Southern California - Joshua Tree Natl Park

Anybody been to Joshua Tree Natl Park over the weekend? I mean hiking, moderate. Where did you stay, hotel, etc. At 29 Palms, or Joshua Tree, or Yucca Valley?

i have been there a few times over the past few years. i always stayed in the jumbo rocks or hidden valley campgrounds in the park. you have to bring in your water (you can fill your containers at the entrance station), but the campgrounds are like $5 or $10/night. if you are car camping, it's can be pretty comfy.

if you are not staying in one of the many campgrounds within the natl. park,
there are plenty of motels along hwy 62 (morongo & yucca valley, joshua tree, 29 palms).
nearly all of them are pretty spartan though. if you're looking for something more luxurious,
you'll have to stay in the palm springs/palm desert/la quinta areas off the 10 fwy.
ditto with dining out off the 62, not much other than diners & fast food.

it can get really crowded on the weekend in joshua tree np-the earlier, the better.
the western entrance (park blvd) tends to get way backed up being closer to
la/sd traffic and closest to the main rock climbing area-hidden valley.
if you can swing it, it is less crowded to enter via the northern 29 palms) entrance
or the southern (off the 10 fwy-20 min. east of indio) entrance.
granted, these are longer approaches to the rock star area (hidden valley) of the park
but you get to see more of joshua tree national park with fewer people.

bring your mtn. bikes if you can swing it; the paved roads might be too crowded for your comfort.
save the road bikes for a weekday when few rv's/motorists are there. if you do bring the
mtn. bikes, backup inner tubes/fix-a-flat kit are essential due to the abundance of cacti there.

if you're hiking, the barker dam loop in hidden valley is a good beginning hike. so is the indian
cove area (accessible from the 62 west of 29 palms). if it's really windy, indian cove is well
protected. plus...there is no entrance fee to get to that part of the park (unless they added
a collection booth in the last couple of years.

most importantly...don't forget your camera! have fun!:)

We stayed at the Inn. It's a classy place. Kind of historic, artsy and great food.

http://www.29palmsinn.com/

Ooga Booga, that was a great description. Just saved it for next weekend.

glad to help. the other benefit of taking the less crowded northern & southern entrances
is that there are decent-sized visitor centers at each. either one will give you a better
idea of what to do (or not) and both are staffed with rangers who will answer your questions.
if you end up pressed for time, then taking the busier western entrance is your
best option.

the hidden valley part of joshua tree np is like the yosemite valley part of yosemite.
it receives the bulk of the visitor traffic and justifiably so. there are innumerable rock
outcroppings in the area and they tend to bring out the inner child. tough not to climb
up and around them and engage in some impromptu bouldering. the rock quality is
generally fantastic and has excellent "grip." it's also difficult to take a bad picture-
especially around sunrise/sunset time. it is usually 10-12 degrees cooler than the
palm springs area below; the altitude is approx 4500 feet and can occasionally be
pretty windy. even if you never even get out of your car (heresy!:p), it's still a great
drive through the park.

Joshua Tree Inn. Joshua Tree Inn.
And have lunch or dinner at the Crossroads Cafe. If you have the Coyote Burger, be sure to ask how the coyote is killed. They won't tell me.
dc

I'd also suggest avoiding JTNP during the Christmas-to-New Years week - its jam packed with people at that time.

Good hike I did last february was Quail Mtn. Its at the western edge of the park, starts at the Quail Springs picnic turnout, and is about 12 miles RT.

Shorter stuff: Lost Horse Mtn (off of Keys View Rd) and Ryan Mtn (near Hidden Valley). Short hikes of around 4 miles RT each, but great views from each summit. Lost Horse Mtn has an old mine on its north side that makes for some interesting exploring of the ruins (but NOT the mineshaft!).

Hike descriptions can be found at summitpost.org. Click on the "Mountains and Rocks" logo on the blue bar beneath the summitpost.org logo, then enter the mountain's name in the search box that'll pop up to find its web page.

MTB-ing: Lots of dirt roads, but not a lot of biggy hills. Great sight lines along most of the dirt roads, so no real blind corners where you'll come face-to-face with a speeding 4WD vehicle. :twitchy:

I almost always camp when I go there. I like White Tank every place else is way too crowded. I enter from the Joshua Tree side because I have a thing for the Country Kitchen and the view coming in that way still blows my mind after almost 40 years..

Sometimes I visit the Desert Hot Springs Spa hotel (http://www.dhsspa.com/), either on the way there or on the way home.

Don't know much about the weekend traffic except that I try to avoid it and leave a day early.

Oh and I think road bike better. Sand on trails.

so Garfield Cat, did you go? how was it?

Delays, delays. Went to Mt Baldy. Drove up Mt Baldy Road to Manker Flats and parked there. Took the service road up to the first notch where the ski lift reaches the first stop and where there's a cafeteria. That was about 3.2 miles. Rested, had a GU gel, drank some Hammer HEED and ran down the same way.

At the end of the run, just when I got to the bottom where I parked, this guy in a black SUV rolls down the window and tells me that my wife is carrying my backpack and is behind a bit. He introduces himself as the owner of the ski operations. Nice guy. As he drove off, I saw his plates...Arizona.