As an avid National Park experiencer - there is a lot to experience here…read more I always love a good tree and the Joshua tree looks so cool. Especially with the sun behind it. The rock formations feel like great secrets. The staff here are extra helpful. Tell em what you want and they can point you in the right direction. Get your national Park passport and get to more parks and take me with you. Try to eat more pizza if you want to be like me.

We arrived at Joshua Tree National Park on a Friday around 12 PM. There was a line of about 20 cars…read moreat the entrance, but it moved quickly. We waited less than five minutes. They offer discounts for military members, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. You can also purchase an annual pass. If you're driving in, it's $30 per vehicle and the pass is valid for seven days. First stop, Hidden Valley Nature Trail: about a 10-minute drive from the entrance, and one of the most popular spots in the park. The loop is about one mile and takes you through incredible rock formations. There's a bit of climbing involved so definitely wear proper shoes. It took us around 30 minutes, but some people took closer to an hour, likely stopping for photos and to soak it all in. You'll also see rock climbers, which is fun to watch. * Cap Rock: an easy stop right off the road. You can drive by or pull over briefly to see this unique rock formation that looks like a hat perched on top of a boulder. * Skull Rock: another must-see right along the main road with no hiking required. It's exactly what it sounds like and a popular photo spot. * Keys View: a stunning panoramic viewpoint. From here you can see the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, the Salton Sea, and on a clear day, even parts of Mexico. It's especially beautiful around sunset. You can either exit the park the way you came or continue through to one of the other exits depending on your next stop.

Great location with various stations with rangers that answered questions. They have displays and…read morepictures about this history in the area. They have interactive displays great for the kiddos where they can become official junior rangers. Connected is a gift store the you can buy Joshua tree seedlings to grow a tree

One of four visitor centers for Joshua Tree National Park, each having a slightly different name,…read morethis location is in downtown Joshua Tree, surrounded by other city buildings. It is the one fronting the West entrance to the Park, which is the more popular of the two. It is located before having to pay the park entrance fee. It was manned by two friendly, quite busy volunteer rangers, answering any questions about your visit. We didn't have time to visit the park itself, so took the opportunity to learn a bit more about the park from displays and presentations. As I learned, it is crowded inside (shoulder to shoulder). There is a dedicated parking lot, along with street parking, and a small gift shop. My wife's mom ended up buying a tote bag (or two) to take back home. We didn't get to go inside the park this time, but was able to see plenty of Joshua trees real close, which are only endemic to this area.

I visited the World Famous Crochet Museum earlier this year and I'm finally reviewing it. It's a…read morequirky roadside attraction just outside the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park at an art complex called Art Queen. The tiny museum, which reminds me of a hot dog stand, is filled to the brim with adorable crocheted items. It's impossible to take it all in because there is so much to look at, including crocheted animals, dolls, and characters from storybooks and nursery rhymes. There is even a small crocheted World Famous Crochet Museum. Only one or two people can fit in the museum at a time and it takes just a couple minutes to check it out. It's worth stopping at the Art Queen complex to see the World Famous Crochet Museum, especially if you like unconventional art, as well as the other galleries, studios, and shops located there.

When you are in the middle of the desert, you never know what quirky and unique places you might…read moreencounter. I spent my birthday here in Joshua Tree and when I travel I often look up places to visit which are unusual for the area. This little place popped up and I knew I had to visit. This is an old converted drive thru Fotomat kiosk like they used to have that was deserted and sat on the highway for many years before it was moved and transformed into this museum. It houses a large and uncounted collection of colorful crochet items. Shari Elf is the artist and has collected all these whimsical pieces. From animals, dolls, food and other characters there is a lot to take in. It is very eclectic and cute. Shari is known as the "Art Queen" and she also has a gallery of art. She asks you not to touch, just look. Donations are accepted via Venmo. This area also houses other small businesses worth exploring.

