Countdown Until National Feed Joshua Day
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The sun rises over the mountain ridge, bathing the cactus garden in warm light. Slowly, the heat starts to build, forming a shimmering mirage. Slowly, stretched shadows shorten, and then disappear. Everything seeks shade from the blazing sun. I may love living near water, but there's something entrancing about the desert.
Home to otherworldly plants and unusual rock formations, Joshua Tree National Park is particularly special: it encompasses the point where two deserts meet. The Colorado and Mojave deserts have distinctive climates and are home to unique species – but the park is the place where they overlap, and the Seussical Joshua tree lives in close proximity to the cuddly-looking Cholla.
I took a trip to Joshua Tree National Park in the spring of 2017 with an adventurous blogger friend. We spent our visit hiking, exploring the sights, eating at local restaurants around the park, and stargazing. Afterward, I came home keen to help people see that they can easily visit the park – whether that's for a weekend or just one day while staying nearby in Palm Springs. I also returned as part of my Southwest road trip honeymoon in 2020 – to show Mr. V the magic of this special place.
Read on for my suggestions on how to plan an itinerary that makes the most of one day in Joshua Tree National Park. You'll have all the info you need to follow my suggestions and create a Joshua Tree one-day itinerary that suits your own interests.
In this post, I promote travel to a national park that is the traditional lands of the Yuhaviatam/Maarenga'yam (Serrano) and Newe (Western Shoshone) peoples. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land.
This post was originally published in April 2020, and was updated most recently in July 2022.
Planning Your Visit to Joshua Tree National Park
Before we dive into my suggested itinerary for one day in Joshua Tree, there are a couple of important logistics you'll need to know to plan your trip. I always include a section like this because national parks have special rules you should know before you go.
Driving & Parking in Joshua Tree National Park
There are three entrances into the park, and two main roads:
- Park Boulevard, which runs from the park entrance near the town of Joshua Tree to the entrance near Twenty Nine Palms
- Pinto Basin Road, which connects to Park Boulevard in the north and runs south to the entrance near Chiriaco Summit
You can take your private vehicle into the park on these roads, and some other internal roads in the park too (like Keys View Road).
Throughout Joshua Tree National Park, there are parking areas and roadside pull-outs where you can park your car and get out to access rock formations and hiking trails. As always in national parks, you cannot do any off-roading or park off the road or where there isn't space to park. That's why it's important to plan ahead and know where you want to go and when the crowds will be the smallest! (I provide tips in this one-day Joshua Tree itinerary, below.)
Joshua Tree National Park Entrance Fees
As part of the National Park system, Joshua Tree operates under the same rules as other parks. You'll either need to pay an entrance fee or use a National Parks Pass to enter.
Here are your options to visit Joshua Tree in one day:
- The private vehicle entrance fee, good for 7 days, is $30. You can pay this fee at either the visitor center or the three entrance stations.
- You can walk or bike into the park for $15 per person, good for 7 days.
- An annual America the Beautiful Pass is $80. This gets you into every national park and all fee-collecting federal lands. I got my first one in 2019 and it's such a money-saver that the America the Beautiful Pass is totally worth it! You can get the America the Beautiful Pass from REI.
You can read more about the fees – and check that the above is accurate – on the Joshua Tree NPS website.
Accommodation In & Near Joshua Tree National Park
Where you choose to stay can make a big difference in your day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. There are four main options for accommodations in and near Joshua Tree: camping in the park, national chain hotels, independent hotels, and vacation rentals. If you only have one day in Joshua Tree, I recommend camping so you can make the most of the only day you have.
There areeight campgrounds in Joshua Tree. Four campgrounds are booked by reservation during the peak months between October and May:Black Rock,Cottonwood,Indian Cove, andJumbo Rocks. You can book a spot in advance on the recreation.gov site.
The other four campgrounds –Belle,Hidden Valley,Ryan, andWhite Tank – are first-come, first-served year-round. Reservation campsites are also first-come, first-serve during the hot summer months when the park is less crowded.
Other accommodation options for your Joshua Tree one-day trip are:
- Chain Hotels – FromMotel 6 orAmerica's Best Value Inn toHoliday Inn orBest Western, you have your choice of chain hotels in towns around the park. Most hotels fall in the $125-$150/night range.
- Independent Hotels – If you prefer to stay local, there are choices too: 9 Palms Inn (from $69/night, book on Booking.com or Hotels.com), Harmony Motel (from $95/night, book on Booking.com), or 29 Palms Inn (from $105/night).
- Vacation Rentals – Airbnbs and vacation rentals are somewhat controversial in Joshua Tree, but they are available. You can stay in Silver Bullet is an off-grid airstream and very on-vibe for Joshua Tree right now (from $145 per night; book on VRBO), The Bird's Nest, a gorgeous design-forward spot you won't want to leave (from $268 per night; book on VRBO), The Home with a Dome is a perfect place to stay if you love stargazing (from $349 per night, book on VRBO) or Serendipity, a funky earthy spot with a pool to help pass the hot desert days (from $403 per night, book on VRBO).
What to Do in Joshua Tree National Park (When You Only Have One Day!)
Experiencing Joshua Tree National Park in one day is definitely possible with the right itinerary. You may not get to cover all it has to offer, but you'll still be able to enjoy its beauty.
If you have only one day in Joshua Tree, here's what I recommend:
- Sunrise in Cholla Cactus Garden
- Sightseeing Joshua Tree's Rock Formations
- Morning Hike
- Lunch in Town
- Afternoon Hike
- Sunset at Keys View
- Dinner in Town
- Stargazing (Optional)
Here are more details on each of those activities and how to include them in your Joshua Tree day trip.
