All About Joshua Tree National Park in California
Joshua Tree National Park is a unique and striking desert park known for its rugged rock formations, vast desert landscapes, and the distinctive Joshua trees that give the park its name.
What to do at Joshua Tree National Park
The Best Trails and Best Hikes at Joshua Tree National Park
Arch Rock
Hall of Horrors
Barker Dam
Hidden Valley Nature Trail
Cholla Cactus Garden
Heart Rock
Ryan Mountain Trailhead
Short Hikes
- Arch Rock
- Barker Dam
- Cap Rock
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- Discovery Trail
- Hall of Horrors
- Hidden Valley
- Indian Cove
- Skull Rock
Moderate Hikes
- Hi-View
- Lost Horse Mine
- Split Rock Loop
- West Side Loop
Strenuous Hikes
- Boy Scout Trail
- Fortynine Palms Oasis
- Lost Horse Loop
- Lost Palms Loop
- Ryan Mountain
Things to do at Joshua Tree National Park
- Go camping under the dark sky in one of the park's many campgrounds
- Take a rock climbing course
- Plan a night to stargaze in the park's dark night skies
- View the wildflowers, birds, and other animals that call this area home
- Join a horseback riding group through the park
- Go on a bike ride to see the park from a bicycle
What to see at Joshua Tree National Park
Points of Interest
Joshua Tree Visitor Centers
Joshua Tree Visitor Center
The Joshua Tree Visitors Center is located in downtown Joshua Tree at 6554 Park Boulevard. This one includes educational exhibits, a bookstore, and an information desk. You can get a park map, buy an entrance pass, and talk with a park ranger. There is a Passport Book stamp available and you can pick up a Junior Ranger book.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Cottonwood Visitor Center
The Cottonwood Visitor Center is located near the park’s southern entrance on Pinto Basin Road. There are restroom facilities at this visitors center along with educational exhibits, a bookstore, an information desk, and a water bottle fill station.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center
The Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center is located in downtown Twentynine Palms at 6533 Freedom Way. Visitors can speak to park rangers here, view the educational exhibits, visit the bookstore and gift shop, pick up a Junior Ranger book, and get a Passport Book stamp here. This used to be called the Oasis Visitor Center.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Black Rock Nature Center
The Black Rock Nature Center is a smaller visitor center located in the Black Rock campground in Yucca Valley at 9800 Black Rock Canyon Road. This building offers an art gallery, a bookstore, and an information desk to speak with the park rangers. The restroom has flushing toilets and there is a water bottle fill station available.
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- Black Rock Nature Center
- Cottonwood Visitor Center
- Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center
- Joshua Tree Visitor Center
Joshua Tree National Park Basics
74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
$30 per vehicle
Valid for 7 days
Pacific Time Zone
1994
Location, Phone Number, and Address
Joshua Tree National Park is located in Southeastern California near the convergence of the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert. The park’s mailing address is 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277. The best address to enter to get to the park is 9557 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 for the West Entrance. The other two entrances don’t have a specific address.
Joshua Tree National Park can be reached by phone at 760-367-5500.
What are the Entrance Fees for Joshua Tree?
The entrance fee for a private vehicle into Joshua Park is $30 per vehicle which is valid for 7 days from the date of purchase. A motorcycle costs $25 and a pedestrian or bicycle costs $15 per person.
If you plan to visit Joshua Tree multiple times within a year, you can purchase the annual park entrance pass for $55. Otherwise, the nationwide interagency pass, the America the Beautiful Pass, is $80 and gets you into National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands for one year.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is Joshua Tree National Park in?
The entire park is located in the Pacific Time Zone in the United States.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
The best time to visit this desert park in southern California is in the spring and fall. During the summer months, the desert temperatures climb to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making it dangerous to hike. No matter when you go, but especially in the summer, make sure to bring plenty of water and pace yourself.
When did Joshua Tree become a National Park?
Joshua Tree became part of the National Park Service as a National Monument on August 10, 1936, then became a National Park on October 31, 1994.
How Big is Joshua Tree National Park?
