Weekend Escape from LA: Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. With spectacular sunsets, huge boulders, namesake trees, and a star studded sky, a couple days in this desert makes for a most surreal and memorable experience. Located 130 miles east of LA, it’s an easy weekend trip from Tinseltown, and the numerous outdoor activities make it a fun trip for both kids and adults. Though I wouldn’t recommend backpacking in the summer (which I did), I would recommend everything else the park has to offer.

When to Visit
Though the park is open year round, some seasons are definitely better than others. In winter, nighttime temperatures drop below freezing; in summer, the thermometer can go above one hundred degrees. Therefore, the best time to visit is during the spring and fall. During these times the average high and low is 85 and 50° F (29 and 10° C), respectively.

In addition, wildflowers begin blooming in February and last through the spring. The Joshua Tree, Oasis, and Cottonwood visitor centers are open year round, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What to Do
Hiking

There’s no shortage of hiking in Joshua Tree. One of the easiest and best is the 1.5-mile loop around Skull Rock, which has tons of boulders for kids to climb on, and a nature trail detailing interesting and useful plants. Keep an eye out for jackrabbits and other friendly mammals.

If the kids aren’t averse to hiking a bit longer, the 49 Palms Oasis is a three-mile roundtrip hike to—you guessed it—an oasis. Though I’m not sure if there were actually 49 palm trees around the pool of water, there were some, and it was pretty amazing to have a cool, tropical respite in the middle of the dry earth.

Stargazing

For many kids growing up underneath the city lights, stars, constellations, and the Milky Way are things found only in storybooks. Not so in Joshua Tree. The dark night sky is filled with twinkly lights. And once a month—on the Saturday night closest to the new moon—the Andromeda Astronomical Society hosts a star party at Hidden Valley picnic area. It’s not like the star parties in Hollywood, but it’s close.