In my last post I talked about a family trip we took in April of 2015, describing the first day spent at Salton Sea.
The second day of the trip was designated for checking out the Joshua Tree National Park. Some useful info about the park:

• It’s open all the time. Entrance fee for 7 days is $15.
• Visitor Centers open at 8 or 8:30 am.
• To get the most out of your visit, enter through different entrances. Each part of the park offers a different view, fauna and flora.
• There are neat, mostly primitive campgrounds at the park. (No water, chemical toilets.) Two campgrounds have flush toilets and water, too.

Prior to the trip I had asked around to get recommendations for places we should visit during our short stay – with a child. Thanks to the help of friends, we were able to experience some incredible sites.

We started out at Black Rock Nature Center and campground. This area has the densest Joshua Tree population, so if you had never seen these plants, this is a great place to start at. The Hi-View Nature Trail was an easy walk with a child, and offered spectacular views, interesting plants (many flowers), and also animals. My daughter’s favorite activity was following the “Gobble Gobble” bird, also known as the Gambel’s quail. It had a call that reminded all of us of Kevin from the movie Up.
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Our next stop was Hidden Valley, which you can reach by entering through the West Entrance Station (only one lane to enter, could be backed up). The drive to Hidden Valley is gorgeous! You’ll see lots of Joshua Trees, flowers (in the spring), and wonderful rock formations.
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Hidden Valley is a right turn off of the main road. For our family this was the most beautiful hike we had ever done, even more memorable than Garden of the Gods in Colorado. It wasn’t just pretty, but if you are into simple (or advanced) rock climbing, this place is a heaven for you. My husband and my daughter adventured into different parts of the rock piles, while I kept taking pictures of the beauty around me. Make sure you read the historical facts about the valley before you enter it. (Hint: it has to do with cattle rustlers.)
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​We had one more stop in the park, Keys View. If you drive up here, you can see Coachella Valley, as well as the St. Andreas Fault. The view is hazy, but breathtaking.

​Although we were planning on going back to the park for stargazing, the strong winds and temperature drop changed our mind. We still would like to do this at another time, possibly while camping in the park.
Monday early morning we entered the park through a third entrance, which you can reach from the town of Twentynine Palms. The first destination this time was the Cholla Cactus Garden, which lies on the edge of the Colorado Desert. The previous destinations are located in the Mojave Desert. Walking through this unusual cactus colony was pretty interesting, especially with our cameras. Don’t make the mistake we did: begin your journey at the beginning of the path instead of the end, and pick up a guide to help you identify the different kinds of plants. Do not let children touch the cacti, because the spines are very painful to remove from the skin. No, we did not have to do this, in case you were wondering.

The final destination in the park for this trip was visiting Skull Rock and its surroundings. What a fun place with its countless ways of climbing the rocks. Some are easy and some more difficult.
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The only part of our trip I wouldn’t recommend visiting was Pioneertown. As a “fake” ghost town it was simply – boring. But the whole trip was awesome, and it inspired us to go back again, possibly for camping.
For more info check out these websites (they open in a new window):
Salton Sea State Recreational Area and Current weather
Joshua Tree National Park official site  and Current weather
We stayed at the Best Western Joshua Tree hotel in Yucca Valley. Room and breakfast were OK, and it is close to the National Park. It has a very small pool.
And don’t forget, that you are visiting the desert. Bring and drink plenty of water, and be ready for big changes in the temperature. Don’t forget about the sunscreen and the lip-balm either. And most importantly, have fun!
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