Joshua Tree is an enchanting desert escape within easy driving distance from most SoCal cities. The contrast of desert and mountain, sand and stone can be invigorating and intoxicating. This is why it is an absolute must to hike and rock climb in this arid desert playground. If you’re looking for the best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park, look no further, I’ve got you covered!
But first, a little back story about the parks history.
Joshua Tree National Park gained its status as a national park in 1994. It’s 800,000 acres and showcases wildlife that thrives in sweltering temperatures. Inside the park you’ll also find robust historical structures including an old gold ore mine, rustic artifacts, and archeological sites.
On a similar note, this park’s terrain is extremely unique as its sits on the borderline of two deserts. Home to the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert, Joshua Tree National Park is a giant dessert crossroad.
Below you’ll find the best hikes in Joshua Tree listed in ascending order from easy to moderate and difficult.
Feel free to jump ahead!
When’s the best time to go hiking in Joshua Tree?
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Even though California is the sunshine state and has been crowned the queen of “visit whenever you want”, national parks are a different story. Since Joshua Tree is home to two desert terrains, expect desert extremes when visiting — scorching hot summers and cold winter nights. It even dips below freezing on occasion.
In fact, the National Park System doesn’t recommend hiking some parts of Joshua Tree during summer due to the heat. Thus, the best advice is to skip summer and visit anytime between late fall till spring.
From late September till May you’ll experience better weather and possibly less crowds. During spring you may even catch some gorgeous wildflowers in bloom too.
How much does it cost to hike in Joshua Tree?
When it comes to pricing, the best bang for your buck is the America the Beautiful (annual pass). It’s $80 and gets you into any national park and federal recreational lands. I highly recommend this pass if you’re planning to visit several times throughout the year. Or, if you plan on visiting its neighboring California parks such as Death Valley, Yosemite, or the Sequoias.
However if you’re only interested in visiting Joshua Tree, here’s some other passes to consider:
| Joshua Tree Annual Pass | $55 |
| 7-Day Car Pass | $30 |
| 7-Day Motorcycle Pass | $25 |
| 7-Day Individual Pass (hiker, biker, etc.) | $15 |
All of passes can be purchased at the gate or online.
Cholla Cactus Garden
- Distance: 0.25 mile loop
- Elevation gain: 10 feet
- Difficulty: very easy
- Time: 30 minutes
If you enter the park from the Southern Entrance, this quick jaunt is one of the highlights. Visitors are able to park and walk this short trail through a field of thousands of cholla cactus. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is fascinating to see.
On this hike, it’s super important to wear close toed shoes and stay on the path. The cactus are known for graciously bestowing spiky surprises!
Besides, it’s always best to stay on the trail to reduce the impact on the ecosystem. Don’t forget, the desert is fragile, so treat this short yet awesome hike with respect by staying on the trail.
How to get there: Enter from the Southern Entrance of the park. Drive north toward the Cottonwood Visitors and continue along the road for another 20 miles until you reach the parking lot. From the North and Western Entrance- drive along the main road until you pass the Jumbo Rocks area, then continue south on the Pinto Basin Road. Continue past the junction for 10 miles until you reach the parking lot.
Wall Street Mill
- Distance: 1 mile out and back
- Elevation gain: 114 feet
- Difficulty: very easy
- Time: about 45 minutes
One thing I love about national parks are the historical components of the park. Whether we’re visiting Yosemite National Park or traveling to overseas to see Cape Greco — we love understanding the historical significance of the land. For history lovers, Wall Street Mill is one of best hikes in Joshua Tree to experience!
From 1933 -1966, Bill Keys (a miner and rancher) operated a mine in Joshua Tree that refined gold ore. The mine was called Wall Street Mine. Miners would generously fill carts up with ore and carry them up the hill. Here the ore was crushed, then cleaned with mercury and water to create the shiny gold we see today.
Along the path you’ll still find various ruminants from the Wall Street Mine and Wonderland Ranch. There’s an old windmill and rusty automobiles set amongst the desert terrain of Joshua Tree — giant boulders, Joshua Trees and other cacti.
This mine is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places, so don’t take any artifacts from here. Also be mindful of exploring older buildings due to safety and heed the signs saying don’t enter.
Keep in mind this is another exposed trail, so pack accordingly and avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day.
How to get there: The parking lot is located right off Park Boulevard at Wall Street Mine Parking Area. To reach the mill, hike along the trail for about 0.7 miles passing the old artifacts and Desert Queen Well.
Jumbo Rocks Trail Loop
- Distance: 1.6 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 88 feet
- Difficulty: easy
- Time: 50 minutes or more
Located at Jumbo Rocks Campground (one of the best campground in the park), this loop tours the grounds with various routes to go off trail and is a fork for other hiking trails in Joshua Tree such as Skull Rock Nature Trail. Along the path you’ll find all the famous rocks formations — Skull Rock, Split Rock, Jumbo Rock and Face Rock.
Stay alert as you’ll likely find other interesting rock formations suitable for the whole family to scramble and climb across.
Besides if you’re planning to go bouldering in Joshua Tree, this is an excellent hike to add to your list of hikes to do in Joshua Tree because its central to other hiking trails. It’s 1.6 miles out and back, but can easily be extended if your climbing or want to hike elsewhere.
