Joshua Tree National Park is like no other national park you'll ever visit. The unique landscape of this desert oasis is one that will take your breath away. The scatterings of boulders and rocks, as if purposely piled by a giant, speckle the horizon, while fields of Joshua Trees greet you with its prickly branches. If you're from Southern California, Joshua Tree is a perfect day trip. But, if you have more time or come from afar, it's definitely worthy of an extended trip, as there is just so much to explore! So, pack your bags and take the kids on this fun-filled adventure day trip that I'm sure they will love! Here, I'll give you an itinerary to fill an entire day until sunset, focusing on family friendly attractions.
In this post, you'll find:
Where is Joshua Tree Located
Joshua Tree is located in the town of Twenty Nine Palms, east of Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs. It is about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Los Angeles, which makes it the perfect day trip destination! There are 3 entrances into Joshua Tree (West, North, and South). Coming from the Los Angeles & Orange County borders, we entered the West entrance, which is closest to the main attractions within the park. Entering the South entrance near Cottonwood Springs is less busy, but means you will travel further to reach the main sites.
Joshua Tree Visitor Center (West Entrance)
6554 Park Boulevard
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Best Time to Visit
Joshua Tree is a desert climate. As such, to avoid the harsh, and possibly dangerous heat, it is best to visit from March thru May (spring) or October thru November (fall). We visited in early March and the temperature was in the low 70s most of the day, while the evening was a little cooler. As soon as I got out of the car, I was met with crisp fresh air, which was so refreshing. It also wasn't very crowded, making the visit that much more enjoyable. Overall it was just perfect! If you must visit in the summer months, know that the temperature can be in the high 90s with little to no shade, so be prepared for that with lots of water, sunscreen, and appropriate clothing.
What to Do There
There is so much to see and do in Joshua Tree, but here is what we did to best maximize our day here with our kids!
1. Take a picture with the Joshua Tree National Park sign.
Try to arrive before 9am and enter the West Entrance, as this is the closest to the many attractions inside. We arrived slightly after 9am on a Sunday and there was a short line forming to enter the park. While we were waiting in line, the kids and I hopped out of the car to quickly get the picture below! [Photography Tip: Try not to stand in the shadow of the sign. Come just in front of it so that you're in the light.]
[Tip: If you plan visit other national parks, consider getting the America the Beautiful Pass. It isn't listed on the fee list, so you'll have to ask for it, but it is a great deal as approximately 3 visits to any of the over 2000 parks and sites nationwide will recover your $80 one-time fee. Learn more here.]
2. Stop and take a picture of the fields of Joshua Trees that line the entrance of the park.
I didn't get a chance to do this, as I thought I'd see more dense groupings of Joshua trees as we go about the park. However, as you drive through the West entrance, this is where you'll see the greatest concentration of Joshua trees, so pull over and take a picture of the beautiful view! People do lots of photoshoots in this area and you'll see why for yourself.
3. Next, head for the Hidden Valley Nature Trail.
This is a very easy 1 mile loop trail that takes you through beautiful rock and boulder formations, natural ecosystem, and local plant life. We easily spent almost 1 hour here because the boys enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies and scrambling over the boulders. You can see lots of people rock climbing too! There is plenty of parking and restrooms at the trailhead to make it super convenient for the little ones, so have a snack and bathroom break here before you go to the next attraction.
4. Next stop is Barker Dam, which is just about 5 mins away.
Barker Dam was built by early ranchers as a water reservoir. The trail is an approximately 1.1 mile loop that is relatively easy with some light scrambling. Unfortunately on our visit, the dam was completely dry, but the area was still beautiful to explore. Below you can see how tiny we are in comparison to the landscape. Nothing like being in nature to make you feel the greatness of this Earth! We spent about 45 minutes here but you can easily spend longer. We had a quick lunch when we got back to the car and luckily we did because my littlest passed out shortly afterwards!
5. After lunch, head to the Cholla Cactus Garden Trail.
This stop wasn't the original plan, but because my littlest looked like he needed a nap, we decided to drive to the furthest planned attraction in the park while he slept. It worked out beautifully because my older one ended up falling asleep too. So if your kids look like they could use a nap to recharge, this is a great next stop.
