Things to do in Joshua Tree: boulders, cactus gardens, night skies

The best things to do in Joshua Tree come in three kinds: short walks among giant boulders, a few big viewpoints, and a night sky that is the real reason many people stay. The Joshua Tree National Park guide covers fees and entrances. On a bigger trip to the USA, the park is usually a day or two from Los Angeles or Palm Springs.

The park is open 24 hours a day, but it has no hotels, restaurants, gas stations or water in its interior, according to the National Park Service, and cell reception is limited. That shapes the plan more than any trail does, so read the supplies section before you drive in.

If you only have one day, link four stops on the main park road. Start with a boulder walk near the West entrance, drive up to Keys View for the long view, stop at Cholla Cactus Garden when the light is low, and finish with sunset among the rocks. That route fits a long day without long hikes.

If you have two days, keep the same stops but slow down, and add a longer hike and a palm oasis. Our Joshua Tree in 2 days plan puts them in order by entrance and by time of day. For when to come, read the best time to visit Joshua Tree first, because the heat and the crowds change the choice of hikes.

Most visitors arrive by car from Los Angeles, about 2 to 3 hours without traffic, or from Palm Springs, about an hour. You need your own vehicle, because there is no public transport inside the park and the sights are spread out.

The boulder stacks are what most people picture. Three short walks near the West entrance show them off, and none needs more than an hour. Hidden Valley is a loop of about a mile around a rock-ringed basin. Barker Dam is a longer loop of about a mile and a third to a small reservoir, which often holds water after rain and draws birds. Skull Rock is a short roadside walk to a boulder with two hollows that look like eye sockets.

Go early. These parking areas fill on weekends, holidays and in spring, which the NPS lists as the busiest times. Stay on the marked trails, because the desert soil and plants take years to recover from footprints. Do not climb on or pick at Joshua trees, which are slow-growing and easily damaged.

If you want something stronger, Ryan Mountain is a short but steep climb of about 3 miles round trip to a summit with a wide view across the valley. Start at sunrise in warm weather, and carry more water than you expect to drink.

Keys View is the best single viewpoint. A short paved spur leads to a lookout above the Coachella Valley, with Palm Springs in the distance, the Salton Sea on clear days and the San Andreas Fault below. It is one of the few places in the park where you can see how the land drops from high desert to low desert.

That drop is the park's main idea. The higher western side is the Mojave Desert, where the Joshua trees grow. The lower eastern and southern side is the Colorado Desert, with creosote, ocotillo and cholla cactus. Drive from one to the other along the park road and you can watch the plants change, which makes the two-entrance route in our itinerary worth doing.

Bring a jacket even in warm months, because the lookout can be windy. The NPS warns that conditions can swing from blistering heat to freezing cold and gale-force wind, so check the forecast before you drive up.

Cholla Cactus Garden is a short loop through a dense stand of teddy bear cholla, a cactus whose spines look soft in low light. Visit at sunrise or sunset, when the light turns the spines gold. Keep to the path, and do not touch the plants, because pieces break off and stick to skin and clothing.

The park also has fan palm oases where underground water reaches the surface. Fortynine Palms is a 3-mile round trip hike from the North side, and Lost Palms Oasis is a longer walk of about 7 miles round trip from the Cottonwood area in the south. Both are exposed and hot in summer, so plan them for the cooler months or an early start.

Pioneer-era ruins and old mines sit off dirt roads, but many need high-clearance vehicles and extra planning. Ask at a visitor center for current road conditions before you leave the pavement.

Joshua Tree is an International Dark Sky Park, and on a moonless night you can see the Milky Way from the parking lots. Bring warm layers, a red-light flashlight and a flat spot to sit. Good places include the high parking areas away from the towns, such as around Keys View or the Jumbo Rocks area. Check the moon phase before you plan a night out.

The park is also one of the best-known rock climbing areas in the United States, with thousands of routes on the granite. If you climb, bring your own gear, check current NPS rules and consider a local guide for your first day. If you do not, watching climbers near the boulder trails is free entertainment.

Camping lets you stay for sunrise and the night sky. Check the NPS campground pages for which sites take reservations and which are first come, first served, because they fill quickly in spring. If you do not camp, stay in a gateway town and drive in before dawn.

With two hours, drive to Hidden Valley and walk the loop, then stop at Skull Rock on the way out. That gives you the boulders and the Joshua trees without a long drive. It works as a quick stop between Los Angeles and Palm Springs or Las Vegas, if you use the West entrance and leave the same way.

With half a day, add Barker Dam and Keys View. Start in the morning, because the lookout and the walks are more pleasant before the midday heat in warm months. Eat lunch in a gateway town before or after, since nothing inside the park sells food.

With a full day, link the west side and the east side. Spend the morning on the boulder walks, the middle of the day on Keys View and a rest, and the evening at Cholla Cactus Garden or among the rocks at sunset. Stay for the first hour of darkness to see the stars appear, then drive out slowly, watching for wildlife on the road.

Entry costs $30 per vehicle for 7 days, or $15 per person on foot or bike for visitors 16 and over. Passes should be printed or saved on your phone before you arrive because reception is limited. Non-US visitors pay the same, as Joshua Tree is not one of the parks with the $100 surcharge.

Check the Joshua Tree fees page and the NPS list of nonresident fee parks before you go. For the 11 parks that do charge it, see our guide to the $100 national parks fee.

Pack water, food, fuel, sun protection, a hat and layers. Download an offline map before you drive in. Visitors who arrive on an ESTA should also carry medical cover, because help is far away and the nearest hospital is in a town, not the park.

For a bed, the gateway towns of Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley have motels and rentals, and Greater Palm Springs has more hotels an hour away. If you want to pair the park with another desert, Death Valley is a long day's drive north, and Los Angeles is the usual start.