17 Best Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park According to a Tour Guide

The adorably small town of Joshua Tree is located just outside of the park’s west entrance. The town is filled with local shops, Airbnbs, restaurants, and cafes. The town actually still looks pretty similar to when it started popping up back in the ’60s, making it a lovely spot for photography.

Joshua Tree Coffee Company, Crossroads Cafe, and Natural Sister’s Cafe are three great options for coffee, light foods, and baked goods. The town of Joshua Tree also has an awesome gear shop called Nomad Ventures, in addition to the National Park visitor center and gift shops.

On Saturday mornings, check out the Joshua Tree Farmers Market from 8 am-1 pm where merchants must follow the strict rules of only selling local produce and art. If that’s not enticing enough for you, explore some of the funky sculptures and art near town.

Simi Dabah Sculpture Museum, the Giant Rock, and the World Famous Crochet Museum are some awesome hot spots in town.

Arch Rock is one of Joshua Tree’s most impressive rock formations. Arch Rock is a short hike from the White Tank Campground featuring a 30-foot tall granite rock arch. The 0.3 mile Arch Rock loop is a popular destination for night photographers and hikers alike. If the campground is too busy to park in, hikers start at the Arch Rock Trailhead along Pinto Basin Road for a 1.3-mile loop hike.

Along the hike, you’ll have impressive views of Arch Rock from every angle. Since it’s a short, flat trail, you’ll love Arch Rock no matter what your level of hiking experience is—and it’s great especially if you have your partner and kids in tow.

Starting at the Hidden Valley Picnic Area near the Hidden Valley Campground, Hidden Valley Nature Trail is another great hiking choice if you want to see a lot in a short amount of time. The trail is a 1-mile loop with 100 feet of elevation gain. Information signs highlight important facts about Joshua Tree National Park.

The Hidden Valley area is one of the most popular areas in Joshua Tree. It offers places for you to camp, hike, climb, and scramble. You don’t have to wander far off-trail to find large boulders for some fun rock scrambling.

When visiting the Hidden Valley Area, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and plants. This is a popular area to spot desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, and of course, Joshua trees.

The Hidden Valley Nature trail starts at the end of Hidden Valley Road off of Park Boulevard.

Head to the Cholla Cactus Garden to hike the loop trail and experience one of the more unique hikes in Joshua Tree National Park. It sits right at the border where two different environmental zones merge together. The warmer, lower Colorado Desert and cooler, upper Mojave Desert meet here, creating a climate perfect for the high concentration of cholla cacti.

While Cholla Cactus Garden Loop is a flat and sandy hike, if you end up off trail you might find yourself in a dangerous situation.

At first sight, the cholla cacti appear cute, know as “teddy bear cactus” because of their soft, fluffy appearance. But they’re also known as “jumping cactus”. The cacti have thick spines that are important in protecting the cholla cacti from predators. At the end of their spines they have small barbs that sense any movement causing them to “jump out,” hence the name “jumping cactus.”

Even slightly rubbing against one is dangerous—the thick sharp spines can drive into your shoes, clothes, or skin. While you explore the Cholla Cactus Garden make sure you stay on the trail.

The whole Cholla Cactus Garden Loop trail is only a quarter-mile and takes 15-30 minutes to walk. The trail is located off of Pinto Basin Road near the southern part of the park.

Joshua Tree National Park is home to world-famous rock climbing. There are countless boulder problems all throughout the park as well as over 8,000 thousand traditional and sport rock climbing routes.

Located in the high desert, Joshua Tree is the perfect winter rock climbing destination, as well as in the late fall and early spring. Joshua Tree National Park is also a popular spot for highlining—basically, slacklining at extreme heights.

With such a variety of terrain, climbers typically enjoy traditional crack climbing, slab, and steep face climbing. It’s no wonder it’s a world-class climbing destination. If you’re not an experienced climber, however, definitely find yourself a qualified guide.

