One day in Joshua Tree National Park – the best highlights

The Joshua Tree National Park is a Must See during a road trip in California with some of the most spectacular sights you will see in the state. This guide contains everything you shouldn’t miss during one day in Joshua Tree National Park including the most photogenic spots and best highlights.

How to get to Joshua Tree National Park

A visit in Joshua Tree can easily be connected with a visit in Palm Springs. After we spend the whole day exploring this special city we drove around 50 Mins to Yucca Valley. This small village is only a few minutes away from the visitor center and the West Entrance Station of the National Park. We stayed there for two nights in the coolest Airbnb ever!

→ Book the best Accommodations near Joshua Tree National Park here!

When is the best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park?

The Joshua Tree National Park is a desert so keep in mind that the temperatures can get really high during the summer months. Autumn and spring are perfect for a visit while the winter months can get a bit chilly. When we’ve been there at the end of November we had nice sunny days with around 22°C but as soon as the sun was setting (which was already at 4pm) it got really chilly.

How much is the entrance fee for Joshua Tree National Park?

As already mentioned above you will enter the Park through the West Entrance Station if you stay in Yucca valley or come from Palm Springs. A pass for one car (no matter how many people are in it) costs 30$ and is valid for seven days. You can get the ticket at the visitor center or right at entrance gate.

Where two deserts meet …

Joshua Tree National Park is the place where two deserts meet. The Mojave desert in the West and the Colorado desert in the Eastern part of the park.
In the Mojave part you will find the famous Joshua Trees which gave the National Park its name. The plants only look like trees but are actually a species of yucca. You will also see countless boulder rock formations next to the streets of the Mojave part.
As soon as you enter the Colorado desert there will be no more Joshua Trees but therefore a lot of cholla cacti which look super fluffy from far but are in fact very hurtful.

One day in Joshua Tree National Park – the best highlights

my map with all highlights in Joshua Tree National Park

After entering the Park through the West Entrance station you will see the unique nature around you. The further you drive the more Joshua Trees and jacked boulders can be seen from the car.

Keys View Lookout

The Keys View is a great view point to overlook the valley and the mountains. It’s on an elevation of 5,185 ft / 1,580 m and accessible by car – you only have to walk up the last few meters. On clear days you can even spot Coachella Valley and Palm Springs from up here. It is a wonderful view point to watch the sunset too!

A beautiful photo spot in Joshua Tree National Park

On the way to the Ryan campground you will find a single rock surrounded by Joshua Trees on your left hand side. I really loved this one since it looked so different from the other rock piles we’ve seen. And of course it also made a nice photo location 🙂

Unique Rock Formations

Following the street to the East it will lead you to the Jumbo Rocks. These are the same boulder rocks you’ve already seen before – just way bigger! And a few meters behind it is the famous Skull Rock located. You won’t miss it since the unique shape of a giant skull is very remarkable and can already be seen from the street.

The Arch Rock – a highlight in Joshua Tree National Park

This spot is a bit tricky to find and you should only do this tiny little hike to the arch if you’re fine with climbing rocks and wear shoes with a good grip: Arch Rock is a natural rock bridge surround by some big and impressive boulder rocks. Park your car at White Tank Campground and start this little walk along and over the stone formations. This area is not only beautiful for the Arch Rock but you will find sooo many more impressive formations which are incredibly photogenic. I especially loved the light shortly before and during sunset. From a higher location, sitting on a rock, you’re even able to enjoy the sunset glow a little longer.

Continuing the street it will lead you to a junction. The way to the left will lead you out of the park but driving right will lead you to the Colorado desert part of the park. It’s impressive to see how the nature & landscape starts to change around you. Boulder rocks disappear and will be changed to a huge valley with some cacti here and there.
The Cholla Cactus Garden is definitely worth a stop. It’s a patch which is covered with jumping cholla cactus. These cacti are also called teddy bear cholla since itchy looks super fluffy from a distance. But let me tell you that you better should not cuddle them… I accidentally touched a cactus with the back of my hand and got hundreds of spikes stuck in my hand! The marks lasted for almost three weeks but luckily stopped hurting after a few hours already.

Now you can decide whether to continue this road until you leave the Joshua Tree National Park through a gate in the South and drive to Palm Springs or to take the same route back to reach Yucca Valley again. This is how we had the chance to see the beautiful National Park during sunset again.

558,000 acres of the Joshua Tree National Park are declared as wilderness and aren’t accessible by car. This is to protect the unique nature of the desert.

Stargazing in Joshua Tree National Park

The Joshua Tree National Park is one of the darkest environments in California due to lack of light pollution. Another plus point is the weather – almost all nights in Joshua Tree National Park are crystal clear, with no clouds in sight. Additionally there is no closing time of the National Park – you could stay all night if you’d wish to do so. All this makes the National Park to a perfect stargazing location!

We opted for a tour and were so happy we did as our guide brought two massive telescopes to watch the stars and even other galaxies. It was absolutely mind blowing to see extragalactic objects that aren’t part of our own galaxy – the Milky Way. As soon as the sun sets, the stars appear and you’ll be able to see more and more by the hour. Our guide showed us so many stars, constellations and other planets – he knew everything about the night sky! Additionally our tour included chairs, blankets which were just perfect as it gets pretty chilly in the desert after sunset.

If you love the night sky as much as I do, then booking a star gazing tour in Joshua Tree National Park is a must do! → I’ve linked the best tour here!

Find more unforgettable tours in Joshua Tree here:

Important Tips when visiting Joshua Tree National Park

Bring enough water, a few snacks and have your car filled up with gas! You will find no shops or restaurants in the National Park. Even most campgrounds don’t have water – the last stops to get some water are the visitor centers. Yucca Valley is the last village before the West entrance with gas stations, restaurants and shops.
You won’t have any phone service or internet connection in the National Park. But the map you will get at the visitor center / the entrance station helps for orientation plus the streets can not be missed. If you would like to use Google maps to find specific spots (like Arch Rock) make sure to load them BEFORE entering the park.
Due to daylight saving the sun sets quite early in California starting from November 1st. This means you will only have time until around 4.30 pm before it will be dark and cold all of a sudden. So plan enough time for your one day visit before the sunset.
If you have a little more time you can do one of the countless hikes in the park. Find all hikes in Joshua Tree National Park and how much time you should plan for them → here.

I hope this post will help you to plan your perfect day in Joshua Tree National Park with the most beautiful highlights and photo spots and leave you with countless unforgettable memories!

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