Joshua Tree National Park

Before this trip, my only frame of reference for Joshua Tree was the U2 album, and I don’t even like U2. So, while camped outside of the park I did some much needed research on it, and I found what I was looking for (see what I did there?)

First, the name. A Joshua tree looks like a mix between a cactus and a palm tree. It’s said to have gotten this name from Mormon settlers in Utah who named it “the Joshua” because the branches looked like Joshua from the Bible reaching to the sky.

Our Experience

We entered the park through the west entrance exited through the south entrance. The majority of the exhibits to see are in the northern part of the almost 800,000 acre park.

Here’s a few highlights!

Barker Dam

We did a short, 45 minute (no dogs allowed) hike here. It was minimally strenuous, but there were a few rocks to climb over and through. I saw my first black-tailed jackrabbit on this hike. No pictures though. I was too caught up watching it hop around.

Cap Rock 🧢

Cap Rock is a popular rock formation named for its hat-like appearance. There’s trails to hike here, but we just let Lucy model the rock.

Keys View

The road continues about 5 1/2 miles and dead ends at a 5,185 ft elevation panoramic view of the Coachella Valley. My second favorite spot we saw today. Sunsets here are supposed to be great.

Skull Rock

This was my favorite rock formation. It was pretty busy here so we didn’t get many good pics. There’s a trail here for hiking, but we headed onward.

Cholla Cactus Garden

The Cholla Cactus Garden is closer to the south of the park. The cholla has been nicknamed the teddy bear cactus because it looks almost huggable. The spines are, in fact, not huggable in the slightest. They can be very painful if you are stuck with one. Sometimes you will hear them called jumping cholla, and that’s because the spines very easily “jump” from the cactus to anything near it. I always thought the spines were one of nature’s amazing defense mechanisms to keep animals from biting into them to retrieve water. But I learned in the cholla cactus, the plant reproduces through the detatched joints in the spines that are relocated by their carriers.

Camping

We camped for free at both the north and south entrance on dispersed camping land. I personally preferred the south, but there’s nothing around you for miles. Also, and don’t quote me on this, but I didn’t see a ranger station/pay station at the south entrance. However, it’s a pretty good drive before you get to anything worth stopping to see. This is a nonissue if you have the $80 interagency pass which gets you into any National Park for a year.

The north entrance definitely has more around it as far as restaurants, gas, and chain stores.

What I’d Do Next Time

⛺️ I would camp inside Joshua Tree. The campgrounds looked really cool tucked behind the rocks.

⭐️ I would take advantage of the stargazing there. We saw several signs indicating good stargazing areas. Fun fact: The best places to stargaze are very remote areas because there is less light pollution.

🌄 I would see a sunrise at Cholla Cactus Garden or a Sunset at Keys View.

🎸 I would stop at Pappy and Harriet’s. We were so close, but didn’t go. They are a music venue that books notable acts, and random bands sometimes just show up. A friend told me about Foo Fighters showing up once. (Bonus, they’re dog friendly!)

What’s next?

The desert has been beautiful and amazing, but the beach is calling my name!