Another afternoon visit to Joshua Tree National Park.
Jenn gave me an Insta360 X3 camera as an early birthday present, so I tried it out on this visit:
My first video, holding the invisible selfie stick out the truck window:
Barker Dam Nature Trail hike:
Video:
Videos:
Video:
Joshua tree bloom:
Video:
Petroglyphs:
Video:
Videos:
We had a picnic dinner at Hidden Valley:
Another visit to Joshua Tree National Park, this time in the evening, going in the south entrance. Like most of the popular parks, this one is very busy during the day, but much less so in the evening.
Cholla Cactus Garden:
Arch Rock Nature Trail:
Picnic dinner:
We have some bamboo cutlery in our picnic bag, which was useful:
Skull Rock; this is one of the most popular areas of the park, impossible to get parking during the day, but easy in the evening:
Split Rock:
Sunset:
We visited Joshua Tree National Park several times while staying in Palm Desert.
On the first day, we visited all five of the visitor centers, drove though the park, and did a shortish hike.
First up, Black Rock Nature Center in Black Rock Canyon Campground:
Do Not Die Today:
Welcome to Joshua Tree (the city, not the park):
The main Visitor Center outside the park:
Passport stamp:
The Joshua Tree Cultural Center:
The Oasis Visitor Center, which is permanently closed, but still has the Oasis of Mara trail available:
Kinetic artwork:
Picnic:
Oasis of Mara trail:
Entrance sign:
Joshua trees:
We did a hike to a mine, past some ruins:
A nice pic of me:
Jenn:
Mines (look for the metal covers):
Old winch:
Old bucket:
Flowers:
Me:
Selfie:
A fun dirt road, with Joshua trees and mountains in the distance:
Ocotillo:
At the southern entrance, Cottonwood Visitor Center:
Recent rains brought out a profusion of wildflowers:
We drove in the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park in California, around a campground, to some possible hike locations, down a dirt road to a nice place for a walk, then out the west entrance. Enjoy this timelapse of the drive; the first half is less interesting, but wait for the interesting rocks and joshua trees.
We visited Joshua Tree National Park when last in the Palm Springs area back in December, but decided to visit it a second time in early February, specifically to go for a short hike.
We went in the south entrance (where we exited last time), and stopped at the visitor center there. There was a singing park ranger:
After exploring a campground (too small for our coach), a picnic lunch, and considering a hike near the visitor center, we continued on towards the joshua tree part of the park. Passing some interesting rocks on the way:
Some joshua trees:
The parking areas were too full to do more popular hikes, so on a whim we turned down a dirt road:
Some interesting rocks by the road:
We stopped at an access point for rock climbers, and explored that area as an informal hike:
If you look closely, you may spot several rock climbers:
A selfie:
I’m valiantly holding up a rock:
A wave-shaped rock:
Young joshua tree:
Rocks:
Me taking a photo:
Of this:
Jenn and me:
Another rock climber:
More rocks:
A small cactus:
Joshua tree:
Rocks and joshua trees:
A bird:
I like the glowing effect of the sun behind the tip of the rock:
More lens flare with the sun touching the tip of the rock:
Joshua trees:
We’re liken the lichen:
Three colors:
Rocks and joshua trees:
Jenn on a rock:
Me joining her:
Jenn posing:
Me:
Shadows:
More interesting rocks:
Our next national park was the Joshua Tree National Park, conveniently north of our campground in Indio, California: about an hour to the west entrance (where we went in), and half an hour from the south entrance (where we came out).
While exploring the park, we tried something new: we listened to a narrated self-driving tour of the park, using an app called Action Tour Guide that worked offline (good thing, since there was no cell service in much of the park), using the phone’s GPS to track our location on a map, and play narration clips when we reached certain points. That was a nice addition to our tour, pointing out interesting places to stop, and telling stories about the history of the area, so we’ll probably do that for other places too.
Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center sign:
Joshua Tree info in the visitor center:
Joshua Tree National Park sign, with people posing in front of it, and a long line of cars to get in:
It was nice that when we got near the entrance station, they were waving people with National Park passes into a bypass lane.
But a tip for anyone visiting: there would have been no line at the south entrance; much fewer people over that side of the park, but also less to see for quite a while.
Joshua trees alongside the road:
We stopped at the Quail Springs picnic area for lunch. Here’s our truck by a big rock:
Rock:
Joshua trees:
Rock and the bench where we had a picnic lunch; if you look closely you’ll see someone rappelling down the left side:
More interesting rock formations:
Jenn on a rock:
Rocks:
Desert plants:
A view of Coachella Valley from Keys View; our coach was in Indio, which is near the center of this picture, in the valley:
Selfie (or “usie”):
Info sign:
Coachella Valley:
Road through the desert:
Joshua tree:
Cap Rock:
More interesting rocks near the road:
We took a detour onto a dirt road (Desert Queen Mine Road):
Probably my favorite picture of Joshua trees:
Rocks:
We walked along a trail for a short distance, to see more interesting things:
A couple of pictures of me, taken by Jenn:
Me taking a picture of Jenn taking a selfie (a “youie”?):
Spiky:
More desert plants:
Skull Rock:
Rocks:
Road:
Desert:
Desert plants:
Hills:
Leaving the park via the south road:
Bonus; after leaving the park, we saw some hot air balloons in the sky:
