Experiencing Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua trees are pretty awesome looking trees! Our daughters had visited this park two years ago and since we were in the area, we wanted to see this unique national park ourselves. Even though we visited during the Government Shutdown, the park was open but no entrance fees were collected. Turns out, the Joshua Tree Visitor Center was also open so we were able to get our National Park Passport stamped! The park didn’t have many visitors the two days we visited. Because of this, it was like having the entire park to ourselves!

The slow-growing Joshua tree, which graces much of the northern park’s desert ecosystem, is the most famous resident of the park. Named by Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-1800s, the tree’s unusual shape reminded them of the Bible story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer. Amid the boulder stacks in the park are pinyon pines, junipers, scrub oaks, Mojave yuccas and Mojave prickly pear cacti. The Joshua tree isn’t really a tree but a species of yucca. Like other desert plants, its waxy, spiny leaves expose little surface area, conserving moisture. Joshua trees can grow over 40 feet tall and are home to many animals and birds.

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Trails We Hiked

There are so many options for hiking in the park. You can decide whether or not you want to hike short or long trails. We chose to go on the shorter trails so we could explore more areas of the park.

South End Trails

• Bajada, a .25-mile loop. Walk on eroded sand and gravel and discover plants of the Colorado Desert on this easy accessible path at the base of the Eagle Mountains. This was just .5 miles from our boondocking site.
• Mastodon Peak Trail, a 3.5-mile loop. We did the optional rock scramble which takes you to the top of a craggy granite peak. The trail loops past an old gold mine. Elevation change is about 400 feet.
• Cholla Cactus Garden, a .25-mile loop. View thousands of densely concentrated, naturally growing cholla cacti.

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North End Trails

• Hidden Valley Trail, a 1-mile loop. Discover a rock valley that was once rumored to have been used by cattle rustlers.
• Skull Rock. Right off the main park road is a rock that looks like a skull.
• Arch Rock, a 1 mile-loop. Discover a natural rock arch just outside White Tank Campground.

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Boondocking Outside Joshua Tree National Park

Public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offer free dispersed camping south of Joshua Tree National Park. Camping is allowed except within 300 feet of main roadways. There are no developed facilities in dispersed camping areas: no restrooms, no water, no trash collection. Bring what you need and pack out all your trash. Campfires require a permit, available from BLM offices or online.

As it turns out, this area is easily accessible from I-10 Exit #168 Twentynine Palms which is also Cottonwood Springs Road. We drove 2 miles north to the park’s south border and unhooked our tow car so we could scout a place to park Destiny (our 35 ft. Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome). We drove both directions on Water District Road (the east/west road just south of the park’s border) to find the best spot. As a result, we decided to park the RV on the west side of Cottonwood Springs Road on the right about 300 feet in. The spot was low on the passenger side so we raised up the front wheel with blocks. The site had a little bit of sand as well, but nothing our RV would have a problem with.

We met a couple of neighbors during our 4-day stay. Sitrid and Willy from Germany were in a 5th wheel trailer and Jim and Eunice were from Fort Collins, CO. It is fun to hear their stories as RV Nomads! Beautiful sunsets greeted us every evening. It is dark out here, but the stars were awesome! You would think because it is only two miles from 1-10 that you would hear traffic noises. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case!

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We recommend this boondocking spot!

In conclusion, we would highly recommend this as a boondocking option for you if you would like to visit Joshua Tree National Park. You may have to scope around for a site, but you should be able to find one for any size RV. We also encountered some strong winds on two of our days here.

Finally, if you are in the area, a great place to check out is Chiriaco Summit (Exit 173). It is located just five miles west of the Twentynine Palms exit. Chiriaco Summit is a small unincorporated community and travel stop. Located there is a cafe, gas station, post office and the General Patton Memorial Museum. It was a fun little place to explore in the middle of the desert!