While a majority of the rock climbing routes are single-pitch, head over to Lost Horse Wall to climb some of the longest rock climbing routes in the park.

While rock climbing in the park, respect the fragile desert environment. Some trails are marked as climbers’ routes and should be used to avoid trampling surrounding ecosystems. Tread lightly and practice Leave No Trace principles to minimize your impact on the environment.

Ryan Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in Joshua Tree National Park. The trail is 3 miles out and back and gains just over 1000 feet of elevation. From the summit, you’ll enjoy panoramic vistas looking down across the desert floor.

The summit of Ryan Mountain reaches 5,456 feet and offers spectacular views of Mount San Jacinto and the surrounding San Bernardino Mountains.

Because of the elevation gain, the Ryan Mountain trail is rated as moderate/difficult. On average, people spend 2-3 hours hiking this trail. It’s very exposed in some sections and the summit is often windy and cooler than the desert below; so bring your jacket to stay warm!

Horseback riding is a popular, fun way to explore Joshua Tree National Park. There are 253 miles of equestrian trails and areas where you can traverse deep canyons, open desert land, and dry washes throughout Joshua Tree.

It’s important to stay on designated trails created by the national park service because the ecosystems in the desert are very fragile. An organism called cryptobiotic crust is a thin layer of soil that holds the desert sand together. It’s almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but if walked on it takes years to regrow and in time erosion is far more likely.

Therefore, you must follow the designated trails to safely travel by horse throughout the park. If you plan to camp in Joshua Tree there are designated campgrounds that provide areas for stock animals.

The Barker Dam Nature Trail is one of the best things to do in Joshua Tree National Park. The 1.3-mile short trail is rated easy and only gains 60 feet of elevation.

You’ll enjoy views of Joshua trees in the rocky desert landscape. Go rock scrambling up boulders, go rock climbing, look out for wildlife, or walk the trail along desert washes for incredible views.

This trail is great for those who want to read the information signs and learn about Joshua Tree culture, history, and flora and fauna. At certain times of the year, the Barker Dam fills with water, creating an impressive glassy pool across the dry desert oasis.

The parking area for the Barker Dam fills up quickly so it’s important to arrive early to guarantee a parking spot at the trailhead. Otherwise, you’ll have a long walk down the road from another pull-off.

The Skull Rock Trail is a scenic 1.7-mile nature trail that starts along Park Boulevard. It’s a great stop if you’re on your way into or out of the park, with a parking area accessible near the trailhead.

Skull Rock is one of the most famous rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park. After thousands of years of precipitation, little bits of rain created small depressions into the rock, eroding the granite. Eventually, two “eye-sockets” formed in the rock so it looks very similar to a skull.

The Skull Rock trailhead is just across the entrance from the Jumbo Rocks campground.

Planets, stars, soaring meteors, and the milky way are all visible from inside Joshua Tree National Park. Visibility is some of the best in Southern California!

The best time to enjoy the stars is on a clear night during a new moon. Camp at any of the campgrounds to maximize your time spent under these incredible stars. If not, bring chairs and use the roadside pullouts to stop and enjoy the stars overhead.

While light pollution is pretty minimal in the park, head farther into the east of the park to enjoy even clearer visibility. Some light pollution in the town of Joshua Tree is visible in the west of the park. Anywhere off of Pinto Basin Road has some of the best viewing options.

When viewing the stars, use red lights only. White light headlamps, flashlights, and cell phones take longer for your eyes to adjust, so if you must use a light, use a red light headlamp or cover a white light with red tape, fabric, paper, or cellophane.

Also, park temperatures get cool in the evening so make sure you bring extra layers to enjoy the incredible stargazing in the park!

Wind your way up to Keys View for impressive vistas looking down on the Joshua Tree desert. You can drive up to this viewpoint then walk around and explore park information signs about the area. On a clear day, you’ll enjoy views of the Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, the San Andres Fault, Mount San Jacinto, and Mount San Gorgonio.

