A day trip to Joshua Tree is the perfect amount of time if you play your cards right. Named for the twisted, bristly Joshua trees that line Joshua Tree National Park, this piece of the southern California desert is totally unique and unlike any other place in the states.
The park’s history dates back thousands of years, when it belonged to the Cahuilla people, and luckily today much of that land remains untouched. Joshua Tree National Park is known for having a ton of easy-to-moderate hiking trails and picturesque desert landscapes.
Considering Joshua Tree is about 45-ish minutes northeast of Palm Springs, 4 ½ hours west of Pheonix, and 3 hours from LA and San Diego, it can easily be conquered in a day. If you’re looking to explore the best parts of the park and must-see attractions, you’re in luck. Consider this your ultimate guide to spending the perfect at Joshua Tree!
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Day Trip to Joshua Tree
If you only have one day in Joshua Tree, here are the activities you can’t miss.
Not what you’re looking for? Let me plan you a custom itinerary. I can even make it a multi-day trip if you like!
If you’re ready to start planning on your own, here’s everything to do during your day trip to Joshua Tree. Save this to Pinterest for later so you can come back to it!
Visit the Cholla Cactus Garden at sunrise
website | get directions | distance: ¼ mi | elevation gain: 0 | best for: teddybear cholla cacti
About 12 miles south of the park’s north entrance is the Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail. The fenced path will lead you through nearly 10 acres of desert landscape dominated by the teddybear cholla cacti.
It’s one of the few spots in the park where you’ll find these cute little cacti, and depending on the time of year, you’re likely to see wildflowers too. But don’t be fooled by the name: you don’t want to touch these!
You can obviously visit the garden at any time during your day trip to Joshua Tree, but it’s most magical at sunrise. You’ll see barely anybody else and get a stunning view of the sun rising over the mountain. When it does, the cholla will be blanketed in a golden light that looks stunning in photos.
For comparison, here are some photos of what it looks like during daylight.
Head to Arch Rock and Heart Rock
website | get directions | distance: 1.7 mi | elevation gain: 110 ft | best for: heart-shaped rock
Arch Rock reminds me of the arches you’d find in Utah. The trailhead starts in the Twin Tanks Parking Lot. The trail looks like a lollipop, but if you reach Arch Rock and head another 0.3 miles to the trail on your left, you’ll find Heart Rock. If you’re traveling with your significant other, this is a perfect spot for an adorable Instagram-worthy pic.
Snap pics at Skull Rock
website | get directions | distance: 1.7 mi | elevation gain: 160 ft | best for: skull-shaped rock
The story of Skull Rock is pretty cool. It began hundreds of years ago when raindrops filled tiny depressions that started to erode the granite. More erosion meant more water accumulated until finally, we ended up with this uniquely shaped rock. I can see why they call it a skull, but personally I think it looks more like a gorilla!
The rock is visible from the main road, and there are parking spots across from the rock. The trail is well-marked and easy to navigate. You don’t need to spend a ton of time here, but you may want to spend a few minutes scrambling around the surrounding rocks and taking cool photos.
Hike Hidden Valley
website | get directions | distance: 1 mi | elevation gain: 118 ft | best for: rock-enclosed valley
The Hidden Valley Natural Trail is a fast way to see some really beautiful rock formations. It’s an easy one-mile loop on a dirt and gravel trail that takes you through a rock-enclosed valley. It’s quite popular for this reason, so be prepared to share the trail with other hikers.
If you start your day early enough though, you’ll have the trail mostly to yourself. This is my favorite hike in the park because it’s more of a walk, but with great scenery. The rocks look like someone just placed them one by one, a la the Flinstones, so you’ll have a lot to marvel at.
Take in the majestic vistas from Keys View
website | get directions | distance: 0.2 mi. | elevation gain: 0 | best for: wheelchair-accessible trail
To get to Keys View you’ll have to drive about 20 minutes from Park Blvd. down Keys View Road, but the view is well worth it. The lookout is wheelchair accessible, or you can take the short 0.2-mile trail up the ridge for a slightly less obstructed view.
From here, you’ll get a panoramic glimpse of Coachella Valley, and on a clear day, you might even notice Mount Signal in Mexico. This was one of my favorite places to take photos during my day trip to Joshua Tree, so get your camera ready!
Pro tip: There can be a lot of bees here, so be calm, cool, and collected.
Weave around the Hall of Horrors
website | get directions | distance: .6 mi | elevation gain: 26 ft | best for: canyon slots
House of Horrors got its name from the slot canyons interweaving through the trail, but it’s a bit of a misnomer since it’s a relatively easy and relaxed loop trail. It’s known for rock formations and scenic mountain views. It’s also a popular spot for scrambling and rock climbing.
Walk to Barker Dam
website | get directions | distance: 1.3 mi | elevation gain: 59 ft | best for: manmade dam, reservoir & wildlife
The Barker Dam began as a water tank built by cattlemen in the 1900s and was eventually expanded into a dam encompassing 20 acres. Today the reservoir attracts desert wildlife like migrating birds and big horned sheep.
You likely won’t see water at the dam anymore, but there’s an old trough near the dam and visible petroglyphs on the west side of the trail. Keep your eyes peeled because you may see snowy peaks in the distance between the rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park.
Go on a more challenging hike
Most of the hikes I listed are pretty low-impact and easy to conquer one by one if you only have a day. If you want a little more distance or elevation gain, there are plenty of “hike hikes” for you. If you decide to do one, I recommend doing it after visiting the Cholla Cactus Garden so you can beat the heat before moving onto the lower-impact attractions listed above.
Ryan Mountain Trail is a moderate, 2.9-mile, out-and-back trail with some decent elevation gain. The view from the top is chef’s kiss, and it’s a perfect spot to reach for sunset.
