Joshua Tree National Park
Where two deserts meet, filled with boulder piles and the twisted trees the park is named for.
- 112named trails
- 305trail miles mapped
- Californialocation
Popular hikes in Joshua Tree
- Cholla Cactus Garden · about 0.25 mi · Easy
- Hidden Valley · about 1 mi · Easy
- Arch Rock · about 1.2 mi · Easy
- Barker Dam Loop · about 1.3 mi · Easy
- Skull Rock · about 1.7 mi · Easy
- Ryan Mountain · about 3 mi · Moderate
- Mastodon Peak · about 3 mi · Moderate
- Fortynine Palms Oasis · about 3 mi · Moderate
- Lost Horse Mine · about 4 mi · Moderate
- Split Rock Loop · about 2.5 mi · Moderate
- Warren Peak · about 5.5 mi · Strenuous
- Lost Palms Oasis · about 7.2 mi · Strenuous
Best months to visit
- February: This is peak climbing and bouldering season, with sunny 60-degree days among the monzogranite piles. In wet winters, low-elevation wildflowers start near Cottonwood toward month's end.
- March: Wildflowers move upslope from the Colorado Desert into the Mojave, and Joshua trees themselves may bloom in a good year. Comfortable hiking in the 70s.
- November: Climbing season is back, with warm days in the 60s–70s, cool nights and excellent stargazing.
Permits and reservations
No advance reservations are needed to enter.
- Campgrounds: Most campgrounds require reservations on Recreation.gov. First-come sites fill fast on weekends, holidays and in spring.
- Backcountry permit: A permit is required for all overnight stays in the backcountry. It costs $6 and covers 1 to 12 people for up to 14 nights, and can be bought on Recreation.gov, by phone, or at the permit office in Twentynine Palms.
- Keys Ranch tour: Reservations required on Recreation.gov.
Entrance fees
- Private Vehicle: $30
- Motorcycle: $25
- Per Person: $15
Official park site: nps.gov
All 112 trails in Joshua Tree
- Approach to Hunk Rock · 0.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Approach to Snickers North Face · 0.56 mi round trip · Easy
- Arch Rock Nature Trail · 1.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Astrodome Approach Trail · 1.52 mi round trip · Easy
- Backside Cutoff · 2.42 mi round trip · Easy
- Bad Manor · 1.48 mi round trip · Easy
- Bajada Nature · 0.58 mi round trip · Easy
- Barker Dam Nature · 2.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Barker Dam Trail · 2.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Berdoo / Thermal Canyon Trail · 1.56 mi round trip · Easy
- Berdoo/Thermal Canyon Bike · 19.24 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Big Pine · 4.86 mi round trip · Easy
- Big Trees Loop Trail · 5.14 mi round trip · Easy
- Big Wash · 33.44 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Bigfoot · 24.84 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Bigfoot Spur · 1.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Black Rock Canyon w/ Panorama Loop/Morongo View · 6.6 mi loop · Strenuous
- Botanical Walk Nature · 0.16 mi round trip · Easy
- Boundary Trail East · 2.42 mi round trip · Easy
- Boy Scout · 16 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Burnt Hill · 7.3 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Burro Loop Access Trail · 1.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Burro/Rocky View Loop · 11.42 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Cactus Cove View · 0.42 mi round trip · Easy
- California Riding And Hiking · 73.2 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Canyon View · 2.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Cap Rock Nature · 0.39 mi loop · Easy
- Cholla Cactus Garden Nature · 0.48 mi round trip · Easy
- Cliff · 3.16 mi round trip · Easy
- Contact Mine · 3.76 mi round trip · Moderate
- Cottonwood Spring Nature · 3 mi round trip · Moderate
- Covington Crest · 3.06 mi round trip · Easy
- Covington Loop (northeast section) · 3.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Covington Loop (southwest section) · 2.22 mi round trip · Easy
- Creosote Trail · 1.24 mi round trip · Easy
- Deerhorn · 4.3 mi round trip · Moderate
- Desert Queen Mine Trail · 0.6 mi round trip · Easy
- Discovery Trail · 0.72 mi round trip · Easy
- Django · 0.78 mi round trip · Easy
