Mountain Center, California

Turn off of Park Blvd near Intersection Rock (there will be signs for the turn) and follow the paved road for about a minute. There is a large parking lot with many picnic tables. The trail begins with a slight uphill of around 100 ft and continues through a opening between two large rocks. Af...

Park at the Hidden Valley Nature Trailhead. Instead of going into Hidden Valley, follow the obvious climber's trails to the Southwest for about 3/4 mile keeping the rocks of Hidden Valley on your right. The trail wraps around the outside edge of Hidden Valley, turning Northwest. After about 20 mi...

Hike starts at the base of Ryan Mountain. The trail runs along side the mountain, offering great views overlooking Joshua Tree. Once you hit the summit, you'll get great panormaic views of the national park as the top of Ryan Mountain is at an elevation of 5457ft. The trail is open during all se...

One of the most prominent peaks in Joshua Tree National Park in Ryan Mountain. It's centrally located rising to a total of 5,456 feet above the valley floor. The trail to the peak is a moderate hike with a little over 1,000 feet elevation gain with panoramic views of Lost Horse Valley, Queen Vall...

The starting point for this hike is at the Black Rock campground, 5 miles from the town of Yucca Valley. You'll need to self register for a free backcountry permit before starting. The first section of the trail follows a wash then the trail narrows and, after only a mile or two, you'll begin cl...

Joshua Tree National Park is known for its world class rock climbing, out of this world landscapes, and some of the darkest skies around. Having a base camp inside of the park is incredibly important as it's quite massive and I found that Hidden Valley Campground is strategically placed smack dab...

Vail Lake Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Temecula, California.

Park your car at the Echo Rock Parking Area.  The trail starts next to the outhouse and heads north.  As you walk through the sand, there is a large rock pile to your right, the top of that is your destination.  Continue walking until you've reached the far north end of the rock formation and the...

The Willow Hole hike begins at Boy Scout trailhead and winds past and through the Wonderland of Rocks to a marshy stand of willows. The trail is flat, but with little shade so be sure to bring lots of water! As you leave the parking lot you'll enter an expansive stand of Joshua Trees that grows...

Hike along the easy Wall Street Mill Trail for about one mile and you will reach the mill - if you are into night photography, this is an amazing subject that will bring you back again and again, always capturing something different. Explore around off trail - there are tons of boulders to play a...

The Barker Damn trail is a 1.5 mile loop trail across flat terrain which makes it great for the whole family. The hike starts out from the Barker Dam parking lot which is shared with the Wall Street Mill trailhead. You can find the Barker Dam trailhead just to the left of the bathrooms. After ...

Joshua Tree National Park flawlessly combines otherworldly landscapes, incredible recreational opportunities, and a colorful, wild-west history. Before it was a national park, Joshua Tree was home to cattle rustlers, gunslingers, miners, and rugged homesteaders.   One of the most quirky characte...

Set your tent up next to a wall of tall boulders. This campground can offer a little shade, which is key especially during the warmer months. At the campground, there are 124 first-come, first-serve sites for $10 per night. Each campsite comes available with a picnic table and fire ring. The camp...

You can park at the Jumbo Rocks Campground to start this quick hike. There are two parking locations for this campground and it will be easiest if you use the first one you see, rather than going farther off the road and right next to the campsites. To start the hike, start going north and immedi...

Backcountry camping can be done at various locations throughout the park (13 different locations). Upon arrival to the park, you will be given a map and can backcountry camp from any of the locations marked with a "B".At these locations you will find a backcountry registration board. It's extrem...

Joshua Tree West Side Trail is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Twentynine Palms, California.