February 2023—
Expansive desert views, massive rock formations, and dark skies are just some of the breathtaking features Joshua Tree National Park has to offer. As one of the larger National Parks in the United States (~#15), it’s no surprise that there are quite a few different types of environments to experience here. Within the parks nearly 800,000 acres, three of California’s distinct ecosystems meet: the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Desert, the Little San Bernardino Mountains. These varying ecosystems provide a wide variety of diverse plant and animal life within the parks borders.
The parks namesake, Joshua tree
Ocotillo, also known as coachwhip or candlewood
Day 1 | Highlights: Hand pies @ Boo’s Organic Oven, Sunset near Skull Rock, Stargazing
After a very late arrival Thursday night, we decided to have a slow start on Friday. We were lucky to stumble upon Boo’s Organic Oven during a morning walk through the neighborhood. Boo’s quickly became our go-to spot for morning coffee and delicious savory hand pies or breakfast pastries. The town of Joshua Tree is relatively small, so even in the shoulder season we often saw long lines for the various restaurants in town throughout the day, but with some patience and flexibility we were able to find options to suit our needs without much trouble.
After a day relaxing in the sun at our AirBnb, we ventured into the park for sunset. Though it’s is one of the larger National Parks, there are only 3 vehicle entrances, so longer drive times should be expected, especially for sunrise and sunset viewing. We decided to catch sunset at one of the more popular attractions, Skull Rock (1.7mi). While the actual “skull” formation (right off of the main road) was quite crowded, the surrounding area is vast and easy to explore. The large rock formations here offer a lot of fun scrambling, and we were quickly able to find a quiet route that led us to a beautiful sunset overlook.
One of the things we were most excited for on this trip was the stargazing. While winter is a good time for stargazing because of the longer periods of dense darkness, the position of the Milky Way in the sky above Joshua Tree is optimal in the Summer. On a clear night in March-September, the Core (most densely packed area) of the Milky Way will be visible, whereas in October-February the Milky Way itself will visible, but the Core will fall below the horizon line. Here is a helpful resource for figuring out the best time of year, and where to park, for Milky Way viewing at Joshua Tree. And here’s another if you’re interested in photographing the night sky. Remember, stargazing is best done on a clear, cloudless night with no moon (New Moon).
Mid-February around ~1a . West side of the park, looking toward Palm Springs (the light pollution from Palm Springs makes 1am seem like dusk!)
Attraction:
Joshua Tree National Park, California
nps.gov
Stay:
Joshua Tree, California
Activities:
Stargazing
Hiking (Easy)
Shopping & Dining in Palm Springs
Trails used:
Arch Rock Trail (1.4mi)
Ladder Canyon & Painted Canyon (4.5mi)
Skull Rock (1.7mi)
Cholla Cactus Garden (0.3mi)
Time of year:
February
Total time:
3 Days (+ Travel)
Mid-February around ~1a, West side of the park
Day 2 | Highlights: Hiking Ladder Canyon & Painted Canyon (4.5mi), Stargazing
On the second day, we decided to give the Ladder Canyon & Painted Canyon (4.5mi) hike a go. This hike isn’t actually within the park borders, but rather just south in the Mecca Hills Wilderness. It took about an hour and 45 minutes to drive there, but it was worth it. The hike itself wasn’t too challenging but it did have a few fun ladders to climb in and around the slot canyons at the beginning, and offered a really pretty view after climbing up to the ridge line. The route is a loop, and is pretty spread out, so it didn’t feel too busy even though the trail and parking lot were well populated. We stopped for some Mexican food on the way home, there are a lot of really delicious spots to stop right off of the main road and ended up calling it an early night so we could get in some more stargazing early in the morning.
The first night we went out to stargaze around 1-2am on the West side of the park, so the second night we decided to go more towards Twentynine Palms on the East side, around 3-4am—and I’m so glad we did! The East side offered darker skies, as it was a bit further from the light pollution of Palm Springs. We were able to both see the Milk Way and some of the normally busy popular rock formations (Skull Rock) without the crowds. Both nights we either heard or saw coyotes in the area which added to the mystique.
Mid-February around ~3a, East side of the park (ISO 3200; 18mm; f/3.5; 15s; Composite)
Mid-February around ~3a, Skull Rock (ISO 3200; 18mm; f/3.5; 15s; Composite)
Day 3 | Highlights: Sunrise in Cholla Cactus Garden (0.3mi), Shopping & Dining in Palm Springs
Since we were already in the park around 4a, we decided to stick around to catch sunrise in the Cholla Cactus Garden (about 20 minutes into the park), and I’m so glad we did. The cactus garden was exactly how it sounds, a big space right off the road full of hundreds of the same type of cacti and surrounded by rolling hills. It was the perfect place to watch the sun rise (which is likely why the lot was completely full by the time we left!).
After early wake ups and nighttime exploring, we took the last day to meander around Palm Springs. Walking through town enjoying the warm weather and full sun, it was the perfect way to round out our long weekend. We stopped in the local book store, indulged in a soak and massage from one of the spas, and grabbed a bar seat at one of the delicious restaurants Tac/Quila . This little trip definitely exceeded my expectations. Until next time✌🏼✨.