Joshua Tree National Park
April 5, 2022
Today we were spending the first of two days visiting Joshua Tree National Park. It was about ten minutes to the West Park entrance. We got an early start for good light and to try to beat the heat, although it was not as hot as in Big Bend.
Our first hike was Hidden Valley Nature Trail, one of the most popular. We were lucky to get there when there were only a handful of other cars in the parking lot.
It gave us our first introduction to the fantastic rock formations and plants. We found more plants blooming here than anywhere else on this trip, including both Yucca plants and Joshua Trees.
Yucca and Joshua trees in bloom
After that, we went to Cap Rock Nature Trail (which had some construction but was still a nice rock). Skull Rock was too crowded and of course people all climbed on it. Then we drove along the main park road looking at vistas and stopped at the Arch Rock Nature Trail. This walk was in a more open area of the park with views all around, plus, of course, an arch. We retraced our route and went to the Hall of Horrors walk, where we saw a lot of rock climbers. Each of these walks was really enjoyable. It was warm but not too hot yet. The next two photos are of the Arch Rock trail.
We ate our picnic lunch at Quail Springs. From there, we drove to Keys View at 5,185 feet, and looked out towards Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.
After this, we took dirt roads through Big Horn Pass, the Desert Queen Mine Road and the Queen Valley Road. We did a short walk at the Desert Queen Mine, and by this time it was fairly hot. We walked about 8 miles today.
After returning to Joshua Tree town, we went to Noah Purifoy outdoor museum. It’s kind of indescribable, the extent and condition of the art. It certainly fits in with the desert vibe of Joshua Tree. Read about the artist here. Here’s a photo with a taste of the art.
We returned to the National Park to get some photos of mountains as the sun set. A lot of people had similar plans on the road! Here’s a photo in late afternoon light.
This excerpt of the Park Map shows the places we visited in the center of the Park.
April 6, 2022
Today is the last full day of our vacation, as we head home tomorrow. We returned to Joshua Tree National Park and walked on the Barker Dam Trail. This is another one that is popular since it is very flat, so we got there very early. There was no surface water behind the dam. We did find some very old pictographs on the way back to the car.
After this, we went to the meeting point for the ranger guided tour of the Keys Ranch. The ranger met a group of about 20 and we all entered a locked gate and drove up to the ranch site. The tour walked around the area for more than an hour and a half. It was fascinating to learn about the life of William Keys, and how the ranch was established. It was a typical desert story including mining, land grabs and even a murder. A deal was made for the Keys to stay on their property even after the park was established. The ranch was occupied by Frances and Bill Keys until their respective deaths in 1963 and 1969. We really enjoyed the tour. Here are some photos of the Keys Ranch.
When done with the tour then drove to a picnic spot near Jumbo Rocks. The Park is quite busy in the middle of the day!
Next, we drove into the Colorado Desert portion of the Park and stopped at the Cholla Cactus Garden and looked over the Ocotillo grove. The Cholla went as far as you could see! They were in bloom, but it is not a showy flower.
We continued on to Cottonwood Visitors Center and then returned to our lodging via Twentynine Palms, a drive of about an hour and half. Tomorrow, we go home, up the San Joaquin Valley.
We greatly enjoyed our visit to Joshua Tree National Park. We had visited in the 1980’s when it was still only a monument, but we sure did not remember the cool rock formations and other interesting sites. It’s therefore good to return to these places.
April 7, 2022
We bid farewell to Joshua Tree and drove home via Barstow, Tehachapi and Bakersfield to I-5, a distance of 485 miles.
The total trip covered 4,859 miles! That’s more miles on our car than the Intermountain West trip last year.
