Joshua Tree Travel Guide

Head out west to Joshua Tree, California, just north of Joshua Tree National Park. The small town has a population of just over 7,000 residents and is located in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. A popular vacation spot for any national park lover, you can’t miss out on a trip to Joshua Tree.

Things to Do in Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park, home to the famous Joshua Trees, is the town’s main drawcard. You can spend your days in the park wandering through the trails in the 800,000 acre large park, and be sure to try out the rock climbing available. Camping is also an option at Joshua Tree National Park, so be sure to check the specific instructions to find out where and how. The park is unique as the place where the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert meet, giving it a unique animal life, so be sure to bring a camera along. The town is home to many other sights and sounds when you’re done with the park, including the World Famous Crochet Museum and Joshua Tree Art Gallery.

Best Time to Visit Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree can get hot in the summer. The best times to visit are in the spring or the fall. Spring is perfect for cool weather and blooming flowers while Fall is also cool with stunning fall foliage.

A Local's Guide to Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals

Rugged mountains, desert plains and boulders are what makes up the landscape of Joshua Tree California. Nicknamed J-Tree by the locals, a Joshua Tree vacation is not one you are going to be forgetting in a hurry. The town is located where the high Mojave Desert meets the low Colorado Desert which has resulted in some rather strange desert flora -- the iconic Joshua Tree. Booking one of the many Joshua Tree vacation rentals will provide you with the perfect base to explore the landscape.

The desert landscape is characterized by these wild-limbed trees located in the Joshua Tree National Park. The park offers visitors stunning vistas and great hikes, with the two stunning deserts, creating contrasting landscapes. The Colorado is lower and often warmer, thriving at below 3,000 feet, and the Mojave is higher, wetter and much more vegetated, decorated by flowering ocotillo cactus.

The park offers plenty of outdoor adventures. People come from miles around for rock climbing at Echo Cove, with more than 8,000 climbs. There are many routes for first-timers and for those that are a little more advanced. Gear can be hired at Nomad Ventures, a long-standing local shop. The nature trail at Indian Cove is one of the best ways to take part in some Joshua tree hiking, and really see this plant in all its glory. The 0.6-mile path is surrounded by some incredible boulder formations, and offers a great chance to see some local wildlife. The Arch Rock Trail is another great path to explore the landscape, and will take you to the 30-foot tall Arch Rock, carved from thousands of years of whipping winds.

Keys View is the highest point in Joshua Tree where you will be treated to stunning 360 views of the surrounding desert land, all the way to Mexico. On a clear night, the sky is studded with millions of glistening stars, and is one of the best places for stargazing in Southern California.

Once you have had you fill exploring the vast desert, the town also offers a plethora of activities for both tourists and locals alike, many of which will be in walking distance from your vacation home. For a little nostalgia, head to Smith’s Ranch Drive-in. This is the real deal, where at sundown you can drive your car to the movies, tune into the FM radio station and enjoy the show. Wade through a variety of treasures at the Sky Village Outdoor Marketplace, home to the local weekend swap meet, or drop into one of the local eateries for a bite to eat. A unique attraction is the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum. The celebrated sculptor, Noah Purifoy, spent many years constructing his ten-acre museum space out of found materials. The sculptures may now be sun-scorched, but are still well worth a visit. The nearby town of Yacca Valley is also worth a day trip.

Getting a Joshua Tree vacation rental will allow you to come and relax in the beauty of two of California’s most beautiful deserts. Lot of rentals in Joshua Tree have pools or hot tubs, and some are pet-friendly, so your furry pal can enjoy the landscape with you.

Cabins in Joshua Tree

Located in the middle of both the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree California is a unique vacation destination, with a huge range of rental homes to chose from. In total, Joshua Tree covers 800,000 acres, and the incredible surrounding area is usually what brings people to the town. Joshua Tree National Park has miles of nature trails, and when darkness falls, the night sky boasts incredible star-gazing opportunities. Nearby Yucca Valley makes for a great day trip from your Joshua tree vacation rental, often known as the gateway to the national park.

Joshua Tree cabin rentals are popular and varied, many being fully equipped and pet-friendly. Some vacation homes even come with a hot tub, so you can relax after a long day of Joshua Tree hiking or rock climbing, with the warm desert air surrounding you.