Yucca Valley, California

The Boy Scout trail connects the main part of the National Park to the outer rim campground, Indian Cove Campground. All backcountry overnight trips must be registered at a registration board (free, self-registration). Start this trip at the registration board located in either Indian Cove Campgr...

Park at the Hidden Valley Nature Trailhead. Instead of going into Hidden Valley, follow the obvious climber's trails to the Southwest for about 3/4 mile keeping the rocks of Hidden Valley on your right. The trail wraps around the outside edge of Hidden Valley, turning Northwest. After about 20 mi...

Turn off of Park Blvd near Intersection Rock (there will be signs for the turn) and follow the paved road for about a minute. There is a large parking lot with many picnic tables. The trail begins with a slight uphill of around 100 ft and continues through a opening between two large rocks. Af...

Joshua Tree National Park is known for its world class rock climbing, out of this world landscapes, and some of the darkest skies around. Having a base camp inside of the park is incredibly important as it's quite massive and I found that Hidden Valley Campground is strategically placed smack dab...

Park your car at the Echo Rock Parking Area.  The trail starts next to the outhouse and heads north.  As you walk through the sand, there is a large rock pile to your right, the top of that is your destination.  Continue walking until you've reached the far north end of the rock formation and the...

There are two Joshua Trees guarding the trail, which makes for a perfect photo op. There are some monzogranite rock formations (of which the park is famous for). Watch for bunnies and lizards! The trail is handicap accessible, so parents with young children in strollers or those in wheelchairs ca...

The Barker Damn trail is a 1.5 mile loop trail across flat terrain which makes it great for the whole family. The hike starts out from the Barker Dam parking lot which is shared with the Wall Street Mill trailhead. You can find the Barker Dam trailhead just to the left of the bathrooms. After ...

Hike along the easy Wall Street Mill Trail for about one mile and you will reach the mill - if you are into night photography, this is an amazing subject that will bring you back again and again, always capturing something different. Explore around off trail - there are tons of boulders to play a...

The Ryan Campground is but one of many beautiful campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. It is located just south of the Hidden Valley use area. There are 31 sites as well as a horse camp. This campground does not have water, but does have pit toilets.For weekend trips into Joshua Tree, it is o...

A trip to Joshua Tree is an adventure in itself, but if you plan so that you are shooting Joshua Tree under a full moon, you'll lose yourself in its beauty all over again. See the park's gorgeous, unique characteristics in a completely different light. Although there may seem to be infinite loca...

Just off highway 62 lies an easy 1/2 day hike with incredible views of the Morongo Valley. Though technically part of the park, the out-of-the-way-ness of the hike means you don't need to pay the $20 National Park fee. Parking is ample, and there's a pit toilet at the trailhead (beware of bees an...

If you're in Joshua Tree, this is a great spot for sunset. A short, maybe 1/2 mile hike to the old ranch from the parking lot. We stayed at Ryan Campground and just walked in from there, about the same distance. Make sure to bring your camera, especially if there are spotty clouds in the sky a...

One of the most prominent peaks in Joshua Tree National Park in Ryan Mountain. It's centrally located rising to a total of 5,456 feet above the valley floor. The trail to the peak is a moderate hike with a little over 1,000 feet elevation gain with panoramic views of Lost Horse Valley, Queen Vall...

Hike starts at the base of Ryan Mountain. The trail runs along side the mountain, offering great views overlooking Joshua Tree. Once you hit the summit, you'll get great panormaic views of the national park as the top of Ryan Mountain is at an elevation of 5457ft. The trail is open during all se...

Most automobile-bound visitors to Joshua Tree make their way to Keys View, and why wouldn't they? It has some of the best views in the park and with it, some of the biggest, loudest crowds. Most don't realize that a short hike away is even *better* views and, if you're lucky, solitude, on top of ...

To get to the trailhead, take Key's View Road from Park Blvd for around 2.5 miles and turn left onto a dirt road. The trailhead is at the end of this road. From here, you have the option to do the 6.1 mile loop or the 4 mile roundtrip out and back. This trail takes you through a beautiful desert ...