Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park spans San Bernardino and Riverside counties in Southern California, about 130 miles (209 km) east of Los Angeles. The drive takes 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes, typically via I-10 east to CA-62, and there is no public transit into the park, so a rental car or a guided tour from Los Angeles or Palm Springs is required. Tours cost about $150 to $250 per person. Park entry is $30 per vehicle for seven days, and the $80 annual national park pass suits frequent visitors; international visitors may face a surcharge, which should be checked on nps.gov. The park sits where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, producing a landscape of boulder piles, Joshua tree forests and wide desert vistas. Popular stops include the Hidden Valley loop trail, an easy walk among rock formations, Skull Rock, the viewpoint at Keys View overlooking the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault, and Cholla Cactus Garden. The park is also known for stargazing because its night skies are among the darkest in California. A workable one-day arc is to leave Los Angeles before dawn, enter at the West Entrance near the town of Joshua Tree around 9 am, hike Hidden Valley, visit Skull Rock and Keys View in the afternoon, and stay for sunset among the rocks. Those with energy can wait for dark and view stars before the long drive back. The best season is October to April, with spring wildflowers peaking in some years; summer temperatures can exceed 100F, so hiking should happen early. Services inside the park are minimal, so visitors need to carry ample water, snacks and a full tank of gas. Food and fuel stops are available in the town of Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms, and local cafes serve breakfast and sandwiches before the park entrance. Cell coverage is patchy, so offline maps are useful. Visitors should respect desert wildlife and stay on marked trails.