Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree protects over 1,200 square miles northeast of Palm Springs. The park contains a meeting of the higher Mojave Desert to the west and the lower Colorado Desert to the east. The result is a diverse mixture of vegetation that includes the park’s namesake tree. Withing the rocky landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park, you’ll find a variety of great hiking trails.

Highlights of Joshua Tree National Park

  • This 3-mile hike offers summit views from the center of Joshua Tree National Park.
  • The 3-mile hike visits a palm tree oasis in the desert on the north side of Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 1.5-mile loop visits a small foreign-looking reservoir within the Wonderland of Rocks in Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 5.5-mile hike summits a peak with impressive views over the west side of Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 1.55 to 2.15 hike visits a well-reserved gold mill, exploring the mining history of Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 2.1-mile hike travels past the ruins of Wonderland Ranch up a use trail into the Wonderland of Rocks in Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 7.2-mile hike visits an oasis nestled between mountains in the southeast corner of Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 0.25-mile loop offers a stroll through an intense concentration of cholla cacti in Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 1.3-mile lollipop loop visits a natural arch in the granite formations around White Tank Campground in Joshua Tree National Park.
  • This 1.2-mile hike leaves the crowds at Keys View for even grander views from a 5,550-foot summit with views over Joshua Tree National Park and the desert beyond.

Visit Joshua Tree National Park

Known for its mountains of boulders and and crazy-looking trees, Joshua Tree National Park is the most popular national park in Southern California. When conservationists first tried to protect the land in the 1930s, they proposed the name Desert Plants National Park, which doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. The Joshua trees seen around the park are a strange and beautiful addition to the desert landscapes.

Summer temperatures in Joshua Tree can reach the triple digits. The best time to visit the park is early spring and late fall. A spring visit has the added potential for wildflower viewing. On Thanksgiving weekend and New Years weekend (the Memorial Day and Labor Day of the desert), expect the park to be crowded and the campgrounds to be full. Most other weekends, visitors should not have a problem driving in and setting up camp at one of the park’s 500 sites. Joshua Tree empties on weekdays to offer a great feeling of seclusion. Joshua Tree is the closest national park to Los Angeles. The roughly two and a half hour drive makes for an easy weekend getaway.

What are the best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park?

If you are you visiting Joshua Tree for the first time and looking for Joshua Tree hiking tips like which trails are essential to visit, check out or Visitor Recommendations page, intended to help find the best hikes in the park for you!

Joshua Tree National Park Hiking

This collection of trails in Joshua Tree National Park, California lists the hikes from north to south and west to east. The table can be sorted alphabetically or by distance to help you plan a trip to Joshua Tree National Park. Each trail links to its own report complete with directions, photos, GPS maps, elevation profiles, and everything else needed to explore each hike. You can also view hikes around Joshua Tree National Park on the Hike Finder Map.

Trail
Description
Distance
Location
49 Palms Oasis560Fortynine Palms Oasis
The out and back hike visits a palm tree oasis in the desert on the north side of Joshua Tree.
3 miles
350 feet
34.1193,
-116.1120
Indian Cove Joshua Tree570Indian Cove
The 101-site campground is home to a 0.6-mile interpretive trail and endless bouldering and rock climbing opportunities.
0.6 - 2 miles (or more)
25 feet
34.09488,
-116.1685
Contact Mine Joshua Tree580Contact Mine
This out and back hike travels up a wash, a canyon, and an old road to a mountainside mine site.
3.9 miles
700 feet
34.0723,
-116.0327
high view nature trail587High View Nature Trail
This loop climbs a ridge on the west side of the park that offers views of San Gorgonio Mountain and Yucca Valley, along with an introduction to desert plants.
1.35 miles
325 feet
34.076169,
-116.399369
Warren Peak Joshua Tree590Warren Peak
This out and back hike summits a peak with impressive views over the west side of Joshua Tree.
5.5 miles
1,000 feet
34.07155,
-116.3909
Desert Queen Mine Joshua Tree600Desert Queen Mine
This out and back hike follows a level desert trail to an overlook before crossing a canyon to visits the ruins of an old gold mine.
1.6 miles
150 feet
34.0236,
-116.0776
Lucky Boy Vista Joshua Tree610Lucky Boy Vista
This level out and back hike visits a modest overlook at the site of an old mine.
2.5 miles
125 feet
34.01795,
-116.0824
Wall Street Mill Joshua Tree620Wall Street Mill
This level out and back hike visits a well-reserved gold mill, exploring the mining history of Joshua Tree National Park.
1.55 - 2.15
115 feet
34.0251,
-116.1419
Wonderland Wash Joshua Tree630Wonderland Wash
This level out and back hike travels past the ruins of Wonderland Ranch up a use trail into the Wonderland of Rocks.
2.1 miles (or more)
75 feet
34.0251,
-116.1419
Barker Dam Joshua Tree640Barker Dam
This level loop visits a small foreign-looking reservoir within the Wonderland of Rocks.
1.5 miles
50 feet
34.0251,
-116.1420
Hidden Valley Joshua Tree650Hidden Valley
This loop circles the interior of a small valley surrounded by tall rocks that serves as an excellent bouldering arena.
1 mile (or more)
75 feet
34.01237,
-116.1680
Ryan Mountain Joshua Tree660Ryan Mountain
This out and back hike offers summit views from the center of Joshua Tree National Park.
3 miles
1,050 feet
34.00257,
-116.13594
Ryan Ranch Joshua Tree670Ryan Ranch
This out and back hike from Ryan Campground or Park Boulevard visits the ruins of an old adobe homestead beneath Ryan Mountain.
0.8 - 1.2 miles (or more)
85 feet
33.988821,
-116.153846
Lost Horse Mine Joshua Tree680Lost Horse Mine
This out and back hike visits a well-preserved mine and mill.
4 miles
400 feet
33.9507,
-116.15982
Inspiration Peak Joshua Tree690Keys View to Inspiration Peak
This out and back hike leaves the crowds at Keys View for even grander views from a 5,550-foot summit.
1.2 miles
425 feet
33.9272,
-116.18745
Crown Prince Lookout Joshua Tree700Crown Prince Lookout
This easy out and back hike crosses a desert plateau to a pair of overlook near the site of an World War II era observation post.
3.25 miles
50 feet
33.991885,
-116.067908
Arch Rock Joshua Tree710Arch Rock
This lollipop loop visits a natural arch in the granite formations around White Tank Campground.
1.3 miles
100 feet
33.9899,
-116.02275
Cholla Cactus Garden Joshua Tree720Cholla Cactus Garden
This loop offers a stroll through an intense concentration of cholla cacti.
0.25 miles
0.1 miles
33.9253,
-115.9289
Mastodon Peak Joshua Tree730Mastodon Peak
This loop visits a 3,400-foot summit with panoramic views of southeastern Joshua Tree.
2.6 miles
440 feet
33.7370,
-115.8107
Joshua Tree Lost Palms Oasis740Lost Palms Oasis
This out and back hike visits an oasis nestled between mountains in the southeast corner of the park.
7.2 miles
400 feet
33.7370,
-115.8107
Bajada Trail Joshua Tree750Bajada Trail
This level nature trail loop explores the plants living on a desert bajada.
0.3 miles
5 feet
33.681238,
-115.801784
View California Desert trails and campgrounds in a larger map
Or explore hikes around Joshua Tree National Park on the Hike Finder Map