Ramona & Conan made our experience unforgettable. The walk/hike portion was very educational about…read morethe land we were on, its history, etc. The sound bath was in a special cave with immense energy. It opened our minds & hearts in an unexplainable way. A true off the grid experience. This is not for everyone but if you feel called, do it! A very worthwhile experience. The land is precious and full of wonderful energy.

I recently went here to get away from everything, it turned out to be just what i needed. The…read moregrounds here are beautiful, they gave us a tour and really explained in detail the history of the place from the petroglyphs, to the plants, and wildlife. The sound bath with Ramona was other worldly, it was held in a Cave made from an ancient rock structure, it was very powerful. It feel like a prehistoric wonderland. I was able to camp in my truck tent, but there are super cool tents and structures you can rent. I highly recommend to going here to detach from the normal fast paced life, its an enchanting experience.

I love this studio so much. I had been here a few times many years ago when I lived in Echo Park. I…read morewas so excited to see that they had moved to the high desert. I immediately signed up for the lovely two week deal and got to try each instructor; everyone is wonderful and very tentative to detail, I have never felt looked over in any of my classes. The studio is clean and very inviting, the class sizes are small and they have everything you could possibly need to comfortably perform Pilates at any level. It's so easy to book your classes online. You'll fall in love with this little Pilates community.

Absolutely love this place. I take the dance classes and these are my favorite ballet classes. The…read moreclasses are usually on the small side so it's almost like getting private lessons. Amanda is awesome and her love of dance shines through. This is a more relaxed place that is perfect for the adult dancer returning to dance years later. A real gem with a great vibe. The owner is very nice as well.

This was one of those last minute / random / wasn't planned kind of hikes. Which ended up being…read moredefinitely worth it. Very minimal gain and elevation, however wear sturdy shoes due to the soft uneven sand. Very interesting history I won't spoil it for everyone but it's not just about a mine.. You can get up close and personal with the mine, please be respectful and do not enter the mine although it is very clear you can see that some people have disregarded the signage entering the mine and damaging pieces of it as well. As with any mine, it is unsafe to enter. Parking is of course on all BLM land free. When I went it was during the week and it was not overly crowded at all I think I may have seen a total of four people. Very peaceful and even during the summer it wasn't outrageously hot as SoCal can be. Definitely worth the Segway from heading to death valley.

Relatively flat, wide path to and from the parking area. This is not one of those challenging…read morehikes. However, you are rewarded with some beautiful groves of Joshua Trees, very slight diversions to check out Wonderland (Ohlson) Ranch ruins and an vintage abandoned vehicle near the beginning of your walk. Later on, of course, is the Wall Street Stamp Mill, which is an abandoned gold stamp mill. While this has been fenced off, it's very interesting. And of course, there's more abandoned stuff nearby, including a couple of cars. Bring lots of water, a hat, and sunscreen. You're in the desert. Even if it's not hot, you're in the desert.

"What a great day!"…read more I can't even count the number of times our little group of new climbers said that refrain during our day of rock climbing at Joshua Tree with Felipe. from our very first contact to the end of our day, everything was handled in a very professional, safe and courteous manner by Flux Adventures. Felipe's encouragement and positive attitude had us all climbing rocks we thought were impossible at the beginning of the day. After my wife's first ever rappel, she exclaimed, "That is one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life!" And we're done some pretty cool things. This day with Felipe has when our appetite for more climbing, and I am certain we will be hiring Flux Adventures to guide us for all our climbing adventures. 100% highly recommended!

We spent a whole day climbing with Flux Adventures, and I would highly recommend it to anyone…read morelooking to get an amazing climbing experience at Joshua Tree. Our guide Felipe went out of his way to make our trip as memorable as possible. At the beginning of the day he asked us what we wanted to do. Every climbing location we went to was very different, we did everything from smear climbing and cracks, to jugs, overhangs, and bouldering. I was impressed with the variety he was able to show us, and would not have been able to put together anything like it on my own. At our request he also taught us about setting our own top rope anchors, proper safety techniques for outdoor bouldering, and how to read guide books (for when he's not around). The highlight for me was when I mentioned how cool it would be to have photos from the top of the cliff we were climbing looking down. Felipe offered to climb up and take those pictures for us as we climbed up. The shots he got were amazing, and wouldn't have been possible without Felipe there. Overall, our time with Flux Adventures and Felipe was the highlight of our trip. I would highly recommend this to anyone. P.S. It doesn't hurt that Felipe is also super handsome. =)

