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np.joshua.tree

Joshua Trees

bouldering

joshua tree camps


Joshua Tree Photos

joshua

3 main park entrances:

Entrance  Hwy   Town
North / Oasis Visitors Center Hwy 62 29 Palms, CA
West Entrance Hwy 62 Joshua Tree, CA
South / Cottonwood I-10 Indio, CA

Nearby towns:

Desert Hot Springs
Indio
Joshua Tree
Palm Springs
Twentynine Palms
Yucca Valley

Motels Joshua Tree:

Desert Hot Springs
Joshua Tree
Twentynine Palms
Palm Springs
Yucca Valley

Joshua Tree National Park
Headquartered in 29 Palms
visitor center:
760-367-5500
760-367-7511

government web site

JT Breakfast Club

Joshua Tree Backpacking

  • camp anywhere in the park by hiking in a mile or more, off the pavement - with your backpack
  • no ground fires are permitted
  • back country registration is a must
  • check w/ rangers for all back country camping restrictions
  • permits are required for overnight camping; pickup @ Visitor Center @ 29Palms
  • convenient to Los Angeles & San Diego
California Camping

Trail head parking spots located at:

 Park  sites  elev.  veg  toilet  water  contact  cmpgrnd
Parking lot near Belle  20+  3800  josh  none  none Joshua Tree NP
760/367-5500
 Belle
[Main hiking trail runs nearby]
29Palms park entrance, 8 mi. south to intersection with Park Blvd. & Pinto Basin Rd., Veer left onto Pinto Basin & drive 2 miles to the parking lot on right.

hikes JTNP

Joshua Tree National Park

Bright sunny days, with highs temps reaching 70 are perfect for day hiking. Yes, the temps can dip into the 20's on a cold spell weekend & the park even receives snow on occasion, but overall the winter is the least crowded time to visit.

There is nothing quite like bragging to your east coast buddies that you are camping out in mid February w/ sunny and 65 degrees days. Gotta love Cali.

Joshua Tree Campgrounds

Almost all JT campgrounds are free of charge with your National Park admission fees. Certain campgrounds are busier than others & you may find yourself driving quite a ways to find that perfect spot, so make sure to gas up before you enter this park. Feel the desert beauty & vast space. Stay at one of these smaller campgrounds inside the park.

JT campground
campground  elev.

spots

 veg toilet water fee   comments
White Tank Campground 3800' 15 josh vault  none no tall boulders 760-367-5500
Belle Campground

3800'

20 josh vault none no rock climbing 760-367-5500

California Camping

Primitive Camping

The only primitive camping is just outside the park boundary in BLM land toward the east side of the park. It's great for 4x4's & checking out old mines, but besides that it's pretty desolate. Rough, rocky & dusty terrain is an understatement. Very little vegetation, windy conditions & very hot in summers are in store for any adventurous soul who wants to explore this area. It is not extremely scenic (compared to the rest of the park) & a bit on the barren side. If you want absolute solitude, try it out. Old Dale Road will lead you there from the park or you can enter from Twentynine Palms area, off Hwy.62 on Gold Crown Road. Be careful this road is predominately washes & may require 4x4. For remote camping you may need a camp fire permit.

Joshua Tree Hiking

trail  length  description  cmpgrnd
Lost Horse Mine 4 mi.(RT) historic mining site  Ryan
Ryan Mountain 3 mi.(RT) str. good lookout points  Ryan
Lost Palm Oasis 8 mi.(RT) largest group of palms  Cottonwood

Mountain Biking in JT

Mountain biking is restricted on National Parks. You can only ride on dirt roads. Graded roads such as Geology Tour Road & the Queen Valley area offer a bit of off-road satisfaction, but remember no bikes are allowed on hiking trails.

Off Road Trails in JT

There is plenty to explore off pavement on desert canyons and washes that surround the National Park. Many trailheads & park sights are located on dirt roads, but 4x4 rock crawling is pretty minimal in this desert region. Sandy desert washes and vegetation are plentiful. Vehicles are restricted to paved and dirt roads.

Geology Tour Road, Berdoo Canyon, Thermal Canyon & Queen Valley are just to name a few. Off-road (off dirt roads) driving of any vehicle is strictly prohibited, so no cutting across the open desert like they do in the commercials. Save it for Baja. Best off roading desert option is to grab a OHV map of the Mojave Desert.

Joshua Tree 4x4

Joshua Tree Rock Climbing

By far one of the best areas & most popular for this sport in Southern California.

This campground is the most centrally located for the climbing enthusiast.

 camp  sites  elev.  veg  toilet  water  contact  fee
Ryan  27  4300  josh  vault  none Joshua Tree NP
760/367-5500
 $ 0
[Great campground for climbers]
Town of Joshua Tree entrance, go 17 mi. on Park Blvd. to campground.



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