- Echo Tee Trail · 3.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Elton Mine Via Splitrock · 0.46 mi round trip · Easy
- Eureka Peak · 9.6 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Face Rock Spur · 0.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Face Rock Trail · 0.92 mi round trip · Easy
- Fan Canyon View · 0.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Fault Trail · 2 mi round trip · Easy
- Fault Trail · 0.74 mi round trip · Easy
- Fourtynine Palms Oasis · 2.98 mi round trip · Easy
- Fried Liver Wash · 28.24 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Fried Liver Wash Corridor · 8.9 mi round trip · Moderate
- Good Manor · 0.84 mi round trip · Easy
- Hexahedron Mine · 3.92 mi round trip · Moderate
- Hexehedron Main Trail · 3.26 mi round trip · Moderate
- Hidden Valley Nature · 1.86 mi round trip · Easy
- Hidden Valley To Barker Dam Connector · 1.84 mi round trip · Easy
- High View Nature · 1.29 mi loop · Easy
- Hoodoo Hill · 1.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Indian Cove Nature · 0.6 mi loop · Easy
- Johnnie Lang Connector · 3.22 mi round trip · Easy
- Johnny Lang Canyon · 5.16 mi round trip · Moderate
- Johnny Lang Connector · 3.48 mi round trip · Moderate
- Keys View Loop Nature · 0.42 mi round trip · Easy
- Little Long Canyon · 2.04 mi round trip · Easy
- Lost Horse Loop · 13 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Lost Palms Oasis · 7.5 mi round trip · Moderate
- Lucky Boy Vista/Queen Mine Loop · 8.02 mi round trip · Moderate
- Mary · 2.34 mi round trip · Easy
- Mastadon Peak Loop · 2.7 mi round trip · Easy
- Mastodon Mine Loop Trail · 2.36 mi loop · Easy
- Maze/Window Loop · 13.98 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Nolina Cove · 0.48 mi round trip · Easy
- North And South Side Connector · 2.1 mi round trip · Easy
- North Canyon · 2.28 mi round trip · Easy
- North Entrance Access · 1.04 mi round trip · Easy
- North Side · 3.7 mi round trip · Moderate
- North Side Access · 1.32 mi round trip · Easy
- North View · 6.54 mi round trip · Moderate
- Oasis Of Mara Nature · 0.94 mi round trip · Easy
- Old Lost Horse Road · 9.74 mi round trip · Moderate
- Old Queen Valley Historic Road · 12.48 mi round trip · Moderate
- Outlaw Mine Road · 10.26 mi round trip · Moderate
- Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k · 8.48 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Panorama · 6.12 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Pine City Trail · 4 mi round trip · Easy
- Pushwalla Canyon · 23.02 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Quail Springs Historic · 14.44 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Quail Wash (northwest section) · 6.18 mi round trip · Moderate
- Ruins/Lost Horse Well Road · 2.94 mi round trip · Easy
- Ryan Mountain · 3 mi round trip · Moderate
- Ryan Mountain Loop · 0.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Ryan Mountain/Sheep Pass Spur · 1.92 mi round trip · Easy
- Ryan Ranch Trail · 1.48 mi round trip · Easy
- Saddle Rock · 0.92 mi round trip · Easy
- Samuelson Spur · 0.96 mi round trip · Easy
- Samuelson West · 4.56 mi round trip · Moderate
- Short Loop Trail · 4 mi round trip · Moderate
- Skull Rock Nature · 2.58 mi round trip · Easy
- South Side Connector · 1.16 mi round trip · Easy
- Spike's Run · 5.42 mi round trip · Moderate
- Split Rock Connector · 2.5 mi loop · Easy
- Split Rock Loop · 2.5 mi loop · Easy
- Stubbe Springs Loop (east section) · 0.24 mi round trip · Easy
- Stubbe Springs Loop (west section) · 11.46 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Wall Street Mill Trail · 2.18 mi round trip · Easy
- Warren Peak Trail · 6.3 mi round trip · Moderate
- West Access · 2.84 mi round trip · Easy
- West Side Loop · 9.4 mi round trip · Strenuous
- West Side Loop access · 0.28 mi round trip · Easy
- White Cliffs of Dover · 0.72 mi round trip · Easy
- Willow Hole · 7 mi round trip · Moderate
- x-country route · 6.16 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Zulu Queen Mine Road · 8.46 mi round trip · Strenuous
Trailbound shows every one of these on an interactive map with live weather, park alerts and elevation profiles. It's free to browse.