****** STORYTIME ******…read more Once upon a time, there was a Heavy Psych Fest that took place at the High Desert Cultural Center. One day, Kimberley decided to buy tickets to the event without knowing what Kimberley was about to get into .. As Kimberley arrived to the event, Kimberley could feel the energy and excitement in the air and the earth moving below her. Clueless Kimberley, having no idea what to expect and no experience with this type of music decided to enter the concert venue anyway, as the tickets were already purchased ahead of time. As the earth rumbled under foot as if the devil was banging on the underbelly of the earth's crust, the first band performed well and was so hardcore that her ears were about to bleed. She tried to position herself as far as possible from the stage and brace herself on a building so as to prepare the body to enjoy it, but it was just too much for her. She decided to stick around for a little while longer to see if the other bands would be any different. Unfortunately, they weren't. They were even more hardcore than the first band. Kimberley felt like she was in a warzone, and her body couldn't take it anymore. She looked around and noticed that everyone was wearing black and she was the only person that was wearing white. She took that as a sign .... She left the event after only 30 minutes. As she walked out of the venue, she couldn't help but laugh (and cry) at herself for not researching the type of music that would be played at the event before buying the tickets. She realized that she had made a mistake and learned a valuable lesson. From that day forward, Kimberley makes sure she watches a few youtubes about the events and the artists before purchasing tickets to any musical event or show. She certainly doesn't want to find herself in another situation like the Heavy Psych Fest at the High Desert Cultural Center and be the only person who didn't "get the memo" !

This place has been here forever. Cannot believe that I'm the first one to review it! Full…read moredisclosure: my wife's grandmother was a "patroness" of the theater when in started. Along with Copper Mountain College when it started, years ago. I should have reviewed it sooner, myself. Anyway...we have been to two performances. Both were top-notch and surprisingly well done! Surprising, because of the modest ticket prices. It is well attended and a lot if fun. Highly recommended by me. A little champagne before the shows start. Everything is right here! Reasonable, and close to home. Get out, get some tickets, and partake in what little culture there is out here in the beautiful desert. We are fortunate to have a gem like this and it deserves our support. Community support. Attendance, and $$, is what it takes to keep the lights on!!! And, you don't need to get out your theater attire. The dress is casual!

Absolutely loved it! The experience far exceeded any expectations. Our guide, Caitlin, made the…read moreexperience so enjoyable with her passion and kindness. We learned so much and never felt rushed as we took in the many marvels that were shared with us over the course of the evening. There were so many thoughtful touches, from multiple comfy viewing options to snacks, water and close proximity to restrooms. Thank you for such a memorable experience! Highly recommend'

Excellent guide. Beautiful and informative experience enhanced by hot chocolate, blankets and…read moregreat seats!!!!

Nick took me and my wife out for the day in Joshua Tree National Park. We wanted a peaceful getaway…read morefrom the city where we could get some fresh air and see beautiful scenery, not a trail with a bunch of tourists. HE DELIVERED! We had a blast and Nick was super friendly and educational, you could tell he really cares about the ecosystem of the desert, and our safety during the trip. Highly recommend the guided hikes he does, and I'm sure next time we book JTO it will be for a Jeep adventure :) Thanks again!

Cannot recommend any higher!! This was such an amazing tour. My face hurt for an hour after, I was…read moresmiling so hard the whole time! And my tour guide, Nic, was great. He was super knowledgeable about the area and really passionate about offroading and hiking, which made the whole experience even that much better. I was honestly hesitant because I had never gone offroading, but I am SO glad I went! Definitely recommended, if you're even remotely considering it, GO!