Joshua Tree – look at all of these rocks!

Quick trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California, USA.

Easy way to sleep under the stars in Southern California which is not too far. It’s about 2.5-3 hours from San Diego, 2-7 hours from LA depending on traffic. (just kidding! but not really, because traffic is the worst.)

Entrance fees for Joshua Tree can be found here. Basically it’s $25 per car and that lasts 7 days. But the annual pass is $40 for 12 months, so if you live nearby and think there’s any chance you might be there more than once, this is a great option.

Camping in between a big rock and slightly bigger rock

(you can see this at 0:22 – 0:39, we walked about 20 minutes to get to that campsite)

There are several campgrounds that are first come, first serve, and some you can reserve online. The latter sites all have bathrooms, fire pits, you can car camp to your heart’s delight. I’ve never camped there, mostly because I’m terrible at planning. Luckily there is a backpacking option where you park at a designated lot, register (for free), and then hike in a mile from the road to set up camp.

No fires out there, but you get some amazing night exposures being away from everyone’s ambient light.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBy7urGszRA

Arch Rock

(0:42 – 1:05) Trailhead coordinates: 33.9852, -116.01655

If you park at the White Tanks Campground there is a nature trailhead to get you to Arch Rock. It’s about a quarter of a mile to get there according to actual sources. We wandered from our campsite over to that general direction and eventually found the big ass rock that looked like an arch.

Choose your own adventure!

Jumbo Rocks

THESE ARE EVERYWHERE.

But specifically there is a Jumbo Rocks Campground where I believe they keep the jumbo-est of rocks.

Keys View Overlook

(1:07 – 1:15) Coordinates: 33.9266, 116.1872

Generally speaking if you are in Joshua Tree, more than likely you already have a park map coordinates aren’t super necessary. Also they have pretty good signage to tell you what’s coming.

Keys View is the tallest point of the whole park and you can see FOREVER. (if the haze is being swirled around in the valley) We were lucky and had a clear day so you can see that footage in the video.

Hidden Valley Trail

(1:16 – end) Trailhead coordinates: 34.01237, -116.1680

Again, the large rocks are EVERYWHERE. Tiny Drea included in photo below for scale.

This is advertised as a 1-mile nature hike and trailhead is located by the Hidden Valley Picnic Area. People less directionally challenged than us were probably successful in keeping this to a mile, but I swear we did at least three. To be fair we scrambled up and around a lot of things. But also it was not super clear where the trail was going?

Chose your own adventure, take two!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BByvoMqMzd_

In Sum

• Scrambling up The Arch
• Camping in the outside
• Long night exposures
• Jumbo Rocks
• Keys View overlook
• Hidden Valley Trail

P.S. Anza-Borrego is a hot second from here in case you’re looking for more desert. hiking in Joshua tree found here.