Ryan Trailhead is another stop within Joshua Tree National Park and a must do. The starting point…read morefor the 3-mile roundtrip hike to the summit of Ryan Mountain. There is a steep uphill climb that will provide scenic views, good exercise, and different terrain. There is plenty of parking, access to restrooms, and an educational section, where you'll learn about how the natives used to live and survive.

Popular high hike of JT National Park. Not the tallest, but some of the best views of this desert…read more From the large parking lot, you'll hike along the very well-defined trail up stone stairs for over an hour. Patiently, you'll eventually reach the summit and enjoy exhilarating views of Joshua Tree, including squints of JT's popular hiking trails and the tall Quail Mountain. Highly recommended. Quiet, peaceful ambience.

Returned to Joshua Tree for a second stargazing trip, and despite unpredictable cloud cover, the…read morenight sky delivered an incredible show. Sunset at Keys View: The view was great, but parking is extremely limited and poorly managed. Someone parked directly in the middle of the roadway, blocking traffic and leaving everyone else stranded. Camping & Stargazing: Set up camp at Ryan Campground, had dinner, and spent the night stargazing right from the picnic table. The Milky Way was directly overhead, and we caught numerous meteors and shooting stars throughout the night. Drawbacks: The main issue was a total lack of etiquette from other visitors. People were driving around late at night and shining bright white flashlights everywhere past 10 PM, completely disregarding designated quiet hours and ruining dark-sky adaptation. Overall, it is a phenomenal spot for astronomy, but fellow visitors lacking basic night-sky common sense can dampen the experience. Note: On the way back home morning, the park rangers check the annual pass / ticket as they are not when we went around 6.3O PM

* another missing review....thanks Yelp…read more Unfortunately I have no photos left and my review as been filed 13. One of the most serene places I've ever visited. There happed to be exactly 3 other people I saw in a four hour period exploring this erir but beautiful place. Just getting there is 1/2 the fun. Driving up from Palm Springs and gradually the desert and those that live there morphs into something very different. I wouldn't hesitate to return if ever in the area and highly recommend you... Go!

Frail is easy to follow. It isn't too steep and it's a solid 1.6 miles to the spot from the parking…read morelot. Once at the palms, the temperature cools out dramatically under the shade. Pretty neat!

I could rave and rave about this hike. I almost didn't do it because it's a little out of the way -…read morethe trailhead entrance is off the main road past the first entrance if coming from Palm/desert hot springs. The hike itself probably only took me 45 mins or so to get to the oasis, and BOY was it worth it!! It's a shallow step/Rocky path most of the way, and right at the end you suddenly emerge over this hill and get an incredible view of a valley full of California fan palm trees! I came on a clear day with mild temps in the mid 70': and it was comfortable, and TOTALLY stunning. The volunteer @the welcome center said in summer they get some rain and it doesn't drain fast so water can pool and make it like a true oasis (don't swim in or drink that water). Overall, between Ryan mountain and this hike - it truly MADE my experience @J tree. Anybody going to visit the park I would recommend doing this trail :)

Quail Springs is a small picnic and day-use area located along Park Boulevard. It is the first…read morepicnic area you see after entering from the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. The picnic area has 8 tables, pit toilets, and fire pits with grills. It's a popular spot for rock climbers because of the large rock formations with a lot of cracks in them. If you want to hike, Quail Springs Trail starts at the Quail Springs Picnic Area and gives you a nice perspective of the park.

