If you are looking to explore places around Riverside, Joshua Tree National Park is just an hour away. Whether it be for a weekend camping trip or just a regular day trip, this park is worth exploring.
Campsites
This wonderful desert has many campsites and group campgrounds to choose from. One of my personal favorites is Sheep’s Pass as it is spacious and located in a beautiful part of the park. You can reserve a campsite for your tent for about $30 a night. If you decide to go camping, be wary of the weather. The wind gusts can get extremely high, especially at night, and the temperature drops considerably when the sun sets. So be sure to bring tent stakes, warm clothing and a proper sleeping bag. But even though it can get cold at night, don’t miss out on looking up at the stars to see the Milky Way. The park is known as an International Dark Sky Park and is ideal for stargazing as it does not have much light pollution. An amazing time to stargaze would be during the summer to witness wonderful meteor showers and beautiful shooting stars. Additionally, the park has stargazing areas to best observe our Milky Way Galaxy.
Getting Around
Make sure your car has enough gas to travel in the park. Joshua Tree National Park is enormous and getting from one side to another, or simply travelling to hiking trails, demands a lot of gas. There are no gas stations inside the park, which is something to keep in mind. Additionally, as it is a desert, bringing water, a hat and food is crucial. There are virtually no stores inside the park to buy water and food so it is best to come prepared. Bringing a paper map can be important as there is no signal in the park and it will be difficult to access a GPS. The best way to find a paper map is at the visitor’s center but you can also download a digital one ahead of time on the Joshua Tree National Park official website. The visitor’s center is an amazing source to get information on the park itself, its wildlife and the numerous hikes that the park offers.
Biking
One of my favorite activities to do in Joshua Tree is biking. You can use roads that vehicles follow but to avoid traffic, the best to follow are backcountry ones such as the Queen Valley Roads. Here you can start your biking excursions at Big Horn Pass or Barker Dam to see amazing sights throughout the park. But one important detail to remember is that dirt trails are only accessible on foot. If you decide to bike to a trail near Barker Dam or Big Horn Pass, however, there are bike racks that are available at the entrance of many hikes.
Joshua Tree landscapes are unlike any other. Hiking is one of the best ways to feel immersed in nature between enormous boulders and spiky Joshua trees.
If you feel like doing short and easy hikes, especially in the hot summer, here are some great ones to try:
Skull Rock is a fun and easy one for people of any skill level to participate in. During this 1.8 mile hike you can observe rock formations that resemble an actual skull and you are free to roam around the boulders and go at your own pace. You have the option of bouldering your way through the hike or simply following the trail.
Another easy hike option is the Hidden Valley Hike. This one mile hike offers gorgeous scenery in a small valley surrounded by boulders and cacti. It is a short and fairly flat hike that anyone of any age can enjoy.
Another beautiful hike is also the Barker Dam Hike. During this 1.1 mile hike, it is possible to observe petroglyphs carved in the boulders of the hike which have been present for 2000 years. During this hike, you will also pass by a river, in the right seasons which is a beautiful spot for a photo op.
If you are looking for some trails of medium difficulty, there is also a great selection that can be found throughout the park:
West Side Loop Trail takes about two-and-a-half to four hours to complete and is a classic but beautiful trail. This 4.7 mile hike takes you through cacti and is best done at sunrise or sunset to ensure a gorgeous view of the park.
Another amazing trail to try is Lost Horse Mine. This four mile hike takes about two to three hours to complete and takes its visitors into the past as it passes by abandoned gold mines that date back to the Gold Rush.
Finally, if you are looking for more difficult hikes and trails, here are a few:
Ryan Mountain is a three mile hike that takes approximately one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours to complete and it takes its visitors to the summit of Ryan Mountain. This is known as one of the best views of the park and despite its steep elevation, is one of the park’s most popular hikes.
Another amazing trail is the Lost Palms Oasis Trailhead. As long as 7.5 miles, it takes five to six hours to complete and takes its visitors to a beautiful oasis in the midst of tall palm trees and a small river. On top of this, the oasis is surrounded by mountains of boulders, which are a typical Joshua Tree attraction.
Finally, the Boy Scout Trail is eight miles long and takes six hours to complete. This hike takes you between the boulders and shows classic Joshua Tree landscapes that are unlike anything else.