A Day Trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California

2025-03-01 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Joshua Tree National Park... I couldn't get a picture of the entrance, so I took one of the visitor center instead.

Today's destination is Joshua Tree National Park. "Joshua" sounds like a person's name, but the park is actually named after the Joshua trees that are widely distributed in this area. To us, it just looks like a desert, but because it's where the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert ecosystems meet, they say you can see a wider variety of flora and fauna here than in other deserts. However, as you can tell from the photos, there isn't a single plant or animal in sight other than the Joshua trees. But judging by the coyote howls echoing all around at night, it seems they aren't completely absent.

When I searched before coming, I read that rather than flora and fauna, it's a great place for its various trekking courses and for stargazing while camping. It's common to bring an RV and camp, and it's supposedly an amazing spot to see the stars at night. That makes perfect sense—since it's a desert, there's absolutely no light pollution at night, so the starry sky must be spectacular.

Information board with a full map of Joshua Tree National Park

Maps are distributed for free in pamphlet form.

Plain with Joshua trees and desert plants growing next to a dirt road, and a mountain range in the distance

These are the Joshua trees.

Desert landscape with huge round rocks stacked in layers under a blue sky

Small stone wedged in a narrow gap between two massive rock walls

The route we decided on was to do a big loop around the park, skipping the camping areas. Our first stop was Hidden Valley. It's a short trekking course where massive boulders form a valley. It's marked on the map, and places marked like this have parking lots, making it easy to park.

Walking through Hidden Valley feels a bit like rock climbing. Since it's a rocky mountain, it can be a little tough to navigate without using your hands. So, if you have trouble walking, I recommend not pushing yourself and just enjoying the view from the entrance.

Desert and rocky mountains stretching behind a densely spiky Cholla cactus

The scenery where Hidden Valley begins.

Cluster of massive rocks rising in the middle of the desert under a cloudy sky

Hidden Valley

Large Joshua tree standing alone in front of a pile of huge round rocks

People walking in the desert in the distance between a large Joshua tree and rocks

Person climbing a massive rock wall and a picnic table placed below it

Joshua tree standing on a rocky mountainside with a deep valley visible beyond it

View from an observatory looking down on a wide mountain range and valley under a cloudy sky

Next up was Keys View Trail. It sounds like it could be called "Kiss View," but it's "Keys View." From a Korean perspective, I feel like "Kiss" would have a nicer ring to it. It's a spot high up on the mountain where you can look out over the Palm Springs area and the entire national park. Unlike Korea, the horizon is easily visible everywhere in California, so even going up just a little bit gives you a far-reaching view. Keys View was an easy walk, and since you can drive almost all the way to the viewpoint, it's accessible for people of all ages.

The only slight disappointment was that the sunset from here is supposed to be stunning, but since we had to do our loop as a day trip, we couldn't stay to see that gorgeous view. If you're planning a visit to Joshua Tree National Park, I highly recommend bringing an RV and staying overnight.

Massive rock resembling a skull against a blue sky

Skull Rock. It really looks like a skull.

Back of a person sitting in the middle of a desert road with Joshua trees, reaching one arm up

Back of a person sitting on an asphalt road stretching through the middle of the desert, making a V sign with one hand

This road has pretty fast-moving traffic, so we had people stand in front and back to check for cars, and quickly snapped this signature Joshua Tree pose photo in under 5 seconds.

Driving inside Joshua Tree National Park was so easy that I took turns at the wheel too. It's a two-lane road and the route is straightforward, so you just need to manage your speed. It feels like a place even beginner drivers could handle, so if you've driven in Korea, you can drive here with peace of mind.

Landscape of a cactus colony with light spreading over the mountain ridge at sunset

The last place we visited was the Cholla Cactus Garden. The cholla cactus is just as famous as the Joshua tree, and seeing them grow in clusters like a farm is almost a bit creepy. They look like they would hurt a lot if you got pricked, so I didn't even dare touch them. Babies sometimes touch them and end up crying their eyes out, so you have to be especially careful if you're with children.

I'm not sure why these are so famous, but when I think about how there isn't much else to show off in the desert, it makes sense. I heard there are animals that eat cacti to survive, but I didn't see a single one.

Desert landscape with widely spread cacti covered in fuzzy spines, and a mountain range visible in the distance.

Two densely spiky Cholla cacti standing side by side

Orange and white striped barricade fallen in front of a brown sign indicating the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.

The entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, which gives off a bit of a disaster movie vibe.

Several cars parked and people scattered in a desert area with rocky mountains and Joshua trees.

Since we headed out early in the morning and stayed until sunset, and because it's quite far from San Diego, it was an exhausting itinerary for both adults and kids. If someone asked me for the best way to travel here, my number one recommendation would absolutely be to rent an RV and stay for a day. My second choice would be to stay for two nights at a hotel inside the park or a nearby Airbnb.

It's especially a shame to come to such a great stargazing spot and leave without seeing the stars. It's the strange beauty and regret of traveling—feeling like you have a lot of time, yet not enough.