January 29, 2024
From our Palm Springs/Joshua Tree KOA base, we headed about an hour to Joshua Tree National Park. We stopped at the California Visitor Center in Yucca Valley. We chatted with the attendants for a bit and picked up a new CA state map. Their advice was to enter the park at the north entrance in Twentynine Palms. GPS units tend to use the west entrance at Joshua Tree, which can lead to park entrance delays.
Our first stop in the park was the cholla cactus garden. Then we took a short hike near the Skull Rock. We then drove to the park's highest point, Keys View. The viewpoint overlooks Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, and surrounding mountain ranges. It's a bit smoggy, but still a pretty good view. Our last stop was the Hidden Valley picnic area, where we took a one mile loop trail. Among the boulders, it was easy to imagine the wild west. Sure glad we were there in January too. The park had so many warnings about hiking in the heat and the need for water.
Oh, and the Joshua Tree is a member of the yucca cactus family. The tree received its name from early pioneers. The tree's outstretched arms reminded them of Joshua from the Bible. Now that the park information has suggested the tree looks like one from a Dr. Seuss book, I can't get that image out of my head!
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| Cholla Cactus |
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| Boulders galore |
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| Two of the park's features - Joshua Tree and boulders |
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| Joshua Tree |
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| Hidden Valley area |
Where Are We Going Next?
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