Joshua Tree National Park is close enough to Palm Springs (depending on the entrance you choose into the park) to qualify as part of our Palm Springs Area Adventures.
Our first trip to the area was directly to Joshua Tree NP. We camped at Jumbo Rocks Campground. That was an adventure in itself, what with beautiful surroundings and a torrential night-long thunderstorm during the entirety of our last night there.
On our second trip to the area, we stayed in Palm Desert (about a 30 minute drive from the more popular Palm Springs) at the Marriot Shadow Ridge I – The Villages. Wow! Faaancy! We are not used to that kind of luxury, but we got to use the in-laws’ timeshare at a great price, so figured we couldn’t go wrong…and we didn’t. We felt like rich people, a sensation we rarely, if ever, get to experience. See our other adventures.
The Palm Springs area is certainly touristy, and the trails were often crowded, especially during the winter months when we snowbirds alight from the wintry North (like us). Still, we never felt too closed in with the crowds (except for the Bump and Grind Trail) and getting an early start on the trails was still the best way to avoid crowded trails and get back early enough for an afternoon nap before happy hour.
The Palm Springs Area includes the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians hiking areas, the Mecca Hills Wilderness, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Mt San Jacinto State Park, Joshua Tree National Park Hiking, and others.
On the first trip we stayed in Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree. The scenery, especially the Jumbo Rocks and the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, is stunning. In fact, if you are not into hiking, but just want to hang out for a few days of camping, you should check out Jumbo Rocks Campground.
Neither Joshua Tree nor Palm Springs is just for hiking. If you are into photography, then you could probably spend several weeks in Joshua Tree and get some incredible photos. I got some good ones, and I just used my smartphone. 😝
Of course, Joshua Trees, in my opinion, are worth the trip. There are significant Joshua Tree Forests in and around Joshua Tree National Park. One of our favorite hikes for Joshua Trees has been the Panorama Loop Hike. And Joshua trees are pretty cool – Per the National Park Service: Years ago, the Joshua tree was recognized by native people for its useful properties: tough leaves were worked into baskets and sandals, and flower buds and raw or roasted seeds made a healthy addition to the diet. The local Cahuilla have long referred to the tree as “hunuvat chiy’a” or “humwichawa;” both names are used by a few elders fluent in the language.
Not into Joshua Trees? How about Fan Palms? Fan Palm Oases intrigue me; a watered, green area with huge fan palms in the middle of the desert. If you are looking for a hike through an oasis, I suggest Fortynine Palms Oasis. There is a world of plants in Joshua Tree National Park: Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant diversity—there are nearly 800 species of vascular plants found here. Nearly half of these are annual plants, like many of the wildflowers that bloom in spring.
Great Sites: There are many good sites to tell you all about Joshua Tree NP. Just Google it! But the one that I have enjoyed reading is More Than Just Parks.
And for Palm Springs, there are a bunch of good sites as well. But I really like this one by HikingGuy. I should make my website look like his 😊.
For more information about the Palm Springs area, see Visit California: Greater Palm Springs and Palm Desert City.
Trailheads Map (You might need to zoom in to see the trailheads)
Here is my 4-stars and above AllTrails link for Palm Springs, Joshua Tree and some of the surrounding areas. You can modify the filters all you want. (2 to 12 Miles, Easy and Moderate Difficulty)
❤️❤️❤️ - Love it! Would do it again just because it is such a good trail.
❤️❤️ - Like it. Good Trail and Hike. Would do it again with a friend who has never done it or perhaps at a different time of year.
❤️ - Glad we did it but would not do it again.
Marg and I absolutely love this part of the country. When I publish this website (spring 2022, I hope), we will have visited the area three times. It can be hard to find uncrowded trails at times, especially in the spring, and especially when the desert wildflowers are popping out, but the beauty is worth the effort. Deserts, Joshua “trees”, incredible rock formations, human history, waterfalls and a myriad of wonderful hiking trails – that is what Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs is to us.
According to the National Park Service: The peoples who occupied and used portions of the area now set aside as Joshua Tree National Park before the arrival of Europeans in 1769 were the Serrano, the Cahuilla, the Mojave, and the Chemehuevi. Read more…
Petroglyphs abound in this area. Please be respectful of our past and don’t disrupt archeological sites and for goodness sake, please DON’T DRAW OVER THE EXISTING PETROGLYPS AND DON’T ADD YOUR OWN! Take only pictures and leave only footsteps.
In Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, the summers are sweltering, the winters are cold, and it is dry and mostly clear year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 35°F to 99°F and is rarely below 28°F or above 105°F. Dress in layers & take plenty of water.
In addition to layers, if you are going to places where you will be hiking over some steep rock, wear boots with good Vibram soles. They adhere to the rock face where tennis shoes don’t.
General Safety: Here is a good article about safety in Joshua Tree.
Rattlesnakes: There are several species of reptiles, to include rattlesnakes: Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, Mojave Desert Sidewinder, Colorado Desert Sidewinder, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, Red Diamond Rattlesnake, and Northern Mojave Rattlesnake. Read more here about what to do if you encounter a rattler.
Cougars (Mountain Lions): Yep, there are cougars in Joshua Tree NP and surrounding areas. Know what to do if you encounter a cougar.
Bears: Black Bears are occasional migrants through the Joshua Tree area. They are uncommon. However, you should know what to do if you do encounter a bear.
Animals of the Area: There are plenty of animals in the park and surrounding area: With over 1,200 square miles (3,108 km) of land and elevations ranging from 536 feet (163 m) to 5,814 feet (1,773 m), Joshua Tree encompasses a variety of habitats: oases, sand dunes, valleys, and mountains. These habitats host a wide variety of wildlife including 350 vertebrate species. Many of these species have specialized desert adaptations to help them thrive in a hot and dry climate.
Black Widows and Scorpions: Yes, they are there. They include the Giant Hairy Scorpion, which can get up to nearly six inches in length. Their sting has about the same effect as that of a wasp. The Black Widow is a bit more venomous, but the bite is very rarely fatal. Here is a good article about Black Widow Spider Bites.
Desert Kit Fox: Yes, our last day out, right at the beginning of the trail, we saw a Desert Kit Fox. Check out the videos in the photos section. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, Despite their dainty appearance, desert kit foxes are hardy animals, well adapted for living in the hot, harsh desert habitat from which they never stray. This cat-sized kit fox subspecies has long, delicate ears to radiate heat (and for great hearing); a grayish coat for camouflage; a light, slim body and short legs for quick dashes after prey; and even fur on its paw pads, for traction in the desert sands and protection from their scalding surface. Desert kit foxes use water efficiently and don't drink much, getting most hydration from food they consume. They're primarily active during the cool night, lounging by day in burrow systems where they take refuge from hot and cold temperatures as well as from predators, including coyotes and golden eagles.
Note that after further review, the fox in the video might be a desert gray fox. Still, it was pretty cool.
The Gambel’s Quail: We saw several Gambel’s Quail on our last day, along with the Kit Fox. According to All About Birds The Gambel’s Quail is not the California Quail. The Gambel’s Quail “Lives in the hot deserts of the Southwest—the Sonoran, Mohave, and Chihuahuan—below about 5,500 feet elevation. Frequents mesquite thickets along river valleys and arroyos, shrublands and cactus, dry grasslands, and agricultural fields.” The California Quail lives “in chaparral, sagebrush, oak woodlands, and foothill forests of California and the Northwest. They’re quite tolerant of people and can be common in city parks, suburban gardens, and agricultural areas.”
Helpful? Not so much but check out All About Birds to get a better explanation of the differences between the two birds.
More about Animals, Insects and Arachnids
Plants of the Area: Here is a list of common plants in Joshua Tree and surrounding areas.
Joshua Tree: Did you know that the Joshua Tree is not really a tree? According to the National Wildlife Federation site: Joshua trees aren’t actually trees—they’re succulents, a type of plant that stores water. In their dry ecosystems, however, they are considered trees of the desert. Joshua trees were named for the biblical figure Joshua by 19th-century Mormon settlers who felt the outstretched tree limbs guided them along their westward journey. Joshua trees usually have a single trunk and grow three to nine feet (0.9 to 2.7 meters) tall before branching. Branches end in clusters of spiky leaves and white, rounded flowers. The trunk of the Joshua tree is usually one to three feet (0.3 to 0.9 meters) in diameter. Joshua trees can grow to between 20 and 70 feet (6 and 21 meters) in height, although they rarely exceed 40 feet (12 meters).
Wildflowers: Per the National Park Service: Wildflowers may begin blooming in the lower elevations of the Pinto Basin and along the park's south boundary in February and at higher elevations in March and April. Desert regions above 5,000 feet may have plants blooming as late as June.
Cacti: One of the most common plants in the desert is the cactus. Some are edible, some are not, and nearly all can bring blood if you run up against them..
Following is a list of resources I have found most helpful for planning a trip to St. George and the surrounding areas: