Best Hikes in Joshua Tree

I’m here to share with you some of the best hikes in Joshua Tree (and some camping recommendations as well!) Joshua Tree National Park is located in the high desert of Southern California and is a very unique place to explore. The park spans between two famous deserts: the Mojave and the Colorado deserts. As expected from the name of the park, you will find plenty of amazing Joshua trees, but that’s not all. The park is also filled with great hiking trails, plenty of campgrounds, and fabulous rock formations which make it a popular place for rock climbing.

Directions to Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is located approximately three hours east of the Los Angeles International Airport and can be accessed via I-10 or the Twentynine Palms Highway CA-62.  Joshua Tree National Park has three main entrances. The West Entrance can be accessed via the town of Joshua Tree, CA, along CA-62, where you can stop to see the Joshua Tree Visitor’s Center. The North Entrance and the Oasis of Mara Visitor Center are located several miles South of Twentynine Palms, CA, further along CA-62. One of the main roads, Park Boulevard, runs between those two entrances. Many of the park’s attractions are located along Park Boulevard. The South Entrance and the Cottonwood Spring Visitor Center are located near the town of Cottonwood Spring along I-10. The Indian Cove campground, Fortynine Palms Oasis, and Black Rock nature center, campground and various hiking trails can also be accessed at separate locations along CA-62.

The best time of year to visit Joshua Tree National Park is from October through April as the hot summer temperatures can be quite scorching in the desert.

Best hiking trails in Joshua Tree National Park

Hidden Valley Trail – This 1-mile trail passes through a narrow gap in the rocks and loops around the Hidden Valley where supposedly a band of cowboys known as the McHaney Gang illegally hid cattle during the 1870s. You’ll find plenty of neat rock formations to enjoy as you climb down, then up the rocky trail into the canyon.

Wall Street Mill – The Wall Street Mill Trail departs from the same location as the Barker Dam Trailhead.  However, the Wall Street Mill Trail is much lesser known (it’s not on any of the signs guiding you toward the area) and thus is much less crowded and offers, in my opinion, more exciting things to see! If you access the trail from the Barker Dam parking lot, you will hike 1.2 miles to the mill for a total round-trip distance of 2.4 miles. If you decide to take the dirt road to the right of the parking lot, you will arrive at another parking lot for the mill trail which will result in a total hiking distance of 2.0 miles. You will most likely find plenty of room to park in the further lot. If it hasn’t rained, the dirt road is passable even with a low clearance two-wheel drive car. This trail takes you to the remains of the Wall Street Stamp Mill which processed gold from William Keys’ mines as well as other surrounding mines from 1930-1966. Two pieces of advice: 1. When the trail forks, stay to the right. The left fork takes you to an old, rusty car which is fun to see but I’d recommend viewing it on the way back to avoid losing the trail to the mill. 2. When you get to the mill, walk along the narrow trail all the way around the fence surrounding the mill to get some better views of the machinery.

Barker Dam – The Barker Dam was built to help cowboys water their cattle. Less rainfall and current drought conditions have diminished the usefulness of the dam so don’t be surprised if you find the “lake” near the dam completely dry! The Barker Dam Trail is a 1.3-mile loop which passes by the dam as well as some pictographs on a large rock alongside the trail. I recommend hiking this trail early in the day as it gets crowded quickly.

Arch Rock – The Arch Rock Trail is a 1.2-mile loop trail which takes you to…you guessed it…a rock formation shaped like an arch! While it’s not the biggest arch I’ve seen, it is pretty cool. When I asked a ranger what he thought about the trail, he said it was “fine” but recommended the Hidden Valley and Barker Dam Trails. I took his recommendation and enjoyed both of those trails, but I also found them quite crowded. I encountered much less people on the Arch Trail and only had to wait for one other couple to take their pictures next to the arch before I had my chance. Tip: the left fork of the loop to reach the arch is much better marked and easier to follow. You can return the same way if you’d like. Also, along the left loop, you’ll see a sign for “Heart Rock.” This was the first time I heard of that trail as it’s not advertised nor on any other signs. I decided to explore and found the enormous heart rock about ¼ mile later. It’s well worth the short detour from the Arch Trail!

Best locations to explore with kids in Joshua Tree National Park

Discovery Trail and Skull Rock – You can park right along Park Boulevard and get a view of Skull Rock as soon as you get out of your car which makes it convenient for people traveling with kids. However, you will find tons of people doing the same thing. Plan on crossing the street after you see Skull Rock and follow the signs for Face Rock. Face Rock is along the Discovery Trail which is an approximately 0.6-mile loop. It’s a great place for kids to explore a small slot canyon, see some neat rocks and try to find the rock which looks like a face. We found several which resembled faces but there’s a viewing sign which depicts the real face rock which was very helpful.  

Cap Rock – Cap Rock Nature Trail is a great place to explore if you are pushing a stroller or have very young children. The 0.4-mile loop is a perfect distance for young kids, has plenty of big rocks to look at and also has lots of nature signs to learn about things along the trail.

Key’s View – From this viewpoint, you can see the entire Coachella Valley which includes the Salton Sea, Signal Mountain, the cities of Indio and Palm Springs, a fault line, Mount San Jacinto, San Gorgonio Mountain and Gorgonio Pass. While we heard this was a great place to visit at sunset, we chose to visit at sunrise to avoid the crowds. The views of orange and pink hues in the sky at sunrise were amazing! If you are visiting with kids, you’ll be happy to know the viewpoint is just a short walk (though uphill) from parking.

Cholla Cactus Garden – You can explore the Cholla (pronounced Choy-ya) Cactus Garden via a ¼ mile nature trail which winds through the garden. The path is perfect for strollers. You’ll want to make sure kids stay away from the actual cactus plants, however, since the slightest touch can cause the cactus to send cactus spines into your skin. Although you need to be careful while exploring, the thousands of cholla cactus plants concentrated in this single area are an incredible sight to see!

Split rock – You can drive right up to a parking lot next to split rock and get some great photos of the large rock which looks like a piece has been sliced off the side. You’ll also find some tables which make for a nice picnic lunch site. If you are feeling adventurous, you can try the 2.0-mile Split Rock Trail, but I’d recommend trying some of the “Best Hiking Trails in Joshua Tree National Park” noted in the section above instead. Supposedly the split rock trail is not as well marked and more difficult to follow. 

For a full list of things to do and places to see in Joshua Tree National Park, download the NPS App and select “Joshua Tree National Park” to download the information on the app before you arrive since cell service is extremely limited in the park.

Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park has many different campgrounds. I spent a week staying at Ryan Campground which was centrally located along Park Boulevard and was close to many of the main attractions within Joshua Tree.  The campsite was very scenic, and we even saw several rock climbers scaling the rock formations within the campground. I explored several of the other campgrounds while I was in the park. Of note, most of the campsites in each campground are very close to one another. The desert doesn’t do much for blocking sound, so you can expect some early morning and late evening noise from surrounding sites. That being said, all of the reservable campgrounds are usually fully booked during the peak season. 

Other campgrounds I explored included 1. Sheep Pass – this campground has six group sites and no individual sites. No trailers are allowed. 2. Jumbo Rocks – this campground has a nice, paved road throughout the campground and is located near Skull Rock and the Discovery Trail. The campsites were really on top of one another here even compared to the other campgrounds. There are only a few larger RV sites along the main road in the campground. 3. Belle – This campground is more isolated and located further from the park’s main attractions. It is accessed via a dirt road. The campsites are spaced out slightly more compared to other campgrounds. 4. White Tanks – this campground is very isolated as well and is located near the Arch Rock trail. Access is via a dirt road and the campsites are slightly more spaced out. 

Here is a full list of campgrounds and their locations in Joshua Tree National Park. If you are unable to find a reservation to camp inside the park, you can try the following options: 1. North of the park: Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, Twentynine Palms RV Resort, Little Pioneertown RV. 2. South of the park: Chiriaco Summit or Palm Springs/Joshua Tree KOA. 3. Dispersed Camping: accessed on Cottonwood Spring Road south of Joshua Tree National Park on BLM lands within 300 feet of roadways.

Joshua Tree National Park Backcountry Hiking and Camping

If you are looking for an intense adventure in the desert, you can try out the 37.5-mile-long California Riding and Hiking Trail which begins at Black Rock Canyon and ends at the park’s North Entrance.  I spent a week volunteering with the American Hiking Society and working with a trail repair crew along the California Riding and Hiking Trail. The terrain can be sandy or rocky and the trail is very desolate.

You will not find any natural water resupply sources along this route, so you must pack in or cache your water along the route. The trail crosses several road locations (Keys View Rd, Ryan Campground, Geology Tour Road, and Pinto Basin Road) so you can arrange to meet someone for food and water re-supply at those places if necessary. If you are biking along the trail, Ryan Campground has several sites reserved specifically for bikers. 

Whether you enjoy hiking desert trails, camping in a unique desert environment, or just want to spend a day taking in some of the amazing views of Joshua trees and interesting rock formations, I highly recommend a visit to Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California! 

Happy Hiking!

Michelle from Hiking Bingo 

About the Author

Michelle is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys sharing her love of the outdoors with others. Her goal is to inspire kids – and kids at heart – to explore the outdoors! Michelle developed an outdoor scavenger hunt app for kids called Hiking Bingo which you can download for free on the App Store or Google Play Store. What began as an idea for a hiking scavenger hunt app has evolved into the opportunity to provide hiking and camping resources for not only families but for anyone interested in getting outside more. You can read her blog and discover more camping and hiking resources at her Hiking Bingo website.