Joshua Tree National Park is 795,156 acres or about 1,242 square miles which is just slightly larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for Joshua Tree National Park
Driving Through Joshua Tree National Park
Two main roads span Joshua Tree National Park. Park Boulevard goes from the West Entrance to the North Entrance. It takes about 45 minutes to drive this stretch without making any stops. Along the way, you’ll drive through dense forests of Joshua Trees, rock formations such as Skull Rock, the Hidden Valley area, Wonderland of Rocks, and pass Keys View.
Pinto Basin Road runs north to south through the park. It starts at the intersection with Park Boulevard and continues to the South Entrance. Some of the highlights of this drive include the Cholla Cactus Garden, Ocotillo Patch, and Cottonwood Springs Oasis.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
There are three main entrances to Joshua Tree National Park. The West Entrance is about five miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Park Boulevard at Joshua Tree Village. East of there is the North Entrance in Twentynine Palms, about three miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Utah Trail. On the south side of the park, you can enter via the South Entrance near Cottonwood Spring which is an access point along Interstate 10, 25 miles east of Indio.
What is the Nearest City to Joshua Tree?
The three closest cities with direct access to Joshua Tree National Park are the town of Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms.
What is the Nearest Airport to Joshua Tree?
The closest airport is the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) which is about one hour from the west entrance to the park. This is a small airport, though, so flight options are limited. Most people fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) which is about 140 miles west of the park and a 4-hour drive. Otherwise, you can fly to San Diego (175 miles southwest of the park), Las Vegas (215 miles northeast of the park), or Phoenix (222 miles east of the park).
Itineraries including Joshua Tree National Park
Lodging Near Joshua Tree National Park
Where to Stay
There are many options for a great place to stay near Joshua Tree. We chose a rental home near the main entrance in the town of Joshua Tree. You can find plenty of homes on VRBO or hotels in Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. There is no lodging, other than camping, available inside the park boundaries.
Campgrounds in the Area
Within the park, there are a few incredible places to camp, some of which require reservations and others that are first-come first-serve campgrounds.
Reservations are required to camp at Black Rock, Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Jumbo Rocks, and Ryan. The first-come first-served are Belle, Hidden Valley, and White Tank Campground. If you are looking for a group camping area, you can find those at Cottonwood, Indian Cove, and Sheep Pass.
Outside of the park is a variety of campgrounds. You can look for reservations at Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, Joshua Tree RV & Campground, Desert Drifter RV Resort, Pioneertown Corrals, Twentynine Palms RV Resort, Tortoise Rock Casino, and California Welcome Center on the north side of the park. Near the south entrance look for Chiriaco Summit, Palm Springs/Joshua Tree KOA, and Emerald Desert RV Resort.
What are the Closest National Parks to Joshua Tree National Park?
Facts about Joshua Tree National Park
The Plants and Animals of Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park is known for the ancient Joshua Trees, also known as Yucca brevifolia, that give the park its name, but there is a fascinating variety of plants in this desert ecosystem. Some of the other plants and cacti you’ll see include Cholla, creosote bush, juniper, pinyon pine, desert scrub oak, Tucker; ‘s oak, Muller’s oak, srub ocotillo, desert saltbush, and the California fan palm.
Animal life that thrives in Joshua Tree National Park has adapted to the desert life of limited water and high temperatures in the summer months. You are most likely to see birds, lizards, and ground squirrels because they are active during the day. Nocturnal animals in the park include snakes, bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, coyotes, bobcats, and black-tailed jackrabbits. Some of the reptiles and amphibians include the desert tortoise, California tree frog, red-spotted toad, green darner, tarantulas, and desert scorpion. In the winter, you have the highest chance of seeing some of the birds because there are many migrant species here. Some of the birds are golden eagles and Gambel’s quail.
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
Quail Mountain is the highest point in Joshua Tree National Park at 5,816 feet above sea level. It’s the highest point in the Little San Bernandino Mountains in the Mojave Desert.
The lowest point in the park is Pinto Wells at 536 feet above sea level. This is in the southeast corner of the park.
Joshua Tree Fun Facts
- Joshua Tree National Park is an International Dark Sky park and you can see the Milky Way on a clear night in the park.
- Two distinct desert ecosystems come together in the park: the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert.
- The Joshua Trees are pollinated by the yucca moth.
- Mormon visitors thought the limbs of the Joshua trees resembled the upstretched arms of Joshua leading them to the promised land, and the tree’s name is thought to have come from them.