Tasty Tips For Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

This wildly popular destination delivers stunning scenery, but be prepared for crowds. Here’s how to make your visit extra special while avoiding the crowds.

Be prepared

This sprawling national park 160 miles east of Los Angeles is loved by many. In 2021, more than 3 million visitors tromped along the hiking trails, stopped to snap selfies at the otherworldly cactus garden and roamed on the jumbo rocks that dot the landscape.

Unlike other national parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, there are no lodges or restaurants in Joshua Tree for visitors to take a break from the desert sun, so it’s essential to bring plenty of water and to stock up on snacks.

If you’re in the city of Joshua Tree, going in the west entrance, a stop at Boo’s Organic Bakery is a must. The menu changes frequently, but consider yourself fortunate if you arrive in time to snag a savory hand pie or one of the rightly famous Grandma T’s old fashioned molasses cookies. There are plenty of vegan and gluten-free options, too.

For a diner-style calorie load, head to Country Kitchen for the belt-busting steak and eggs, the tenderized Angus slab of beef smothered in sausage gravy. Hey, you’re going to burn off those calories grinding up the trail, right?

If you’re day-tripping, take more water than you think you’ll drink. Yes, it sounds boring, but staying hydrated is key.

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Consider camping

While the trails are clogged during weekends and holidays, the hiking hordes clear out after sunset and the vibe is super chill.

My husband and I recently spent three nights at Jumbo Rocks Campground, gazing at stars, making s’mores by the campfire, getting up at dawn to miss the crowds. On our last day in the park, we saw very few others on the 49 Palms Oasis trail.

Yes, we’ve got our 23-foot tiny home on wheels for this kind of off-grid getaway, but we saw loads of van rentals and Cruise America vehicles in the campground. If you do decide to go that route, making advance reservations for campsites is now required. Click here to check for availability.

If you’ve got time — and the energy — to explore, here are my favorite hikes:

• Ryan Mountain is a grinder up to the 5,400-foot summit for some amazing views.
• Hidden Valley is a fairly easy stroll into landscape that’s going to rock your world.
• The Boy Scout Trail is mostly flat and covers 8 miles if you go point-to-point. Again, bring lots of water.
• Fortynine Palms Oasis requires some effort to reach, its entrance outside the main park area. It’s a 3-mile roundtrip, but that relatively short distance involves a lot of elevation gain. You’re rewarded at the end of the rocky path with a stand of gorgeous palms appearing unexpectedly.

If you’d rather not rough it…

There are plenty of chain hotels in Yucca Valley, but if you’d rather stay somewhere with lots of charm, book a room at 29 Palms Inn. This funky resort has a lovely pool and a really good restaurant, where the vegan options like Portobello Mushroom Wellington are as interesting as the meat-driven dishes.

Heading into the park from the north entrance is convenient from this historic property and there’s rarely the kind of lineup of cars you’ll likely find at the west entrance.

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