Top things to do in Joshua Tree National Park

Hike Barker Dam Trail and photograph the trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its name

The Joshua Tree is a member of the agave family and grows within the Mojave Desert. These neat spiky trees grow in a number of different unique ways and are what the national park is named after. Since the heat within the park during summer months can be oppressive, the Barker Dam Trail provides a short 1.1-mile hike that goes past numerous Joshua Trees, past a historic dam, and past a rock art site. This is an easy trail that is accessible to almost anyone. On an especially hot day in the park, the shortness of this hike might be much more desirable than longer hikes in the park. It is especially amazing that you can take in views of the Joshua Trees and see ancient rock art all within a short hike of the parking lot.

Go see Skull Rock

One of the other neat sites you should see on your visit is Skull Rock. This large boulder is right off the main road, so you do not have to hike far to see it. The rock resembles a human skull and makes for some really interesting photographs. Since it is right off of the road, you might have to wait a little while to get photographs as there will likely be a lot of other visitors. There are also Elephant Rock and Face Rock in this area, so you can check out a few other interesting rock formations within the vicinity. This photographic location is worth adding to your itinerary when you visit Joshua Tree.

Visit Hall of Horrors

Hall of Horrors is another fun hike within the park. The trail leading up to Hall of Horrors is a fairly easy hike and worth the trek in and of itself. Hall of Horrors is a slot canyon of sorts that is made up of large boulders that sit close together, making the passageway between the boulders very narrow. This resembles a slot canyon and is a fun site to check out if you are not claustrophobic. If you are claustrophobic, you might want to skip going into the Hall of Horrors as it is a very tight squeeze in some places.

Hike the Hidden Valley Trail

This one-mile loop trail in the park is another short and scenic hike that is worth checking out on your visit. There are interpretive signs along the trail highlighting the animals and plants that reside in the park. This historic trail was also once used by cattle rustlers hiding from law enforcement after stealing heads of cattle. Since it is difficult to see into the Hidden Valley Basin, this made a great place to sequester stolen cattle. There are some stairs and rock steps along the trail, but otherwise, the trail is very straightforward and accessible to people of all hiking abilities. The large parking lot for this trail is also where I got to engage in some night photography while in the park.

Drive to Cholla Cactus Garden

One of the sites you should absolutely visit in Joshua Tree National Park is the Cholla Cactus Garden. This area is slightly faster to access from the southern entrance to the park. In this area, you can take a 0.25-mile hike that goes past thousands of beautiful teddy bear cholla cacti. The many spines on these cacti almost give them the appearance of being fuzzy especially as the sunlight catches in their spines. If you visit when the cacti are blooming, be mindful that they do attract bees. This is the only place I think I have ever visited that had a bee warning sign along the trail. Sunrise and sunset are supposed to be spectacular times to visit the Cholla Cactus Garden. This short hike should be on your itinerary for your visit to Joshua Tree.

Visit Arch Rock and Heart Rock via the Arch Rock Trailhead

Arch Rock can be visited by an approximately 1.4-mile loop hike from Arch Rock Trailhead. You can also add a little distance to the hike by hiking out to Heart Rock. This is a really fun trail that is accessible to almost any hiking ability. There are also a couple of fun squeezes between boulders as you work your way through the maze of boulders leading up to Arch Rock.

This trailhead can be accessed from either end of the park, so you could add it on to your visit to Cholla Cactus Garden, or wind up here after you visit Skull Rock from the northern entrance to the park. There is also the first-come first-served White Tank Campground near the trailhead if you are looking to camp within the park. For a short and fun hike, be sure to visit Arch Rock Trailhead while you are in the park.

Engage in night photography within the park

Due to its remote location away from major cities, Joshua Tree is a night photography hot spot and provides the opportunity for spectacular night photographs. You can park at one of the many trailhead parking lots and set up a tripod to try and capture photos of the Milky Way. When I was there, there were numerous photographers all trying to get decent images of the sky. This made for a fun experience where you could talk to others about what settings they were using to help you improve your night photography skills. I cannot promise you will end up with an epic photograph, but the remote location of the park definitely makes trying to hone your night photography skills worth doing on your visit to the park.

If you go to Joshua Tree National Park:

If you are visiting, I would recommend checking out hotels in Indio, California. This city provides access to both the north and south entrances to the park in about one hour. When I visited, I stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Indio. This was a great hotel to stay at, and I would recommend it for your visit. The hotel has a nice pool and hot tub for relaxing after a day of hiking. There is also breakfast available so you can fuel up for your visit to the park. You can read more about my recommendations for this hotel here. To check out guided tours and other tour options in the area, you can visit TripAdvisor’s Joshua Tree activities page here.