Go at sunrise or sunset for even more spectacular views from this easy-to-access viewpoint.

Many birders flock to Joshua Tree National Park to look for southwestern desert birds. Roadrunners, mockingbirds, verdins, cactus wrens, rock wrens, Le Conte’s thrashers, and Gambel’s quails are popular to see year-round.

Some resident birds include red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, American kestrels, and prairie falcons. There are also many transient birds that pass through the park throughout the winter as they migrate to warmer areas.

Barker Dam, the Oasis of Mara, and Cottonwood Spring are some of the best spots to go bird watching.

The Cottonwood Spring Oasis is a 1.5-mile loop trail that offers gorgeous views of wildflowers, Joshua trees, and fan palms. The trail is rated easy and is great for hikers of any skill level.

Cottonwood Spring Oasis is one of the most overlooked but most beautiful parts of Joshua Tree National Park. Cottonwood Spring formed after a major earthquake long ago. Then in the 1920s, the Cottonwood Spring Oasis began growing from seeds dropped from birds and coyotes. The native fan palms here are a sight to behold—their trunks are much, much thicker than the palm trees you’re probably used to seeing.

The Cottonwood Spring Oasis Trail is close to the Cottonwood Visitor Center located near the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. The trail loop starts and ends at Cottonwood Spring Campground.

If you’re a history lover, check out Lost Horse Mine to learn about California’s gold rush history. As mining was dying out in California’s mountains, many miners moved to the desert hoping to find success.

Many were reluctant because of the hot desert climate but Lost Horse Mine struck gold. According to the National Park Service, over 10,000 ounces of gold and 16,000 ounces of silver were mined from the late 1890s to early 1930s, in Joshua Tree National Park.

The trail takes hikers through the famous Lost Horse Mine, and while you probably won’t find gold today, this moderate trail is known for its springtime wildflowers, abundant Joshua trees, and information signs about the significance of this part of the park.

The trail is rated moderate if you only follow it for a mile. The total trail is a 6.5-mile loop with a total elevation gain of 550 feet and rated as difficult.

Visit a Joshua Tree National Park visitor center to learn more about the park’s history, geology, wildlife, plant life, and more. The rangers at the visitor centers have a plethora of information to share. They also have schedules up for daily ranger-run activities which include everything from stargazing to wildlife talks to geology walks.

The Oasis Visitor Center is located near the northern entrance to the park. Featuring the beautiful Oasis of Mara near the town of Twentynine Palms, the Oasis Visitor Center is the most historically significant visitor center in Joshua Tree. The Oasis Visitor Center was established in the mid-1900s when Joshua Tree was only a national monument.

The Cottonwood Visitor Center sits at the south entrance of the park and is a good first stop when you’re entering from the south. The Cottonwood Visitor Center is filled with information about Joshua Tree’s hiking trails, flora and fauna, and other park information, so brush up on your knowledge before you start exploring.

Keys Ranch is an old western preserved ranch portraying a pioneer family’s life. Learn the story of William F. Keys and his family and what it took to work and prosper in the rugged Mojave Desert.

Ranger-guided tours of Keys Ranch will tell you the 60-year story of their lives and how the couple raised 5 children in the remote desert. Keys ranch is considered a National Historic Registered Site and is in a remote rock canyon in Joshua Tree. Therefore, visiting is restricted to ranger-led tours.

The tours are a half-mile and last 90 minutes. You can stop by a visitor center for more information and to arrange a tour.

If you’re feeling stressed out, join a public sound bath in the town of Joshua Tree at Integratron. It’s an unforgettable experience where you can bliss out in relaxation and rejuvenation after listening to healing sounds for an hour.

Participants will enjoy a meditative experience as they are “bathed” in a variety of sound waves. Baths are known to soothe the nervous system, manage anxiety, and connect with your body.