WHEN TO VISIT: We decided to visit the park in early February and are so glad we did. There were no crowds and the weather was perfect. I will say it was a little chilly in the EARLY morning but quickly warmed up. The park starts to get busy around March so planning your visit during the shoulder season will allow for less crowds and more affordable accommodations.
HOW TO GET THERE: The closest airport Joshua Tree National Park is Palm Springs, California. However, we decided to fly into Las Vegas, Nevada because the flights were considerably less. We had roughly a 3 hour drive from the airport to the park. I would take the time to see what surrounding airport is most affordable/convenient for you to fly into. If you don't mind a little bit of a drive you can typically save money on flights!
WHERE TO STAY: There are three towns close to the park. These are Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms. We opted for Twentynine palms because they had a ton of cute & affordable Airbnbs to stay in. I will link the one we stayed in, which we loved. It came fully stocked with coffee, tea, cooking utensils and was less than 10 minutes from the park entrance.
There are also campsites located in the park, I would love to do this someday!
WHAT TO DO IN THE PARK: There are plenty of hiking trails in the park, ranging from easy to more difficult. In addition, just driving around the park you get to see so much of the uniqueness that makes this place so special.
Here is a short list of trails that I suggest you research to see what best suits you!
Easy:
Hall of Horrors
Cholla Cactus Garden (pictured above, middle)
Split Rock Loop
Skull Rock (pictured above, left)
Barker Dam
Hidden Valley
Moderate/Difficult:
Ryan Mountain
Panorama Loop
The Maze Loop
Inspiration Peak Trail
Lost Horse Mine
OUTSIDE OF THE PARK:
Pioneer Town: Fun to walk around with cool places to grab a bite to eat or a drink!
Explore the downtown area: We stopped into a couple shops and enjoyed a coffee outside. The area isn’t very large so a couple of hours to have a snack and explore is more than enough time!
Stargazing: This could be done inside or outside of the park, Joshua Tree is known for awesome stargazing.
Crotchet Museum: We did not have time to stop here, but would have loved to!
Algoberto's Taco Shop: It may not look like much from the outside.... but in the short time we were in Joshua Tree we ate here twice. The tacos were delicious and super affordable. Vegan options are available (YAY). The perfect place for a cheap and authentic lunch.
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