First taste of Joshua Tree…read more Quail Springs is the first real stop to your right after entering Joshua Tree National Park from the west entrance. Drive about 6 miles and you'll see the Quail Springs sign. It was our first taste of the park when we first visited in July 2014. The closest entrance to this area is through Joshua Tree Visitor Center. This second visit Quail Springs was our last stop as we entered through Cottonwood Visitor Center (located south of Twentynine Palms Highway on Park Boulevard). This is a day use only picnic area with picnic tables and BBQ grills for use. We didn't hike any of the trails but enjoyed scenic views from the top of some of the low laying boulders. The big boulders around makes it a picturesque scene against the blue skies. Very pretty. The parking area is paved and there are also restrooms here. Review #1537

Drivers, please drive below the 45-mph recommended speed because there are pedestrians. Visitors:…read morethe Preserve is only open some days per week. The parking area is closed. Park across along the road, look before opening a door on the left side of your vehicle, and cross the road carefully. As you enter the parking area, a trail to the left leads to a hill overlooking the Preserve. The entrance area has two toilets, two picnic tables, information signs, and a helpful docent. The McCallum Trail and San Andreas Trail are open for a short way. Some trails are partly closed and as a result you cannot reach some of the informational signs. I have read those signs in the past when those trails were still open. FYI, the Mission Strand of the San Andreas Fault blocks the flow of underground water. The water rises to the surface creating a small oasis with native California fan palm trees and bird life.

About 20 minutes away from Desert Hot Springs. My mother in law and I were awake way before the…read morerest of the family and both of us like exploring and nature so I asked her if she wanted to go hiking with me at 6:30 am. Both of us got ready in 10 minutes and were out the door. The gate is closed and there is even a sign that says "parking lot closed" but we saw other people parking on the street and walking over so we did the same. The RV/campsite you can see from a distance is for the staff that works there, don't be alarmed by it! If you head on the trails toward the RV its very short but brings you into the giant palms and a wooden staircase that goes down to water and palms growing out of it. You can finish this very quickly. When you head out and head to the right there are branching paths here that lead to more hikes in palms, along the river oasis, and more into the mountains. The visitor center looked excellent and had a home made log cabin vibe, we could see some interesting artifacts inside but because the entrance was chained we didn't want to go in without permission even though it would have been easy to just duck under the chains.

Joshua Tree National Park: Since there are no address numbers anywhere in the park, I'll start the…read morereview with directions to the trail head. Enter the park via the west entrance, which is Park Blvd in the town of Joshua Tree. Remain on this road until you enter the 25 MPH zone, then at Intersection Rock (Barker Dam Rd) make a left. Follow the signs (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q) & (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#8a1S6WlAOZL0_8n4mbd71w) to the parking lot for Barker Dam. Left of the restrooms is the trail head for Barker Dam. The trail head (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#6O_1Gw9HvG4L7ldKOvJZCQ) & (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#_z0qyFdJBgtvaBpsz-FzQw) for Wall Street Mine is on the right of the restrooms. Use the restrooms now. No peeing in the bush. The hike is just 2.2 miles out & back (a bit longer if you take the detours suggested here), mostly on flat land. Much of the trail traverses along sandy washes, so it can be slightly strenuous. Don't forget water! As much of a history lesson than it is a nice little hike, there are several points of interest along the way, none of which are marked, so you'll have to keep an eye out. Just don't forget to put it back. The first is the remnants of a house (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#OWeUSd_iW1sBcTPxek-GZA) on the left of the trail; a little past the quarter-mile mark. It's about 75 yards off the trail and it's hard to miss if you're looking for it. The walls are made of adobe and are pink... stands out like a sore thumb in the brown desert. This is the Ohlson House. There are relics stacked atop one of the walls (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#1FUV-l5fOP3Rakvbnjw5Jg) and also a well (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#L0wl-PhDctTTpTgW26omBg) in the front. Little pink houses... Return to the trail and continue for another hundred yards or so and look to the left again. There is an old abandoned truck (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#XlHd4Bj4x2htuX5Q0wgkKw) sitting in the middle of nowhere. This blends into the scenery a little better than the pink house, so it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Do not attempt to drive the truck. I think the brakes are shot. The next item of interest is the windmill (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#Ws1CYak8xP9ol9z1nxgNPA). It's hard to miss as it's just a few feet from the trail and on the right. Much of it has been sabotaged by vandals and weather, but it still stands tall. Soon after the windmill you'll enter a wash. Follow it to the old stamp mill (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#vdVFr9Y39NN9rBVLwb0rvg) & (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#9HmrKmiPxUZRA0xlj9d3Tg). A well and a well pump (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#uJF8KlXUFKAyfV9BwM-T1w) remain nearby. A plaque (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#69y354rf4KDymcScw-3s5A) & (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#v2LOSk4CWT20ICEAzGvNhw) gives visitors a brief history lesson of the area. Just beyond the mill is another abandoned truck (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wall-street-mill-trail-twentynine-palms?select=gZoHS2p1xMRiV0AKNErk1Q&userid=q3MkBcfG_g8gZ4aLUX4GJw#fsFJfOFaHLj6u-GkIIvQvg), this one a little more intact than the previous one, but I still wouldn't try to drive it. Find a nice shady spot near the rocks just beyond the mill. Sit down, have a bite to eat, guzzle some water, and return the way you came. "What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Neat place at Joshua's tree national park! The trail is a flat and easy 1.5 miles in which you can…read moresee Bill's old cars along the way to the Wall Street stamp mill. The wind was wild but the sun shining and was able to capture some cool photos.

April 2022 Key things to know for and before tour…read more Reservations are needed in advance purchase online Recreation.gov Tours are typically offered May to October Weather was the perfect day of our tour. 30.00 day entry or $80.00 a year unlimited for a year to National Parks I wore a hat to shield from the sun and wore layers as I was hiking that day besides the tour. Sun screen a bottle of water. After visiting Joshua Tree, I began reading about the history throughout this entire National Park. I felt like a 5 year old in a candy story. Lol ! I began planning trips to experience something different each visit. There are so many hidden treasures within Joshua Tree National Park. My key interest was Bill Keys, and how did he survive in the True Wild West . A ranger-led tour and learn about the cultural history of Keys Ranch. Topics may include Native American history, mining, ranching, homesteading, the Keys family, and the site's transition into a protected historical site. You will see all the 'Precious' junk laid down on the yard and understand how the many settlers live their life. Mr. Keys was very entrepreneurial and saw how tenacious he was. Truly amazing Tour, our tour guide was awesome. we asked so many questions. He was so full of exciting information. Although things have changed throughout the years to maintain what remains. , none the less a tour to try. Out of curiosity, I wonder how long they will maintain it. In the 1960s, several Disney movies for television were filmed here. Keys even played the role of a prospector in "The Wild Burro of the West." A cheesy horror film, "The Hills Have Eyes," was also filmed here.

Get ready for a bouncy ride as you follow the dirt road past shrubs, tall grass and strange rock…read moreformations along the way to Keys Ranch. We did this tour after our rock climbing experience. But in hindsight, we should have done it on another day since it's in such a remote section of the park. The only way to see this spot is by a ranger-guided tour at specific times. We had a 1 PM reservation, which allowed us just 1 hour to get there. The good news is we made it in time with 10 seconds to spare due to my "efficient driving." But why make a trip here? In short, it's all about the wild history of this land. A place of outlaws and wild west living. You can't help but wonder what it was like for anyone to live in such a remote place especially back in the early 1900's. Keys Ranch was built in 1910 and the residence of Bill and Frances Keys along with their children for over 60 years. Having first moved to the desert in search of gold, Bill started this ranch as he built up a life for himself with mining and ranching. Our guide showed us around the place, which hasn't changed much since Bill died. A major highlight of the tour was hearing all of the stories, especially about the clash of worlds for Bill's wife Frances, who came from a well-to-do family in Pasadena. She came here for the adventure and I can't think of a spot further away from high society Pasadena. Most notable though was Bill's wild shoot out that sounds more like a spaghetti western movie. During a dispute over the Wall Street Mill, Bill shot and killed a guy named Worth Bagley. He just happened to be a former sheriff's deputy. Bill was found guilty of murder and sentenced to nine years at San Quentin State Prison. Talk about neighborhood drama. Check out the park's website for additional information on visiting Keys Ranch. Keys Ranch tours cost $10 per person aged 12 and over and $5 for children 6 to 11. Children under six are admitted free. Advance reservations are required for all visitors.

Happy new month, happy September! I killed 3 birds with one…read morestone during our visit to Palm Springs hehe and got to cross Joshua Tree National Park off my list. I always wanted to visit Joshua Tree National Park from seeing all the Instagram post, heard many things about the tree and the movies were filmed here. Yay, it finally happened during August, not a good time to visit but it was the only time we could make it. The weather was super HOT to be in the desert , 3 digit hot . Next time I have other plans Joshua Tree, I will be visiting in cooler times. I was so excited for Joshua Tree, finally happened hehe. We drive in to Joshua Tree twice, the first day we kind got lost looking for Joshua Tree and we started later in the day so we continued the next day. The drive in was nice, the roads were paved. We didn't hike it but just got to drive around the National Park, $30. per car, good for 7 days entrance. I asked the park guard where is the original Joshua Tree located, (hehe) but I learned that there isn't a specific or original. "Joshua" is named after a person. I loved seeing all the Joshua Trees, trying to find the perfect tree shape for our photos. I know how the Joshua Tree looks like, hehe. Joshua Tree is 130 miles east of LA, in southern dessert, we drove from LAX, it was perfect as one of the reason to visit Palm Springs was for JW, got info. that Joshua Tree was in the area, this was truly meant to be, Nearest towns are Twentynine Palms, Palm Desert and Palm Springs. What makes Joshua Tree special, this is where two deserts meet, The Mojave desert and lower Colorado desert, they have crazy rock formations, boulder piles and dark night skies, like International Dark Sky Park) The park is open 24 hours which I would be afraid to be at the park late at night. Don't forget to bring water, snacks, food, wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, prepared for spotty cell service. All in all, Absolutely beautiful, I got to cross JTNP off my list, took in nature and family time, Carpe Diem, seize the moment, all we have is now. I can't wait to be back again for more Joshua Tree adventures!

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Joshua Tree National Park was one of the most playful and surprising. My husband came up with what may be the park's most accurate unofficial name: "Amazing Boulders National Park... with a few Joshua trees." After spending a couple of days there, I had to admit he had a point. Yes, the Joshua trees are fascinating. These unusual plants are actually members of the yucca family rather than true trees, and they give the landscape a wonderfully whimsical character. But what completely captivated us were the enormous granite boulder formations scattered throughout the park. They seem to have been dropped from the sky by a giant child building a playground. Hiking here is simply fun. Around every corner, another incredible rock formation appears, and before long you find yourself spotting shapes in the rocks: an elephant, a skull, faces, animals, castles... your imagination takes over. Climbing on the boulders brought out our inner children. Unlike many hikes where you simply follow a trail, Joshua Tree encourages exploration and curiosity. One of the most fascinating aspects of the park is that it lies where two distinct deserts meet: the higher, cooler Mojave Desert, home to the Joshua trees, and the lower, hotter Colorado Desert, creating remarkable diversity in both plants and wildlife. We were fortunate to visit while many of the cacti were in bloom, adding splashes of color to the desert. We also enjoyed watching the abundant wildlife, including desert iguanas, ground squirrels, Gambel's quail, and countless birds that make this seemingly harsh environment feel surprisingly alive. The scenery constantly changes, from forests of Joshua trees to giant rock piles, hidden valleys, cholla gardens, and wide-open desert vistas. It is easy to understand why artists, photographers, climbers, and stargazers have been drawn here for generations. Joshua Tree National Park is one of those rare places that makes you smile while you're exploring it. It is beautiful, quirky, imaginative, and incredibly fun. Whether you come to hike, climb, photograph, or simply let your imagination run wild among the boulders, this park is unforgettable. Highly recommended, and if you find yourself calling it "Amazing Boulders National Park," don't worry... you're probably not the first.