Joshua Tree & What It’s Like To Camp In The Desert
We left the desert of Tucson on January 1st, 2021, for sunny San Diego. After a bit of relaxing on the beaches and tiring ourselves out on local hikes, we took a road trip back to the desert and checked another National Park off the list!
Joshua Tree National Park is located where the Mojave and Colorado deserts converge, resulting in some strange plant and animal life, including its namesake- the Joshua Tree. This spiky tree looks like a palm and cactus marriage but is, instead, in the same family as Yucca.
We were excited to explore all the park had to offer but would need to stay overnight to get our times worth. It was supposed to be warm, so we looked into camping. Due to the Covid19 Pandemic, the national park and the BLM campsites nearby were closed. So we found a cheap Airbnb campsite, where we would have acres of land to ourselves. It turned out to be quite the experience.
Joshua Tree NP – Day 1
We took off the Friday before MLK weekend and headed to Joshua Tree National Park. It is worth mentioning that none of the gas stations we passed on the three-hour drive allowed customers to use the restrooms. If you make this drive, be prepared to look for places to pull over…
When we arrived there was a short line of 5 cars, and we worried the park might be packed. It ended up being pretty empty. Going on a weekday was a great choice!
Maze Loop
First up, we hiked the Maze Loop. We had read good reviews about this loop and thought that we would stumble upon some good rock scrambling. We realized later any who did some scrambling did so by going off the path and making their own trail up and over boulder stacks. We were a bit disappointed in how easy this walk was. But, we did enjoy the Joshua trees and odd rock formations up close, on an open trail.
Skull Rock
Next, we drove the length of Park Boulevard to get to our next hike. On the way, we stopped off at Skull Rock. This attraction was very accessible, right off the road, and really did look like a skull!
Forty-nine Palms Oasis
As we drove toward the park’s exit, the Joshua Trees reduced in number, and the landscape became more barren. We exited at the North Entrance and found our way to the trailhead for Forty-Nine Palms Oasis, on the park’s northern edge. The trail is still part of the NP, but it was odd to drive through a town to get to this trailhead.
There are many signs in the parking lot about carrying plenty of water and being wary of heat exhaustion. We didn’t think the hike was too tricky, as it is only 3 miles in total, but we could imagine that it could be brutal in the summer.
The whole 1.5-mile walk through the mostly barren, hilly desert, we could see the tops of some palm trees, signally where we were headed. Eventually, we arrived at the grove of palms that are fed by a small spring. We were in awe by such a wonder in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, we both thought oases that looked like this were made up for cartoons! Turns out they are spectacular and very real.
The hike back to the car was a bit more strenuous, as it was mostly uphill. We were grateful for the comfortable January weather.
Camping in the Desert
While we finished in the park for the day, our adventure was far from over. We followed our Airbnb host’s directions to get to her land in the middle of the desert. We left early enough to navigate the dirt road and set up our tent before the sun started to go down. We were initially quite skeptical of the plot of land and even thought about going home. The directions said we could drive around the grounds and find a place to camp, but there was no indication of where her land ended, and the neighbors began. We didn’t want to wake up to anyone accusing us of trespassing…
However, right next to the dirt road was a fire ring, so it was evident people had stayed here before, and the GPS coordinates matched up. We apprehensively (Andrew surprisingly more so than Erica) set up our tent and got ready to make dinner.
As we finished assembling our home in the Mojave Desert, the sunset began to paint the sky. The beauty eased our anxiety, and we were finally able to relax.
While we ate dinner and waited for the stars to come out, we tried not to step on a very brazen local kangaroo rat (!!!) who was after our crumbs. When the moon finally set, there were tons of stars!
As we tried to sleep, we heard the packs of coyotes howling in the (too near) distance as we tried to convince ourselves we weren’t scared. We survived the night without so much as a visit from our kangaroo rat and got a good few hours in after the sun came up.
While primitive camping isn’t for everyone, for us, it feels great to get back to nature in a different way. We enjoy being exposed to the elements and having to adjust to not having running water. There is also something so peaceful about watching a fire crackle.
Joshua Tree NP – Day 2
After a lazy morning, we packed up and headed back to the National Park. This time the line at the entrance was much longer, maybe 30 cars long, at around 9am. Thankfully the great park rangers let people who already had passes through, so we got ahead of a few people. It was immediately apparent that Saturday was going to be much busier than the previous day.
Ryan Mountain
First, we went to the most popular hike in the park- Ryan Mountain. It was a decently steep 1.5-mile hike to the top. On the way, we enjoyed pausing every once in a while to scope out the rock climbers on the nearby Oyster Rock. It was good to get a bit sweaty, but we were glad we remembered to wear pants. Seriously though, we saw a girl wearing a thong bikini…
Random Pile of Rocks
Close to the West Entrance of the park is a massive pile of boulders. We couldn’t believe we had hiked so much without doing any scrambling. So on the way out for the day, we climbed this pile of rocks. It was a bit sketchy in some parts, although Andrew still wished it was a bit tougher. It was a great last view of the funky rocks and endless Joshua Trees.
Tip- When we left the park, at around 2pm, the line to get in was well over a mile long. Andrew estimates that there were 300 cars in that line! Some people were turning around. Even with the park rangers waving people through and asking them to pay on the way out, the line extended for miles. We recommend that you either enter the West Entrance early or drive a bit further to the North Entrance to maximize your time in the park.