Fortynine Palms Oasis
in Joshua Tree National Park
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Fortynine Palms Oasis is located in the north end of Joshua Tree and has its own access point to the park. Being located off Park Boulevard reduces the number of hikers this trail receives. An added bonus for anyone passing through the high desert with nothing to do is that there is no ranger crossing along the road, making Fourtynine Palms Oasis free to hike for all.
From the trailhead it is a mile and a half to the oasis. The trail starts off heading uphill across a well maintained trail. Each step increases the view of the surrounding desert. Red Barrel cacti line the trail. At the half way point, the trail begins descending toward the oasis. The palm trees appear in the distance. They look bizarrely out of place, having been planted there by miners to mark the spring that now irrigates the trees.
49 Palms Oasis
Sit beside the pools, in the shadow of the palms and ponder what it must have been like back then, wandering through the desert with an empty canteen. Bring a picnic lunch and listen to the birds chirp at this out-of-place oasis. This three mile venture is a great desert hike (even if there are no actual Joshua trees to be seen).
To get to the trailhead: From inside the park, exit the north entrance and make a left on Route 62. Drive 5 miles through the city of Twentynine Palms (They love counting palm trees in the desert). Turn south on Canyon Road and drive 1.7 miles up to the parking lot at road’s end.
Use the map below to create your own directions:
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Photos
These photos were taken in November of 2006, March of 2007, and January of 2008. Click to enlarge.
Nearby Trails
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This level 1.5-mile loop visits a small foreign-looking reservoir within the Wonderland of Rocks. |
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This 2.6-mile loop visits a 3,400-foot summit with panoramic views of southeastern Joshua Tree. |
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This quarter-mile loop allows visitors to stroll through an intense concentration of Cholla cacti. |
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Hikes in the California Desert Explore more trails in Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Mojave National Preserve. |
Camping
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There are nine campgrounds with 500 total sites spread throughout the park to facilitate your visit. |
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