Joshua Tree National Park - The Best of a Half-Day
Joshua Tree is great because it can be a quick trip! I would recommend half a day if you are short on time, or a full day if you would like to explore more! Below are some of the highlights for maximizing your time during a half-day trip.
1) Start at the South Entrance
We went in the south entrance to avoid L.A. traffic. This is a very popular National Park because it can be a day trip/fun outing for families and the hikes are more like walks, and not too challenging.
2) Stop at the Pull-Offs & Explore
You can park and walk through paths which weave in and out of the trees and bushes. We really enjoyed this! It’s great for pictures as well. The more unusual the tree the better.
3) Play on the Rocks
There are some cool rock formations including a giant rock shaped like a skull. It’s a great place to climb around for a bit or have a snack on.
4) Enjoy the Desert Vegetation
I’m not a plant expert, so I can’t give you names for these unique plants, but I can say there is a lot of variety in the plant life.
5) Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Desert Wildlife
We only saw one lizard while hiking, and it was on the Hidden Valley hike! Keep an eye out because this one was pretty large and cool to see.
6) Hike the Hidden Valley Trail
This hike was nice because it was longer than some of the other walks we did. Plus, the signs along the way have interesting bits of history about what the Hidden Valley was used for! Again, this is the hike we saw the lizard on, so maybe you will get lucky and spot some wildlife.
In conclusion:
The trees and rock formations are very neat to see, however, I would not travel to this region just to see Joshua Tree National Park. I checked off this park because it was near Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Death Valley National Parks. But I do think I would have been a bit disappointed if this park was my main destination.
With that being said, the park has a lot of unique vegetation which is a treat to see.
For more National Park trip insights visit my National Park page!