Joshua Tree National Park

74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597
Visitor Information 760-367-5500

Cost:
Entrance Fees
7-Day Vehicle Permit: $15
7-Day Single Entry Permit: $5
Joshua Tree National Park Annual Pass: $30

If you love the adventure of discovering something very different, you’ll be awed by Joshua Tree National Park, located in Southern California just a 30 minute drive east from Palm Springs. It contains over 1200 square miles of high altitude desert with bizarre geological features and a unique ecological system. It was named for the strange looking Joshua Tree that flourishes in the area.  You won’t find a better place to climb rocks than at Joshua Tree National Park, but you won’t run into many sightseers.

You can access the area through the entrance and visitors center in Cottonwood Springs near Palm Desert, California or through the high-country entrances at the Village of Joshua Tree or near the town of Twenty-Nine Palms. Joshua Tree Village is a small desert town that is just a wide place in the road. There are a few stores, gas stations, bars and restaurants populated by an odd assortment of characters.

There are only a few roads that wind through the monument, but you can hike the wide-open spaces and hiking trails and see spectacular scenery.

You’ll be surprised because the scenery in Joshua Tree looks like something from another planet. You expect to see dinosaurs and outer space creatures just around the next bend in the trail.  The high plateaus are flat, sandy basins filled with strange looking desert plants including thousands of bizarre looking Joshua trees. Everywhere you look are piles of huge boulders strewn across the sand with no apparent pattern. Barren, rocky  mountains ring the area.
Rock climbers from around the world call J-Tree one of the best rock climbing challenges in the USA. The gigantic rocks are composed of rough granite with plenty of holes and cracks to provide footholds. Every rock climber can have fun, from children scampering over boulders to experienced, expert rock climbers taking on intensely difficult climbs. If you feel adventurous and would like to try some rock climbing, there are several outfitters and guides in the area.

The best time to visit Joshua Tree is between October and March when the desert temperature is quite pleasant for camping, hiking backpacking, or rock climbing. For your safety and comfort, always carry water, and wear a hat and sun block in every season. You are in the desert, so remember to drink more water than you typically would.

The park is always open but peak attendance is during the wildflower season in the Spring. In Summer attendance drops off because of the heat.

DIRECTIONS

Joshua Tree National Park lies 140 miles east of Los Angeles, 175 miles northeast of San Diego, and 215 miles southwest of Las Vegas. You can approach it from Interstate 10 and Hwy 62 (Twentynine Palms Highway). The closest airport is in Palm Springs. Public transportation to the park is not available.

There are three park entrance stations:
The west entrance is located five miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Park Boulevard at Joshua Tree Village.
The north entrance is in Twentynine Palms, three miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Utah Trail.
The south entrance at Cottonwood Spring, which lies 25 miles east of Indio, can be reached from the east or west, also via Interstate 10.