Location: Los Angeles
Day 1 - 1 Oct 2019
Joshua Tree National Park
Content: We started our road trip from Los Angeles airport we went on the I-10 and then onto CA-62 also known as the Twentynine Palms Highway to get to Joshua Tree.
Location: Twentynine Palms
Day 1 - 1 Oct 2019
29 Palms Inn
Content: 29 Palms Inn is slightly off the beaten path but mostly on the way to the Twentynine Palms park entrance. The property feels like a true oasis in the desert. Rooms start from $105 per night for cabins, $125 for adobe bungalows, and $150 for guest rooms.
Joshua Tree National Park
Content: There is an entrance fee which goes towards funding for the park. The entrance fee is $25 per vehicle and allows for a stay of seven days.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Day 1 - 1 Oct 2019
Barker Dam
Content: Barker Dam is a short hike from the road but it is well worth the small effort The hike itself is only a mile and a half which is done as a loop. The trail cuts through a canyon past huge boulders to Barker Dam.
Skull Rock
Content: Formed naturally by erosion, Skull Rock lives up to its name, looming over visitors. There isn’t much hiking to do in this area, but you can scramble over some of the rocks in the area for a different perspective on the landscape.
Split Rock Loop
Content: Split Rock is another popular rock to see, where a massive boulder has cracked through the passage of time. There’s a 1.9-mile loop trail through the surrounding countryside, which takes you past other monstrous boulders and Joshua trees.
Hall of Horrors
Content: Hall of Horrors is one of the main rock climbing spots in Joshua Tree, but there’s also a trail here if climbing’s not your style .The trail is only a 0.6-mile loop and it’s popular among birders because there are some beautiful flowers and other vegetation in the area that attract them.
Pappy & Harriett’s
Content: It’s a relic restaurant, harkening back to the days of cowboys and settlers on these arid desert plains; thankfully, you can still get modern fare like steak, ribs, and Tex-Mex here.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Day 2 - 2 Oct 2019
Jelly Donut
Content: Rising early to catch a sunrise in Cholla Cactus Garden we swinged by this old school bakery for a donut and huge coffee To make the 6:15 sunrise, we were up at 5:15 – and Jelly Donut opens at 4:00 am, so they beat the sun and us.
Cholla Cactus Garden
Content: Cholla Cactus Garden is absolutely worth waking up early for. If you visit at sunrise as we did, expect to see photographers set up carefully among the highly-prickly cacti waiting for the first rays of light to sparkle on the thorny spikes in every direction.
Arch Rock
Content: Located near White Tank campground, a short 0.3-mile hike winds through the massive rock formations to show you to beautiful Arch Rock. It’s easy to get turned around in this labyrinth of boulders, so look for signs explaining the geology to stay on the path.
Ryan Ranch
Content: Joshua Tree hasn’t always been protected land: at the end of the 19th century, miners set up here and operated one of the most profitable gold mines in the area. Today, you can visit the ruins of the old adobe house and mine, as well as a small cemetery. It’s a 0.8-1.2-mile trail across flat, sandy, unshaded land to reach the estate
29 Palms Inn
Content: We greatly enjoyed their mushroom appetizer, tacos, and cheese & pepper sandwich. But, their soups were absolutely amazing. The southwest garbanzo bean soup was incredibly flavorful; just off the charts good. Service was friendly and welcoming, and cozy setting was perfect.
Hidden Valley
Content: The 1-mile trail enters through a break in a massive formation of boulders to work its way around the interior of a massive ‘bowl’ of rocks. This is a great hike in the afternoon when the rocks provide respite from the sun at certain points in the hike.
Los Angeles
Content: Our road trip ended here and we went back to Los Angeles. Its was an amazing road trip.
Keys View
Content: Keys View doesn’t require any hiking and is accessible to visitors of all abilities. A drive up Keys View road takes you past massive juniper trees to the top of a ridge where you can look out across the whole of the Coachella Valley. This is a great spot to watch the sunset, obviously!
Pie for the People
Content: Pie for the People, a pizza counter with loads of seating – but never enough for the crowds who clamor for a slice or whole pie.But be prepared to wait up to an hour between the line and the time it takes to make your pizza.
The Ocotillo Patch
Content: Located on Pinto Basin Road within the park, this is one of the darker areas for stargazing. There is no trail or seating, so if you plan to stay for a while, be sure to bring your own camp chairs.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Day 3 - 3 Oct 2019
49 Palms Oasis trail
Content: It is an ambitious trail, the locals we met said it takes 2-3x longer than the signage suggests for a 3-mile hike, but it’s worth it to reach the palm-ringed oasis at the end.
Pioneertown
Content: In the afternoon, we made our way to Pioneertown. We saw the gun show – you can always peer into the storefronts and get a sense for the wild west days that inspired this TV and tourist destination.