Joshua Tree National Park may make you feel like you’re on another planet
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![A brilliant sunset almost make the look like it's on fire at Joshua Tree National Park.](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/12/14/USAT/71918386007-f-7-f-887-ce-1-dd-8-b-71-b-0-b-3-c-0172-cb-676-fe-3-original.jpg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Joshua Tree National Park is unreal.
Its spiky namesake trees are often compared to something out of Dr. Seuss’ imagination, but park ranger Marc Mahan has another take.
“I'm a big sci-fi nerd, and I feel like driving through the park is the closest I'll ever come to visiting another planet,” he said. “Because the Joshua trees, they don't look like any oak trees, they don’t look like any pine trees. The rock formations look like something out of a ‘Star Trek’ episode, so it's just otherworldly.”
Fortunately, travelers don’t need rocket ships to see the park’s striking landscape. Here’s what travelers should know about Joshua Tree, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series.
What is so special about Joshua Tree?
“We are where two deserts meet, and so we have the distinction of having not one but two desert landscapes: the Mojave and the Colorado Desert, the high versus the low,” Mahan said. “But our two defining features of the park are the Joshua trees and the boulders.”
While Joshua trees can be found in other parts of the Mojave Desert, Mahan said the combination of the trees and the rocks together make the park truly unique.
The rocks are especially popular with rock climbers, for whom Joshua Tree is a world-famous destination. There are more than 8,000 climbing routes and 2,000 boulder problems in the park, according to its website.
“Pretty much anywhere you see rocks, you can climb on them,” Mahan said. Rangers simply ask that visitors leave no trace.
Do I need a reservation to enter Joshua Tree National Park?
No. Reservations are not needed to visit Joshua Tree, but entrance fees are required.
Entry passes cost $30 for a private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle and $15 per person arriving by foot or bike. They can be purchased in advance online at recreation.gov and are valid for seven consecutive days after initial use.
What city is closest to Joshua Tree National Park?
Twentynine Palms is the closest city to the park, though several small towns are closer.
Palm Springs is less than an hour away and is home to the nearest airport with major carriers, Palm Springs International Airport.
The park is less than three hours from Los Angeles and San Diego and less than four hours from Las Vegas and Phoenix by car.
Can you drive through Joshua Tree?
Absolutely.
“Our park is designed to be driven through,” Mahan said. “There's a scenic drive (Park Boulevard) that takes you from the town of Joshua Tree straight in the park, and without even trying, you're going to find the rocks. In fact, the Joshua trees, the rocks, they're going to find you. … You’re going to have vistas at every turn.”
Can you go to Joshua Tree at night?
Yes. Joshua Tree is open all day, every day of the year.
What is the best time of year to go to Joshua Tree? How's the weather?
Spring and fall tend to have the most comfortable temperatures, according to the park, whose busy season runs from October through May.
Temperatures can dip below freezing in the winter and regularly hit triple digits in the summer.
Depending on how much rain the park has gotten and where, visitors can see wildflowers blooming in the spring, but it’s not guaranteed.
“One springtime, just a couple of years ago, people were showing up. They’re like, ‘So where do I go to see the wildflowers? We’re like, ‘Actually, there's none here,’” Mahan said. “The last time we saw wildflowers everywhere was spring of 2019.”
How long should you stay in Joshua Tree National Park?
“If you only had time to do one thing and one thing only, that scenic drive, Park Boulevard, takes you through that landscape of trees and rocks,” Mahan said.
Driving Park Boulevard can take as little as an hour or a whole day, depending on what visitors stop to explore along the way.
“There's no one trail I can recommend. I can't tell you how many times I've hiked a trail and said, ‘Here it is, my new favorite trail.’” Mahan said. “Wherever you're inspired by the scenery and you see a sign for hiking with available parking, that's the trail for you. Every trail has something unique to offer.”
Ideally, visitors will have one to two full days to explore the nearly 800,000-acre park. That gives them time to savor the park’s spectacular desert sunsets and stunning night sky as an International Dark Sky Park. But Mahan warns, don’t fall for Internet hype.
“They believe that Keys View is the place for the sunset,” he said. “That's not the place. It’s simply a place. There are thousands of places within our park that you can see an amazing sunset. … What we're known for – the trees, the rocks – they're not even at Keys View.”
However long visitors stay, they should plan to bring everything they need to survive, including gas, food and water. There are a few water bottle and jug fill stations in Joshua Tree, but not in the center of the park, and cell service is unreliable.
Who are the Native people of Joshua Tree National Park?
The park says the land was home to the Maara’yam (Serrano), Nüwü (Chemehuevi), and Kawiya (Cahuilla), and it was used by the Aha Macave (Mohave), whom the park adds are represented by 15 present-day tribes:
- Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
- Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians
- Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
- Cahuilla Band of Indians
- Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Colorado River Indian Tribes
- Fort Mojave Indian Tribe
- Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians
- Morongo Band of Mission Indians
- Ramona Band of Cahuilla
- Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians
- Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
- Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
- Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
- Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation