I recently spent a few days escaping the winter by heading south to the desert of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California.
The sun was bright, the desert was warm during the day and the scenery was spectacular. I spent three nights camping, hiking and exploring with friends, but I wish I had more time there. There are just so many things to see in Joshua Tree! I’ve put together a list of must-do things for you.
1. Check out the Joshua Trees
In fact they aren’t technically trees since they have fibres instead of growth rings – they are part of the yucca plant family. The early Mormon settlers thought the trees looked like Joshua from the Bible raising his arms to the sky in prayer, hence the name: Joshua tree. And like snowflakes, I think no two are exactly alike. I spent hours taking photos of Joshua trees on my trip and I’m sure you’ll want to as well. Best Place to See Joshua Trees: Stop your car at any of the pull outs along Park Drive – the Joshua trees are pretty much everywhere in the northern section of the park.
2. Visit the Unique Rock Formations
If you’ve watched a western film or been on the Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disney, you’re familiar with the cartoonish landscape of piled round rocks. The park is covered in unique jumbles of rocks. Some of them are famous enough to have their own names and are tourist attractions! You can see it right from the park road. Arch Rock near White Tank campground is also cool, and it’s the only a half mile walk. Split Rock is a giant boulder with a split running through it (they named it well). You can drive right up to it.
3. Go For a Hike
There are tons of options for hiking from short nature walks to long treks so there’s something to suit every fitness level. Make sure to bring lots of water, a hat and sunscreen as the desert weather can be harsh, even in the winter. This 1.5 mile loop goes past a dam and some pictograms and takes about 45 minutes. For a longer and more challenging hike I liked the trail to the Willow Hole. It’s an out and back trip of 7 miles that leaves the desert on the Boy Scout Trail and heads deep into the Wonderland of Rocks to a subsurface oasis of willows. There’s lot of interesting vegetation, plus you might see wildlife.
4. Try to Spot Some Wildlife
While the desert can look uninhabited, it’s actually home to lots of wildlife. You just need to slow down, be quiet and know where to look. On my visit I saw a gray fox, coyotes, lizards, cottontail rabbits, Jack rabbits, ground squirrels, chipmunks, a golden eagle, hawks, quails, hummingbirds and bats. There are also rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas and mountain lions in the park, but I wasn’t enthusiastic about running into them. If you camp in the park you’re likely to see some of the more common animals that hang around the campgrounds. These include rabbits, ground squirrels and chipmunks. You might also hear bats chirping or coyotes howling at night. Your best chance to see big horn sheep and other more reclusive wildlife is to venture into the Wonderland of Rocks on the Boy Scout Trail or the Willow Hole Trail.
5. Camp in the Desert
You can imagine the desert as being bathed in sunlight, but you experienced it until you saw it at night when the stars appeared and the heat of the day disappeared. The best way to do that is to camp. Most of them have no water or flush toilets, so camping is a rustic experience. But it is worth it. Camping is popular so book in advance or plan to arrive early to try to get to the first place first served. For more adventurous, you can also camp in the park.
6. Watch the Rock Climbers
Climbing is one of the most popular activities in Joshua Tree National Park and climbers travel here from all over the world. Many climbers will spend a few weeks here each winter, enjoying the mild weather and living in their trucks. There are more than 8000 hiking routes set up in the park! See climbers can be really entertained as they climb seemingly impossible cliffs. The best places to see rock climbers in Joshua Tree National Park: There are plenty of hiking areas in the park so you can see people climbing or pebbles in almost everywhere.
7. Visit the Cactus Garden
The cactus garden is full of cholla teddy cactus. These seemingly faint cacti are also nicknamed Jumping cactus because if you rub them, the parts of the cacti will break and stick to your skin or clothes. There is even a first aid kit chained to a post near the entrance because so many people accidentally got cactus spikes stuck in it! There are also a lot of other desert plants in the cactus garden, but there are just LOTS of cacti that are hard to see.
8. Check out the Panorama at Keys View
Position the drive up to 5185 feet to the View key for panoramic views south. From there you can see Palm Springs, the Salton Sea and even the Signal Mountains in Mexico. You can also see Indio Hills, as a result of the movement along the San Andreas fault. It is one of the few places you can actually look at San Andreas Fault, next to a plane. Wear binoculars if you have them.
9. Go Star Gazing
Joshua Tree National Park has a very low level of light pollution, making it perfect for stargazing. They even hold the Night Sky Festival in January. My advice for stargazing at Joshua Tree National Park: Even when the desert is warm during the day, the temperature drops at night so please wear warm clothes. Choose a cloudless night and avoid the full moon. If you want to take photos of the night sky, you will need a tripod and a manual mode for long exposure photography.
10. Drink a Date Shake
Shields Date Garden in Indio is where it all started. It’s a 40 minute drive from the Cottonwood Visitor Centre at the southern edge of the park to Shields. If that’s too far to go, don’t worry. They’re delicious!
The above are places we think will bring you unforgettable experiences. Hope that makes you happy and above is. Wish you have a memorable and unforgettable trip, do not forget to follow us on Wikitopx for updates on the latest and best articles. Here are top 10 things Joshua Tree.
from : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-joshua-tree-702266.html
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