Joshua Tree National Park is a mecca for desert backpackers. This southeast California park is rich in natural beauty and dry, arid land. It features portions of the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, and has a sprawling wilderness area that stretches across more than half the park. The best backpacking in Joshua Tree is found within these isolated lands, where hikers hop from one desert campsite to the next.
Joshua Tree is also a destination for climbers. It has ample bouldering terrain, as well as a wealth of geologic oddities found nowhere else on earth. Some of the best trails in Joshua Tree National Park take hikers past large, spherical boulders that are perfect offseason stomping grounds for Yosemite National Park’s many climbers.
Some visitors may be interested in the park’s fauna, especially in the famous trees that give the park its name. The Joshua tree flourishes in the arid climate of the Mojave Desert, which is also an ideal setting for stargazers searching the heavens.
Granite domes, long-limbed cacti, prehistoric wildlife, and legendary night skies should land this park on every hiker’s bucket list, so beat the spring rush by going now. We bet mild temps, quiet trails, and late blooms will leave you thinking this is the sleeper season, after all.
Explore a desert moonscape of otherworldly cacti on this 4.2-mile hike to an abandoned gold prospect. Take plenty of water and sunscreen.
Escape the hot-air desert floor by bagging two breezy peaks with outstanding views on this 5.8-mile out-and-back hike.
This 12.4-mile dayhike or overnighter hits the park's lesser-traveled northeast tip, linking cactus lands to unnamed peaks. Good navigation skills required.
Hike past massive boulders, red barrel cacti, and restless tumbleweeds to a shady oasis on this 3-mile out-and-back in Joshua Tree National Park.
This popular 1.5-mile climb leads to a panoramic view of valleys, mountains, deserts, and one really cool rock formation.
This 7.4-mile out-and-back rolls over hills dotted with spiky yuccas, ocotillos, and cactus before dropping into the lush Lost Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park.
Sample nature trails that weave through Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, a bird-watching haven tucked between the Mojave and Colorado deserts.
In 2.6 miles, you'll explore abandoned mine sites, learn about desert fauna, and scramble up Mastodon Peak for wide-open views of Joshua Tree National Park.