2 Days in Joshua Tree
We drove in from Joshua Tree after a few nights in Death Valley, which I think was the way to do it. We had gotten used to the heat of the desert, so 2 nights in Joshua Tree was a lovely change of climate! (Not by much, but still).
I loved our trip to Joshua Tree. It was different from what I was expecting which made it even more exciting and unique.
Day 1: Arrival Day
12PM: Arrive at Black Rock Campground and make some lunch while you settle in.
1PM: Drive through the West Entrance and around to Arch Rock. Leave some time here to explore the rocks and take pictures. They are super fun to climb around!
2PM: Drive to Hidden Valley for a snack break. Lots of shady picnic tables provided!
3PM: Visit the Cholla Cactus Garden and walk around the path through the cacti (takes about 30 minutes)
4:30PM: Check out Keys View. It is a stunning view regardless of what time you visit this spot, but I would imagine that at sunset it would be even better
5:30PM: Make dinner and chill at Black Rock Campground. We set up our camping chairs, got our blankets and relaxed while it got dark. The stars made me speechless!
Day 2: Full day in the park
9AM: Pack a lunch, and make pancakes for breakfast on your propane stove! Pack up your campsite and head out for the day.
10:30AM: Drive by Skull Rock for some cool pictures of the interesting formation.
11AM: Watch the climbers at Jumbo Rocks – or climb with them!
11:30AM: Visit Hall of Horrors, Intersection Rock and Barker Dam. Stop to each lunch at one of these locations!
4PM: We had to switch campsites since we unfortunately couldn’t book 2 nights in a row at any of the sites. We took this time to check out our new campsite – Indian Cove Campground.
6PM: We decided to drive in to the town of Joshua Tree and visit the JT Saloon for dinner. Awesome western vibes and the food was great! Be sure to walk around before dinner and visit the stores that surround the restaurant. Super hippy and cute so it was right up my alley!
Day 3: Last day!
We decided to head out to Palm Springs as soon as we woke up and ate breakfast, but there are so many more sites to see and experiences to be had in Joshua Tree. I’ll definitely be back!
TIPS
- Be prepared for the heat. Make sure you bring lots of sunscreen and continue to reapply it. There was a nice breeze going through the park while we were there which made it easy to forget about the burning sun!
- Bring lots of water, and drink it! There are tons of bathrooms (out house sort of things) around the entire park, so there is really no excuse to not drink lots of water.
- If you’re driving, don’t forget to fill up your vehicle with gas before entering the park!
- Be prepared to pay the park entrance fee.
- Bring lots of salty snacks!
