Dates of trips: December 2020, January 2023, August 2024
I never really got the appeal of visiting the desert—until I went to Joshua Tree for the first time with some girlfriends. Now, I can honestly say, I’ve never seen more breathtaking scenery. The stars are unbelievably bright, and there’s this calm that’s hard to put into words. I loved it so much that I had to take Steve back to experience it with me. On our most recent trip, we visited Palm Desert to catch Electric Light Orchestra on their farewell tour (highlight of my life!).
Instead of an itinerary, I’m just going to share some of the highlights from each trip in this post.
I’ve linked the airbnbs we stayed in below:
January 2023:
This house was so comfortable and had both sunrise and sunset views, even from the shower! It’s only 20 minutes from the main entrance of Joshua Tree and an hour and 20 minutes from the Cottonwood Entrance. All these shots are from the property.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/KgdSTk5I
December 2020:
This is the house where I stayed with my girlfriends near Twentynine Palms. It’s 15 minutes from the Joshua Tree main entrance and an hour from the Cottonwood Entrance. I loved this one because it had trails on the actual property (and also a hot tub!).
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/nfYHPqUi
Joshua Tree Hikes: For me Joshua Tree was more about soaking in the scenery than tackling tough hikes. Here are the short hikes I’ve done that capture the beauty of Joshua Tree. I also included a scenic drive from AllTrails.
1. Keys View: This is essentially a viewpoint that you scramble around to catch the best sunset views. Highly recommend.
Keys View on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/keys-view?sh=sxlnu6
2. Cholla Cactus Garden: The AllTrails hike was only 0.2 miles but we strolled around a mile in the surrounding area.
Cholla Cactus Garden on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/cholla-cactus-garden?sh=sxlnu6
3. Skull Rock: This one is an iconic trail in Joshua Tree with the most interesting rock formations. It’s an easy 1.7 mile trail but technically a bit treacherous scrambling the rocks (especially after a morning of mimosas).
Skull Rock on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/skull-rock-nature-trail?sh=sxlnu6
4. Barker Dam: 1.3 mile easy trail that leads to an ancient dam built when the desert was a lush forest. There were lots of signs with more information along the trail.
Barker Dam on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/barker-dam–2?sh=sxlnu6
5. Arch Rock Trail: An easy 1.2 mile trail featuring more rock formations.
Arch Rock Trail on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/arch-rock-trail–2?sh=sxlnu6
7. Scenic Drive: We followed this scenic drive twice and the views were unworldly. Of course we stopped at all the pullouts for these pictures.
Joshua Tree National Park Scenic Drive via North Entrance on AllTrails
Palm Desert August 2024:
This was by far my most relaxing desert trip. Even though we had planned to explore Joshua Tree, we ended up skipping it so I could fully enjoy our amazing Airbnb (linked below).
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/z4dEpe1b
We didn’t hit any AllTrails hikes this trip, but we did manage a hilarious 3.1-mile walk along I-10. After seeing Electric Light Orchestra at the Acrisure Arena, I was still riding the high from seeing my favorites, and with the perfect weather, I convinced Steve we should walk home instead of waiting in the Uber line. About a mile in—still in my heels—I was begging to call for an Uber, but with surge pricing in effect, Steve made me finish the “hike.” Honestly, it turned out to be so much fun! We had ELO playing the whole way, with a starry sky and a cool desert breeze making it a night to remember.
I did also run the desert neighborhood each morning. Not sure what it is, but I seem to become a sunrise runner when in the desert.
But mostly we just enjoyed this fabulous property.
To close:
If you’re thinking about a California desert getaway, feel free to reach out—I’d love to help you plan it! I hope these highlights inspire you to experience it for yourself!
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