head indoors and continue to watch the stars through a see-through opening at the top of the dome just above our bed. It’s a great way to sleep under the stars if you’re not looking to rough it by traditional camping.
Timing and order of your hikes
The time of day and the order in which you hike the Joshua Tree trails matter for a couple of reasons. Sunrise and sunset can create the perfect conditions for certain areas of the park. You may want to photograph some of the unique rock formations with the sun peeking through at just the right spot. And some challenging hikes are best accomplished earlier in the day. Below, we’ve listed all the tips and information you need to plan your Joshua Tree itinerary including the best hikes in the park.
(For a list of hiking adventures outside of the park in Greater Palm Springs, read The Best Hikes in Palm Springs.)
Itinerary for one day in Joshua Tree
Spending one day in Joshua Tree is enough time to see a variety of unique desert panoramas and explore the best Joshua Tree hikes. There are 300 miles of trails in Joshua Tree National Park. Some hikes overlap in their experiences and landscapes, so you’ll want to choose the right variety of trails to ensure the scenery doesn’t start to run together—and also to be efficient with your time.
Here are our top tips and specific itinerary recommendations to experience the best hikes Joshua Tree has to offer:
*Enter through the North entrance from Twentynine Palms.
Use Joshua Tree’s north entrance to access the park. It’s less crowded than the West entrance and more convenient to the park’s best trails and attractions than the South entrance.
*Start your day with a Joshua Tree sunrise on the Cholla Cactus Garden Trail.
Viewing the cacti glowing from the rising sun in Cholla Cactus Garden is well worth the early morning wake up call. You won’t want to miss this unique experience or the great photo opportunity. (Ryan and I took these photos on our iPhones with no editing or filters!)
The trail itself is barely a hike—it’s more like a stroll through a spiky, yet stunning, garden. Plan to arrive before the sun actually rises to fully experience the sky’s span of hues and how they accentuate the cactus grove. Click here to find the exact Joshua Tree sunrise times.
Distance: .3-mile
Elevation gain: 17 feet
Hiking time: We spent 35 minutes (20 minutes before sunrise and 15 after) meandering through the garden taking way too many pictures.
Tip: This should go without saying but be careful of all the cactus spikes. It’s easy to accidentally back into some when you’re distracted trying to frame a photo just right.
*Next, make your way to Joshua Tree’s Arch Rock.
If you want views of Arch Rock like the one pictured here, head there after your time in Cholla Cactus Garden Trail. The deep blue sky is a perfect backdrop for the subtle rays of sun peeking from behind the boulder. (Depending on what time of year you’re visiting, you may have to shift your angle a little to achieve the same look.) The lighting creates an ethereal scene while the big boulders provide a fun rock scramble making this destination a favorite of many.
Distance: You can either start this hike at the Twin Tanks trailhead off of Pinto Basin Road for a 1.3-mile hike, or from within the White Tanks campground near campsite 9 for an easy .3-mile loop.
Elevation gain: 30 feet
Hiking time: We didn’t follow the exact trail. We took our time and had fun hiking over rocks and posing for pictures. We spent 1 hour going there and back.
Tip: If you get off the trail, just make your way to the White Tanks campground climbing up and over boulders to get you there.
*You don’t have to walk far on the Skull Rock hike.
Small indentations on Skull Rock have eroded over time to look like two hollowed-out eye sockets in a large skull creating a creepy, but cool site. The Skull Rock hike follows a 1.7-mile nature trail beginning across from the Jumbo Rocks Campground. The hike includes informative signs explaining the various cacti and plants you see along the way. It can be a nice trek, but you don’t actually need to hike the trail in order to see Skull Rock. There is parking located just across the road from the rock, so you can walk just a few steps to see the interesting formation. Whether you choose to hike or drive to Skull Rock, it’s worth a visit.
Distance: 1.7-mile loop, or just park across the street and walk a few steps!
Elevation gain: 120 feet
Hiking time: Plan approximately 1 hour to do the entire trail or 10 minutes if you drive there to explore.
Tip: The trail is an easy loop with some climbing over rocks and a paved walk through the campground. Skull rock, itself, can be crowded, but the trail thins out as you get farther from the rock.
*Don’t leave the Ryan Mountain Trail for the end of your day.
