Best time to travel in Joshua Tree?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: February to April and October to November
Best avoided if possible: June to August (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Joshua Tree station, NOAA data (public domain).
Desert at an altitude of 900 to 1,600 m: scorching summers around 38°C, dry, sunny winters around 15°C during the day with frost at night, and barely 100 mm of rain a year, mostly in summer thunderstorms and winter showers. The best time to visit Joshua Tree is February, March, April, October and November, with temperatures reaching 37-39°C (July). By contrast, January, May, June, July, August, September and December are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for January, May, September and December: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in February · where to go in March · where to go in April · where to go in October · where to go in November.
At a glance
Why go to Joshua Tree?
Joshua Tree brings two deserts together in a single area of 3,200 km². To the west, above 900 metres, lies the cooler Mojave Desert, where the Joshua trees grow, giant yuccas with twisted branches that 19th-century Mormon pioneers, according to tradition, likened to the prophet raising his arms to the sky. To the east, lower and hotter, lies the Colorado Desert, an extension of the Sonoran, with its ocotillos, chollas and oasis palms. Between the two stand jumbles of monzogranite, rounded by erosion into boulders and stacks that seem to be balanced in place.
A national monument since 1936 and a national park since 1994, Joshua Tree is easy to explore along a paved road that links the west entrance to the north entrance, then heads south through the Colorado Desert. The trails are short, often under 3 km, and the rocks can be climbed freely: it is one of the world's great climbing areas, with thousands of routes. The park has no hotel, no restaurant and no drinking water inside, which keeps it wild just two and a half hours from Los Angeles.
Around the park, the towns of Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms form the High Desert, a region that has drawn artists, musicians and counterculture followers since the 1950s. You sleep in retro motels and wooden houses lost in the sand, catch concerts in Pioneertown, lie down for a sound bath under the dome of the Integratron, and end your stay in the hot springs of Desert Hot Springs or the pools of Palm Springs, less than an hour away. Certified for its night sky in 2017, the park shows off the Milky Way as soon as darkness falls.
Tourist map of Joshua Tree: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Joshua Tree.
- Hidden Valley
- Keys View
- Skull Rock
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- Ryan Mountain
- Pioneertown
How much does a trip to Joshua Tree cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Joshua Tree based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Cards are accepted everywhere, including at the park entrance. Prices are shown before tax, so add about 8 to 9% on purchases and a higher tax on hotel nights. A tip of 18 to 20% is expected in restaurants and for climbing guides. If your trip takes in other parks in the West, compare with the annual pass for non-residents, $250.
Safety in Joshua Tree: should you be worried?
The main risk at Joshua Tree is the heat: from May to September, over 38°C in the afternoon, and hikers die of dehydration here almost every year. Hike at dawn, carry at least four litres of water per person per day, and stay near the car during the hottest hours. There is no drinking water in the park. Among the granite boulder piles it is easy to get lost, even a few hundred metres from the road: note landmarks and follow the marked trails. The granite is rough, but falls while scrambling are frequent, so do not climb higher than you know how to get down. Chollas, rattlesnakes and scorpions mean you need to watch where you put your hands and feet. Summer storms cause flash floods in the washes. Phone signal is patchy. The nearest hospital is in Joshua Tree, and insurance covering medical care in the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Joshua Tree
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Hidden Valley
- Keys View
- Skull Rock
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- Barker Dam
- Ryan Mountain
- Arch Rock
- Pioneertown
What to book before you go to Joshua Tree →
🧭 Discover the Joshua Tree itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →Park Boulevard and the heart of the park
The main road crosses the park from the west entrance, at Joshua Tree, to the north entrance, at Twentynine Palms, for about 40 km, through the finest Joshua tree forests. It serves most of the well-known sites: Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Keys View via a dead-end road, Ryan Mountain, Skull Rock and the Jumbo Rocks campground. You can drive it in half a day with the main stops, or spend three days there linking up the trails. It is also the busiest area, with full car parks at weekends in spring.
Wonderland of Rocks and the climbing areas
North of Park Boulevard, a 30 km² labyrinth of granite domes and boulder piles, with no road or trail across most of it, explored by climbers and experienced hikers from Hidden Valley, Barker Dam or Indian Cove. The cliffs of Intersection Rock and Hidden Valley hold the classic routes, from easy climbs to hard cracks. Licensed guides offer half-day introductions. For hikers, the Willow Hole trail heads into the heart of the boulder field to a hidden oasis.
