24 Hours in Joshua Tree National Park

As you can tell from our previous travel posts, we’ve enjoyed exploring places closer to home. Not only is this more cost efficient, but it also reminds us that we don’t need to go far to travel. We wanted to end summer on a good note, so we decided to visit Joshua Tree National Park.

We left LA in the morning and after a stop to pick up supplies, we made it to Joshua Tree before the afternoon. Since the campgrounds are first come first serve we were lucky enough to find a campsite at the Jumbo Rocks. 

After we unpacked, we decided to hike to the Skull Rock. The Skull Rock hike is less than 2 miles and is mostly flat. The best part of Joshua Tree is climbing all the large boulders. It is like a jungle gym for adults, all the climbing makes you feel like a kid again!

Once we got back we chilled and barbecued dinner. As the sun went down we scaled some boulders to enjoy the sky turn into a beautiful pink color. It always amazes me how time stops when your in nature. 

Any camping trip isn’t complete until you cap the night with campfire and s’mores. 

Next morning, we woke up early to watch the sunrise. As the sun rose from the sky, we cozied up near the fire with come coffee in our hands. This is the way I wish I woke up every morning.

Once we packed up the car we headed to Cholla Gardens. These plants are beautiful, but dangerous. A small swipe along their thorns can cause clothing items, shoes, or worse skin to be pricked, and even more painful to remove.

The next stop was Barker Dam Trail. Since we woke up early, we were able to beat the crowd and enjoyed the scenery to ourselves. The hike was a 1.8 hike loop started through large boulders, pass the dam, and to what feels like the middle of the desert. 

Being in the Joshua Tree feels like you’re in another planet since the plants are so unique and boulders as far as eye can see. I can see why Dr. Seuess was inspired by this place. Since this was a short trip, after the hike we headed back home.