There’s not much shade along the trail, but you can find some shade under the giant boulders. So its best to do this hike early morning or during the evening.
How to get there: This trail is about 18 miles from the West Entrance of Joshua Tree National Park (also known as the main entrance) and is located off Hwy 62. It’s on the northeastern side of the park.
Barker Dam
- Distance: 1.1 mile loop
- Elevation gain: 50 feet
- Difficulty: easy
- Time: about 30 – 40 minutes
Another beautiful trail to hike in Joshua Tree is Barker Dam tucked away in the Wonderland of Rocks. While its rated as easy, expect to hike along some sandy and rocky terrain. It’s not comparable to bouldering and scrambling up rocks, but instead offers flat boulders to hike over. Some small boulders even have tiny steps on them.
Here you’ll find boulders of various sizes, lush vegetation, wildlife, cacti, birds, and other animals as you hike to the dam. Even though the water is dried up because of droughts in California, along the trail you’ll find some exhibits explaining the history of Barker Dam. It was built over a century ago by ranchers to preserve water while living in the desert.
However, they may be some water in the reservoir above Barkers Dam if you visit during spring or winter!
How to get there: Barker Dam is found along a turn off on Park Boulevard in the heart of the park. It’s very well-marked, so drive about 12 miles until you reach the Intersection Rock area. Once you see the Hidden Valley Campground sign, turn left and follow the path until you reach the trailhead. Parking for this trail is available at Barker Dam Trailhead and Echo T parking lot if the trailhead parking lot is full. Parking at the Echo T lot adds 0.6 miles to this hike.
Ryan Mountain
- Distance: 2.9 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 1,069 feet
- Difficulty: moderate to hard
- Time: 2 -3 hours
One of the most daunting hikes in the park is also one of the most rewarding — Ryan Mountain. During our hike, it was about 75 degrees with a stiff wind, so we knew it was a perfect day to climb the mountain. Offering some of the best views of the park, this 2.9 mile out and back trail to the top of Ryan Mountain is a must do hikes in Joshua Tree for nature-enthusiasts.
Starting from the trailhead, not too far from Hall of Horrors, make a slow but steady ascent to the top of the mountain. Flora and fauna teeter around the ascending steps as you climb the mountainside. This trail is exposed and uphill so be mindful when hiking!
In fact, during the summer this trail gets scorching out, so it’s advised by the National Park System to skip this hike. Otherwise make sure to pack plenty of water and sun protective gear (i.e. hat, sunglasses, sunscreen).
At the top of the mountain you’ll find sweeping vistas of San Gorgonio and San Jacinto mountain. A 360 degree view is bound to impress anybody as it showcases desert life at its finest.
Consider hiking during sunset or sunrise for rosy views of the valley!
How to get there: The best parking for Ryan Mountain is located between Ryan’s Campground and Sheep Pass. It’s about 2 miles going east from Park Boulevard. There you’ll find a giant parking area equipped with restrooms.
Fortynine Palms Oasis
- Distance: 3 mile out and back
- Elevation gain: 300 feet
- Difficulty: moderate to hard
- Time: 3 hours
This oasis hike is a hidden gem of Joshua Tree. Hidden in a remote section of the park, there are days this trail can be almost exclusively yours since it’s not accessible from the main roads. This hike isn’t a steep climb or a long trek. But it can be an overwhelmingly hot one, since you are hiking in the desert without a shade source until the end.
The final destination, however, is a breathtaking oasis!
In the midst of sand and heat is a tropical oasis of desert fan palms, grasses, and even rare flowers like orchids. This trail is well marked, so make sure to stay on the trail to protect the fragile oasis ecosystem.
How to get there: From Highway 62, head south on Canyon Road. This road ends inside the park and at the parking lot for the trailhead.
Other things to know about the best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park
Here are a couple other things to keep in mind when exploring the hiking trails in Joshua Tree.
- Because Joshua Tree is a desert with no tall trees, it’s one of the best places to go stargazing. Stargaze at your campsite or consider going on a night hike to bask in the starry bliss.
- Over-pack water when you visit the park. There’s signs that say “don’t die”, and while it may make you chuckle, heat stroke is a very real. Be mindful of your water intake, especially if you’re visiting during a hotter season.
- You’ll also want to over-pack on snacks. Bring a cooler to store your fresh travel snacks and water inside. Additionally toss some dried snacks (i.e. trail mix, protein bars) into another bag. Here’s my go-to plant based snacks for traveling.
- Service dogs are welcomed, but only one paved roads to help protect the ecosystem.
- Biking is allowed too, but again… stay on the paved roads.
- There are eight camp grounds located in the park and Jumbo Rocks Campground is the most popular. Cottonwood and Black Rock are other popular campgrounds as they each have running water and toilets that flush.
- Yes, you’re allowed to have a campfire but only at designated campsites. With that being said, there are no stores in the park that sell wood. The closest store is outside the park, so make sure to grab all your wood, and park essentials before you enter!
- Lastly after exploring the hiking trails in Joshua Tree, head over to Palms Springs, a popular wellness spot for some rest and rejuvenation. We found they have an abundance of vegan-friendly and gluten-free food options available in this city.
Have you been to this park before? What are your favorite hikes in Joshua Tree?
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