The Colorado Desert and Pinto Basin
South of the Pinto Basin Road junction, the road drops into a lower, hotter and almost empty desert. The Cholla Cactus Garden marks the transition, followed by the Ocotillo Patch, the vast plains of Pinto Basin and, at the end, the Cottonwood visitor centre, with a spring and palm trees. The Lost Palms Oasis trail, 12 km there and back, leads from Cottonwood to the largest palm grove in the park, at the bottom of a canyon. In spring, after a wet winter, this area is carpeted with wildflowers.
Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley and Pioneertown
The towns at the west entrance, along Route 62, hold most of the High Desert's cafés, galleries, junk shops and rentals. Joshua Tree, the village closest to the park, has kept a bohemian spirit, with its saloon, cafés and artists' studios. Yucca Valley, larger, has the supermarkets and chain hotels. Pioneertown, 20 minutes to the north-west, is a former 1946 film set where you can have dinner and listen to concerts at Pappy & Harriet's. The Integratron, in Landers, offers sound baths by reservation.
Twentynine Palms and the Oasis of Mara
The town at the north entrance, quieter and cheaper, is home to the park headquarters and the Oasis visitor centre, beside the Oasis of Mara, a grove of fan palms around which the Serrano and Chemehuevi peoples lived. An 800-metre path loops around it. Murals on local history decorate the façades in the town centre. The Fortynine Palms Oasis trail, 4.8 km there and back, starts north-west of town and leads to an isolated palm grove in a canyon of dark rock.
Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs
Less than an hour to the south-west, the Coachella Valley offers a different setting: Palm Springs, with its modernist architecture from the 1950s and 1960s, its pool hotels and restaurants, and the aerial tramway that climbs in rotating cars to 2,596 metres, among the pines of Mount San Jacinto. Desert Hot Springs, closer to the park, is built on natural hot springs, tapped by spa hotels where you can bathe in mineral water. Both make for a relaxing end to your stay after the trails.
How many days, and which itinerary in Joshua Tree?
Two days are enough for the main sights along Park Boulevard, Keys View at sunset, the Cholla Cactus Garden and a night of stargazing. Three or four days add Ryan Mountain, a hike to an oasis, an introduction to climbing and Pioneertown. Joshua Tree is often combined with Palm Springs, Los Angeles or a road trip to Las Vegas and Death Valley.
🗺️ Day-by-day Joshua Tree itinerary · 📓 Printable Joshua Tree travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The essentials (2 days)
Day 1: west entrance in the morning, Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Keys View, then Ryan Mountain in the late afternoon if the heat allows, and dinner in Joshua Tree. Day 2: Skull Rock and Jumbo Rocks at sunrise, Arch Rock at White Tank, the Cholla Cactus Garden, then out via Cottonwood towards Palm Springs, or back north for a concert in Pioneertown.
High Desert and the great outdoors (4 days)
The two days of the essentials, plus a morning of guided climbing at Hidden Valley, the Oasis of Mara and Fortynine Palms Oasis on the Twentynine Palms side, a sound bath at the Integratron, and an evening at the telescope under the park's dark sky. Stay in a house or a motel in Joshua Tree, and keep half a day for the galleries, junk shops and cafés along Route 62.
Los Angeles, Joshua Tree and Palm Springs (1 week)
Two nights in Los Angeles on arrival, then drive east to Joshua Tree for three nights in the park and the High Desert, with Pioneertown one evening. Then head down to Palm Springs for two nights, the Mount San Jacinto tramway, modernist architecture and the hot springs of Desert Hot Springs, before returning to Los Angeles, a two-hour drive away, for the flight home.
How to get to Joshua Tree and get around?
From Europe, several airlines fly non-stop to Los Angeles, in 11 hours 30 minutes to 12 hours. The village of Joshua Tree is 210 km (130 miles) from Los Angeles airport, a 2 hour 30 minute drive without traffic, much longer on Friday evenings. Palm Springs airport, 50 minutes away, is served by domestic flights from most major American cities.
A car is essential: no public transport serves the inside of the park, and the sites are spread along more than 100 km of road between the three entrances. Hire costs €40-80 a day in Los Angeles. A standard car is fine for all the paved roads; tracks such as Geology Tour Road require a high-clearance vehicle.
Entry costs $30 per vehicle, about €26, valid for 7 days, or $15 per person on foot or by bike. Joshua Tree is not one of the eleven parks that apply the $100 surcharge for non-residents, and it does not require a timed reservation. The America the Beautiful pass is accepted. The park is open day and night, all year round.