Another option is the aptly named Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail. This out-and-back, 3-mile trail takes you to a collection of desert palm trees.
Both hikes should take you around 2 hours to complete, so consider that extra time when planning your route. If you’re curious as to what other fun hikes you can do in Joshua Tree, check out this list.
Get lunch at La Copine
website | get directions | best for: New American
Chances are you’ll want to leave the park around lunch time because it’ll be too hot. You’ll definitely want some good food and a cocktail or two to toast your fun morning.
That’s where La Copine comes in. It’s a chic, always bumpin’ spot serving seasonally rotating, upscale dishes like wagyu burgers with labneh and harissa or ricotta gnocchi with spring garlic.
The menu changes seasonally, but definitely the fried chicken and eggplant french fries if available. Both are crunchy and highly addictive!
Swing by Pioneertown
website | get directions | best for: quirky old western abandoned town
Pioneertown is a trip, to say the least. It was established in 1946 by the famous actor Dick Curtis as a “living breathing movie set.” The idea was that it would be a fully-functioning 1880s town that also worked as a movie set and retreat/residency for actors and people in the film industry.
Since much of the demand for old western movies has died down, the town was turned into a small shopping district. Admittedly a lot of these shops seem to appropriate Indigenous artifacts, but the town is a cool spot to take pictures.
If you go, definitely stop for a beer and a basket of fries at Pappy and Harriet’s, a Pioneertown staple for bar grub and live music.
Pro tip: Want to stay the night? Hicksville Trailer Palace near Pioneertown is a cool, retro RV park worth checking out.
Spend the rest of the day in Palm Springs
website | get directions | best for: restaurants, mid century architecture, and shopping
If you haven’t been to Palm Springs before, visiting Joshua Tree is a great excuse for checking it out since it’s only about an hour south of the park. Plan to walk along North Palm Canyon drive to check out the city’s shopping scene. If you’re visiting on a Thursday, the street will become pedestrian only so vendors can sell their wares at Village Fest.
The other quintessential thing to do in Palm Springs is take in all the mid century architecture. Whimsy Soul has a good resource for going on a self-guided door tour, or you can take a guided tour to go inside some of the most famous buildings. If you’re visiting in February or October, check to see what events are happening for Modernist Week for more midmod eye candy.
For dinner, Bar Cecil or Rooster and the Pig are the best options in town. Bar Cecil focuses on all-American comfort foods in a grandma chic space. It’s popular, so make a reservation. Rooster and the Pig is a walk-in Vietnamese spot with modern takes on classic flavors.
When to go on your Joshua Tree day trip
The best time for your day trip to Joshua Tree will be in late fall or early spring around March to May and October to November. The park is open year-round and at its most comfortable, you can expect temperatures around the mid-70s or 80s.
If you can only visit during the summer months, you’ll want to be prepared for temps in the high 90s to mid 100s, so be sure to bring plenty of water and get a very early start. You’ll also experience a lot of crowds, so the early start also helps you avoid throngs of people.
What time to start your itinerary
The sun rises in Joshua Tree between 5:30 AM to 7 AM, depending on the time of the year you go. Even if you’re not a “catching sunrise” person, you’ll want to start early to fit more in and get ahead of the warmer weather (and crowds).
For reference, I can rarely get up without a fight before 8 AM. We last visited Joshua Tree National Park in early June when the temperatures were hitting the high 90s. We resolved to get to the park for sunrise at 5:30 AM and we made it happen. So even those like me who hate mornings can rally!
Joshua Tree National Park tips
When you use GPS to the park, make sure it’s to Joshua Tree National Park and not Joshua Tree the town. The town of Joshua Tree has park access, but you’ll get twisted around trying to find it if you’re not GPS’d accordingly.
The park is open year-round but you’ll want to check the National Park Service website for regular updates on path closures and weather conditions. The entrance fee per vehicle is $30, or you can buy an annual pass for $55. You can buy your pass at the entrance, but buy it online if you’ll be at the park earlier than the ranger.
There are three park entrances: West, North, and South. The West Entrance is off Highway 62, the North Entrance is in Twentynine Palms, and the South Entrance is near Cottonwood Spring, sometimes called the Cottonwood Entrance. I like the Twentynine Palms entrance to the north best because it’s near all the best attractions on this itinerary for your day trip to Joshua Tree.
Pro tip: If you like exploring national parks, I recommend buying the “America the Beautiful” pass for $80 since this covers you for all national parks and federal recreational lands.
What to bring with you
Keep in mind there are no bathrooms besides the vault toilets inside the park, so stop at the visitor center for flushing restrooms before entering the park. There’s also no cell service in the park, so download an offline version of Google Maps.
Bring your own food, water, and sun protection because there isn’t any available in the park. That said, there are a few water fill stations on the outskirts of the park at the Black Rock Nature Center at the West Entrance and the Joshua Tree Cultural Center.
Lastly, you’ll want to be careful of scorpions and rattlesnakes, so wear long socks and proper hiking boots. It’s also good to practice good hiking etiquette, like taking your trash out with you, keeping on the trail at all times, and not disturbing wildlife.
Joshua Tree map
Here’s my map of the Joshua Tree and Palm Springs area. Use it to get a sense of where everything is or to get more ideas to fill your itinerary.
More to do near Joshua Tree
Have more time? Check out my other guides for ideas of what to do after your day trip to Joshua Tree!
- The Perfect San Diego Itinerary
- How to Spend 4 Days in LA
- What to Do in Phoenix in One Day
- How I Spend My Weekend in Scottsdale
- All the Best Scottsdale Restaurants
- Things to Do in San Luis Obispo
- How to Fit It All Into a Weekend in Santa Barbara
Overwhelmed by trip planning?
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