It's about 35 minutes from Barker Dam and the drive takes you through the interior portion of the park, making it a very scenic drive. Once we got there, the boys were still asleep, so my sister and I took the chance to explore on our own. There is a boardwalk you can follow that takes you through the garden, a whole 5 minutes to complete, but you can also venture off in the field. But, be very careful because broken pieces of the cholla cactus can be scattered throughout, and speaking from experience, they are VERY sharp! I happen to be standing around taking pictures and all of a sudden I felt an intense sharp pain piercing through my hiking boots. When I looked down, an entire chunk of cactus pricked all the way through, attaching itself to even the thickest parts of my boot. And those prickly spines did not come off easily either (they still live forever implanted in my hiking boot as a memento of this day)! Definitely make sure you (and especially the kids) are wearing appropriate footwear. I saw some parents letting their little ones roam around freely (and in sandals), which I don't recommend because one false step or a little trip and they could get seriously hurt from the cactus.
It is beautiful nevertheless and I particularly enjoyed this area because it is unique from the rest of the park. We spent about 30 minutes here having fun taking photos.
6. Next up is Arch Rock Trail, which is less than 15 minutes away.
This trail is approximately 1.2 miles, out and back, and an easy stroll. The parking is across the street, so just follow the trailhead signages. The boys were still passed out when we arrived here so my husband stayed in the car while I hiked it with my sister and her fiancé. As I mentioned earlier, our visit on a Sunday in early March was not crowded with other visitors, so I was able to get a picture with Arch Rock with nobody intruding in my photos! Everyone was very polite and waited their turns. This area would have been super fun for the boys as there was some rock scrambling they could have done, but the boulders here are much larger and higher than compared to Hidden Valley Nature Trail or Barker Dam, so make sure you supervise your younger kids. I've seen some photos of people climbing on top of the Arch as well.
A bonus attraction you can do on this very same trailhead is to search for Heart Rock, a rock formation in the shape of, well, a heart! There is now signage indicating the direction you need to head towards to reach Heart Rock. Instead of veering right to get to Arch Rock, you would go left at the fork to continue on to the dry river wash that takes you to Heart Rock. I also recommend that if you decide to look for Heart Rock, go back to the fork to start there instead of scrambling the endless boulders and rocks from Arch Rock, because you can easily get lost, which is a dangerous game to play in the desert. I plan on going back to see Heart Rock for myself (because it's kinda cute), so I'll update this post when I do!
7. Up next is Skull Rock, a short 10 minutes away.
And from the name, you can already imagine what it looks like! The bonus is that there is no hiking required here as you can see Skull Rock right from the road! The boys had woken up from their nap by the time we hiked back from Arch Rock, so I was excited they could see Skull Rock for themselves. Skull Rock formed naturally through the erosion of the granite rock by accumulation of water over time. The skull is very well defined and you can see two eye sockets, a nasal cavity, and the forehead. Super cool! This area is super busy and popular but as with everything else, patience and taking turns is key! After our photos, we explored this area and had so much fun. Again, the boulders here are much more densely spaced and your younger ones will need assistance, but it is doable and lots of fun. The views here are nice too when you can get high enough. We discovered a little rock tunnel towards the right of the skull that had the nicest light shining through. The boys did not want to leave this area, so we crossed the street to the other side to explore around there, however, the boulder scrambling wasn't as good as it was at Skull Rock. We spent almost an hour here.
8. Last stop, Keys View for sunset, approximately 20 minutes away.
I purposely planned Keys View as the last destination in Joshua Tree because 1) no hiking involved to see the view (I knew we'd all be very tired by the end of the day) and 2) it takes us back closer to the entrance of the park so we can easily leave and be on our way home, and 3) sunset was a great way to end a great day!
The drive up was very pretty and slightly winding, but not too bad for those with carsickness. We arrived here close to 4:45pm and the parking wasn't entirely full but I can imagine it would be closer to sunset time. Sunset on our day of visit was 5:45pm and I already knew the boys were not going to make it, after all, it had been a very adventure-filed day. It was also colder by this time and my husband really didn't want to get stuck in traffic to get home. So, although we didn't stick around for sunset, that doesn't mean you shouldn't! The view is incredible and you can see the Coachella Valley, San Jacinto Peak, the Salton Sea, and the San Andreas fault!
Surrounding Area
Other things to see and do in the area include The Salton Sea, Palm Springs, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, and slightly further is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Tips for a Wonderful Trip
Fill up on gas before entering the park.
Pack food, water, and snacks.
Dress in layers.
Wear appropriate footwear.
Go at your child's pace and don't rush them.
You can squeeze in a few more stops.
Come back for star gazing.
Read my tips for a smooth road trip with kids in my blog under Travel Tips.
It was such an awesome day trip, one of those that you need to do once in a while to get away to recharge. I hope you get to make this trip with your little family. We certainly didn't get to see and do it all, giving us more reason to come back to explore more!
Have you been before? What was your favorite part? Let me know below! Happy planning!
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