Ryan Mountain is a challenging hike as the trail climbs numerous rocky steps and quickly gains elevation. While not technically difficult, it’s not recommended to save this trail for the end of an active day. You’ll want fresh legs to master this mountain. The peak is centrally located in the park and at the top you’re rewarded with sweeping views of the desert landscape. It’s worth the trek, and as you might expect, the hike down is much easier.
Distance: 3-mile out and back
Elevation gain: 1,050 feet
Hiking time: It took us 50 minutes to hike up the mountain and 40 minutes down. We stayed at the top for 10 minutes enjoying the view.
Tip: It can get very windy at the top, so it’s a good idea to bring or wear layers.
*Enjoy the beauty of Joshua Tree’s Hidden Valley.
Hidden Valley is a gem inside Joshua Tree National Park. This beautiful valley is surrounded by boulders and unique rock formations. The 1-mile trail winds through Hidden Valley on a dirt, sand, and gravel path. Climbing opportunities abound with a variety of boulders all around. You’ll find signs with fun facts posted throughout the hike. On the day we were there, there were park rangers providing information as well. Kid-friendly and scenic, this trail is great for all ages.
Distance: 1-mile loop
Elevation gain: 100 feet
Hiking time: We spent 35 minutes exploring this trail.
Tip: There are picnic tables nestled into the rocks near the parking area creating a unique setting for a picnic lunch.
*You may want to by-pass the Barker Dam Trail.
Barker Dam Trail has the potential to be a beautiful nature trail through the desert, but it’s best viewed during non-drought conditions. The historical dam was originally built by ranchers in the early 1900’s. Troughs and empty water holes can be seen along the hike, as well as Native American petroglyphs. Bighorn sheep and a variety of birds gather here, but usually after a rainfall. While Barker Dam is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the dam itself is underwhelming when there’s little or no water in it. However, if you’re interested in a short hike with history, petroglyphs, and Joshua trees, then be sure to include this hike in your itinerary.
Distance: 1.1-mile loop
Elevation gain: 50 feet
Hiking time: It took us just under 40 minutes to walk this trail.
Tip: If you’re short on time, you can skip this hike and just do Hidden Valley.
*End your day with magnificent panoramas at Keys View.
Keys View is the tallest point in Joshua Tree National Park that you can drive to. Sitting at 5,187 feet, you can see for miles across the Coachella Valley. A short, paved path loops around the overlook giving you glimpses of the Salton Sea, the Santa Rosa Mountains, the San Andreas fault and the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Mountains. This is a great way to cap off your time in Joshua Tree.
Distance: .2-mile paved loop path
Elevation gain: 13 feet
Hiking time: We spent 20 minutes here soaking in the beautiful birds-eye views.
Tip: Someone once said you can skip Keys View if you’ve seen the panoramas from Ryan Mountain. We disagree. Keys View is a very different experience and definitely worth the short drive and walk up to the viewpoint.
Additional Hikes
This guide provides a variety of the most interesting and beautiful parts of Joshua Tree National Park without overlapping trails that offer similar landscape views. We started our day in Joshua Tree before sunrise and accomplished all of these hikes and viewpoints by 2 p.m. If you have more time—and don’t mind a very active day—you can add additional hikes to this itinerary. If you’re up for it, check out these other highly rated trails:
- 49 Palms Oasis Trail is a 3-mile out and back moderate hike taking you to a small desert oasis. You’ll traverse a rocky trail with stairs that gain 350 feet in elevation and offers panoramic views along the way. Access to this trail is by a small road leading into the park northwest of the North Entrance. It has no entrance station and its out-of-the-way location makes it less crowded.
- Mastodon Peak Loop Trail is located in the southern part of the park, unlike the other hikes featured which are in the north and west sides of the park. This is a 2.6 easy-moderate trail that climbs 510 feet in elevation. The trail offers views of the Salton Sea and Eagle Mountain, along with the remains of an old mine. (While you’re at the south entrance to the park, you’re only 35 minutes away from another ultra-unique hiking trail outside of the park in Mecca Hills Wilderness: Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Loop Trail. I don’t recommend fitting this in the same day, but staying nearby and experiencing this fun adventure the next day is a great option!)
The best hikes in Joshua Tree offer varied, unique, and sometimes otherworldly views of a beautiful part of the country. We highly recommend a visit to Joshua Tree. In fact, tack on a couple extra days and visit nearby Palm Springs—which provides more activities and adventures to explore.
Have you visited Joshua Tree National Park? What do you consider to be the best Joshua Tree hikes? Leave a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
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