Watch Sunrise in Cholla Cactus Garden
Hands down, the best place to start any day in Joshua Tree is at Cholla Cactus Garden; I've done this during both of my trips! There's something special about this part of the park, where you can watch the sky grow brighter before the sun bursts above the distant mountains and lights up the spiny needles of the cholla cacti all around.
Be aware that this spot gets hot quickly, and there are bees that call the Cholla Cactus Garden home too. (Once the sun is fully up, they tend to come out and bug anyone in the area, so it's best to arrive an hour before sunrise and leave shortly after.)
Take in Some of Joshua Tree's Sights
A guaranteed way to make the most of your day trip to Joshua Tree is to start early in the morning. If you rise and shine early for sunrise, the next few hours after sunrise is the best time to try and see Joshua Tree's top sights – because there won't be as many crowds or issues finding parking as later in the day. After seeing these, you can go elsewhere in the park for a hike or rock climbing session, or set out on one of the hikes from these spots directly.
Some of the park's most famous rock formations and sights include:
- Skull Rock – A natural formation with an ominous look, Skull Rock is located right along the main road and draws crowds and creates traffic – but it's still worth seeing.
- Arch Rock – One of the park's most famous arches, it's a short 0.3-mile hike from White Tank Campground to see it.
- Split Rock – You can't tell in my photo, but this massive boulder has split almost in half. The two halves are currently sitting together, but you can walk around the rock to get a sense for the scale of how big it is.
- Keys View – I recommend visiting Keys View for sunset, but you can always visit during the day too. It's a pretty epic scene, looking out from Joshua Tree National Park across the Coachella Valley.
There are also some cool sights along some hiking trails, which you could head straight to… so read on for that!
Take a Hike (or Climb!)
Joshua Tree is an adventure playground, and you can take the most advantage of this by doing a hike or climbing in the morning hours before the heat of the day sets in fully. There are so many options; here are some hiking options I recommend you include in your 1 day Joshua Tree itinerary:
| Trail | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation | Est. Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden Valley Nature Trail | Easy | 1.0mi | 100 feet | 1 hour |
| Ryan Ranch | Easy | 1.0mi | 135 feet | 1 hour |
| Barker Dam | Easy | 1.1mi | 50 feet | 1 hour |
| Split Rock | Moderate | 2.5mi | 150 feet | 1.5-2.5 hours |
| Lost Horse Mine | Moderate | 4.0mi | 550 feet | 2-3 hours |
These are all pretty easy hikes, and ones I did or would do – and I'm not a huge hiker. The Joshua Tree National Park website has a great breakdown of all the hikes in the park, difficulty, and advice on how to plan for them.
Climbing is another popular activity to explore Joshua Tree in a day. If you'd rather do some rock climbing, the NPS has a ton of resources about best practices for climbing in the park. A couple of the routes I saw climbers on (but didn't climb myself) were Hall of Horrors and near Ryan Campground; you should also check to see which routes are closed before planning your trip.
Rest in the Midday
You'll want to spend every minute of your one day at Joshua Tree exploring its landscapes and beauty. However, once the heat of the day sets in, it's a good idea to take a break from the park for lunch and to refill your water bottles.
From most places within Joshua Tree National Park, it's a 30-45 minute drive out of the park to a nearby community. This obviously depends on which way you go, but you can plan 2-3 hours for a lunch break including travel time.
If you choose to head out toward Twenty Nine Palms, you can also stop for a cool treat at Froster's Freeze (pictured above). This is a throwback California chain for fast food and ice cream, and a local spot off the main roads.
Stretch Your Legs
Afternoons in Joshua Tree are hot, so be sure to refill your water supplies before heading back into the park. (Remember – there are no spots to get fresh water in the park!) Then head back out for another easy hike.
Some good options are Barker Dam (pictured above) and Hidden Valley Nature Trail, two loop trails that both have some coverage to help you get a break from the sun while hiking.
Enjoy Sunset from Keys View
Once the sun starts to go down, there's one place to be: Keys View. Take the road up to the parking area, and you can enjoy some sweeping views of the surrounding countryside in every direction.
I recommend trying to get here between 30-45 minutes before sunset, so you can find a parking spot and area to see the sun set beyond the San Jacinto Mountains across the Coachella Valley. You'll get to enjoy the views during the day, and have a primo spot for sunset.
Grab Dinner in Town
Unless you're camping in the park, it's time to drive back out and grab some dinner. There's nowhere quite like Joshua Tree Saloon for giving you that Old Western vibe at the end of the day. Inside you'll find a watering hole that draws locals and tourists and has a standard pub menu. If you're lucky, you might get to enjoy karaoke while eating dinner, as I did!
Go Stargazing (Optional)
While I include stargazing as an optional activity, it is a fantastic experience to seal your Joshua Tree one-day trip.
It takes about 90 minutes from sunset to darkness when you can see the stars in all their glory. If you want to see why Joshua Tree was certified as a dark sky park, it's worth the time to drive back into the park for stargazing. (Obviously, if you're camping in the park, you'll have this on your itinerary for sure!)
If you're not staying in the park, the best place to go stargazing is at one of the roadside pull-outs anywhere in the park. I've written a full guide for stargazing in Joshua Tree if this is on your list.
There you have it – a way to see most of Joshua Tree in one day. Admittedly, this barely scratches the surface, and if you have more time, I have a guide for spending 3 days in Joshua Tree too. Do you have questions about making the most of 1 day in Joshua Tree? Let me know in the comments!
Source: https://www.valisemag.com/one-day-joshua-tree-national-park/
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