Fill up with fuel, water and supplies before going in: there is no petrol station, restaurant or drinking water in the park. Phone coverage is very limited, so download the maps and the national parks app before you arrive. Las Vegas is a 3 hour 30 minute drive away via the north entrance, and Death Valley about 4 hours.
Where to stay in Joshua Tree?
There is no hotel in the park. You sleep in the three towns along Route 62: Joshua Tree, the closest to the west entrance, Yucca Valley, 15 minutes away, and Twentynine Palms, next to the north entrance. Expect €100-200 a night in a motel or small hotel, and considerably more at weekends in spring.
The High Desert is known for its retro motels revamped by designers, its cabins and its wooden houses isolated in the desert, often with a hot tub and a view of the stars. They are booked well in advance for weekends in March and April.
Twentynine Palms has the lowest prices, with newer chain hotels and simple motels, as well as the historic 29 Palms Inn, adobe cabins around the oasis. Pioneertown and Landers offer more isolated places to stay, for anyone seeking absolute silence.
The park's nine campgrounds, including Jumbo Rocks, Indian Cove and White Tank, can mostly be booked on recreation.gov and are full from February to May. For a more comfortable stay, the hotels of Palm Springs and the spas of Desert Hot Springs are less than an hour away.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Joshua Tree?
The village of Joshua Tree has most of the cafés and relaxed restaurants: hearty breakfasts, vegetarian bowls, burgers, tacos and homemade pies, from $12 to $25 a dish. Several cafés open at 7am for climbers and hikers who set off early.
Pappy & Harriet's, in Pioneertown, is the best-known address in the region: wood-fired barbecue, ribs and steaks, from $20 to $40, served before the concerts. Book or arrive early, as concert nights sell out.
Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms have the supermarkets for stocking up on picnics and filling the cool box, essential since the park has nowhere to eat. Allow a full day's food and at least four litres of water per person.
For a more refined dinner, a few tables along Route 62 serve cooking based on Californian produce, and Palm Springs, less than an hour away, offers every style, from poolside brunch to modernist restaurants. A tip of 18 to 20% is expected everywhere.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Joshua Tree lends itself to a nature-focused, active and relaxing trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with friends or even with family, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find classic hotels, boutique hotels and back-to-nature camping.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Joshua Tree eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Joshua Tree
How much does it cost to enter Joshua Tree National Park?
$30 per vehicle, about €26, valid for 7 days for all occupants, $25 per motorbike, or $15 per person on foot or by bike. Joshua Tree is not one of the eleven parks that have applied the $100 surcharge for non-resident visitors since 2026. No reservation is needed to enter.
When is the best time to visit Joshua Tree?
From February to April, with 20 to 27°C during the day and wildflowers after a wet winter, and from October to November. Spring is also the busiest period, especially at weekends. Summer exceeds 38°C and limits hiking to dawn. Winter is mild by day but nights often drop below freezing, with occasional snow on the Joshua trees.
How many days do you need in Joshua Tree?
Two days let you see the main sights along Park Boulevard, Keys View, the Cholla Cactus Garden and the starry sky. Three or four days add Ryan Mountain, a hike to an oasis, climbing and Pioneertown. A day trip from Palm Springs is possible but too short to enjoy the evening light and the stars.
Can you visit Joshua Tree as a day trip from Los Angeles?
It is possible but tiring: 2 hours 30 minutes' drive there, often more on the way back because of traffic, for a few hours in the park. A night nearby, in Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms, lets you see the sunset, the stars and the sunrise, the best moments in the park.
Where is the best stargazing in Joshua Tree?
Anywhere in the park, which is certified for the quality of its night sky and open day and night. The eastern areas, around the Cholla Cactus Garden, Arch Rock and Pinto Basin, are the darkest, far from the lights of the Coachella Valley. Come on a moonless night, let your eyes adjust for twenty minutes and use a red torch.
Do you need to be a climber to enjoy the park?
No. The trails are short and easy, and the lowest boulders can be scrambled up as a family without any gear. Roped climbing, however, requires experience and equipment: licensed guides offer half-day introductions at Hidden Valley and Indian Cove. Never climb a rock unless you are sure you can get back down.
Is Joshua Tree good for kids?
Yes, it is one of the easiest parks with children: Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Skull Rock and Arch Rock are loops of less than 3 km, and the rounded rocks make a huge playground. Keep an eye on them near the chollas and the drops, and bring plenty of water, as there is none in the park.
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