Are you looking for other places to explore around Joshua Tree? The California desert has more great parks to visit, like:

hikespeak
High View Nature Trail Joshua Tree National Park Hike Black Rock Canyon Hi-View Trail
While many national park nature trails are short, level, and informative, High View Nature Trail offers a bit more for hikers, 325 feet of elevation gain on a 1 1/3-mile loop. The trail ascends a desert ridge with views over Yucca Valley and toward Southern California's tallest peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, in the mountains to the west. The loop starts near Black Rock Campground on the west... Read more.
OK! Add to trails I’ve hiked
OK! Add to trails I want to hike
Tagged with · National Parks · Nature Trails · Yucca Valley
Distance: 1.35 miles · Elevation change: 325 feet
By: Published: Last updated: January 9, 2018
Rock Spring Mojave National Park Rock Spring Loop Trail Rock House Hike
Water is something you don't see much of in Mojave National Preserve, certainly not just pooling on the ground as it does at Rock Spring. The constant source at Rock Spring helped inhabitants survive in the Mojave Desert for thousands of years and was even the site of a small U.S. Army post in the 1860s. Today you can reach the spring easily, along with a Rock House built in the 1920s and... Read more.
OK! Add to trails I’ve hiked
OK! Add to trails I want to hike
Tagged with · Desert Canyons · Free Trails
Distance: 1.33 miles · Elevation change: 100 feet
By: Published: Last updated: January 11, 2018
Kumeyaay Indian Village Site Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Native American morteros location to visit
Labeled simply as the Village Site on park maps, the Kumeyaay Village in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is an easy to visit location where Native Americans lived for thousands of years. Take a short stroll around a pile of boulders along Mine Wash Road and spot grinding holes among the rocks. A sign at the Kumeyaay Village reads: Native desert people have been attracted to the cave of... Read more.
By: Published: Last updated: May 3, 2017
Tamarisk Grove Campground in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park camping
Tamarisk Grove Campground is one of four developed campgrounds in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, with 27 sites, plenty of shade, amenities, and nearby hiking trails. Tamarisk Grove has interesting history too, originally serving as a San Diego County prison camp. Thanks to numerous park improvements, it won't feel like you are doing hard time to spend a little time at Tamarisk Grove... Read more.
By: Published: Last updated: January 16, 2018
Cactus Loop Trail Anza-Borrego Desert State Park self-guided cactus hike Tamarisk Grove Campground cacti nature trail cactus flowers hike
Broadly speaking, the desert is where you go to find cacti. Speaking specifically, Cactus Loop Trail is where you go in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to see lots of cacti. True you can spot these prickly plants throughout the park, but this self-guided nature trail explores a rocky ridge that is utterly blanketed with a variety of cacti. A state park provided trail guide pamphlet offers a... Read more.
OK! Add to trails I’ve hiked
OK! Add to trails I want to hike
Tagged with · Borrego Springs · California State Parks · Free Trails · Nature Trails
Distance: 0.75 miles · Elevation change: 225 feet
By: Published: Last updated: April 23, 2017