This National Park is Less Than 3 Hours from LA. Here’s How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip.

Think you need to take a week off work to experience one of California’s most spectacular national parks? Less than three hours from Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park offers the ultimate city escape without an overnight commitment. This Joshua Tree day trip itinerary shows you exactly how to plan the perfect one-day visit, including what time to leave LA, the best things to do, what to pack and tips to help you maximize every minute inside this national park that looks like another planet.

Jump To:
Joshua Tree Day Trip Checklist
Joshua Tree Day Trip Itinerary
What to Pack
What to Wear
Joshua Tree Day Trip FAQs

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How to Plan the Perfect Joshua Tree Day Trip

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Planning a Joshua Tree day trip is less about rigid itineraries and more about nailing the basics: packing the right supplies, timing your departure and mapping out what you want to see so you’re not aimlessly driving around the park.

Joshua Tree Day Trip Checklist

Before you drive out to Joshua Tree National Park, mark these things off your to do list while you still have cell phone service and WiFi. These will save you a lot of time.

Make Sure Your Car is Road Trip Ready

Having to call roadside assistance is the last thing you want to do in the desert. Before you start planning your Joshua Tree day trip, make sure your car is safe to drive. This includes checking the fluid levels, tires and tire pressure, brakes, battery and lights.

Buy Your Pass in Advance

You can purchase your Joshua Tree National Park pass at Recreation.gov.

Download or Print Your Pass

I saved my pass to my phone and printed a copy just in case.

Download the Joshua Tree Map from the NPS app

A lot of 3rd party apps, which include trails and hike details, aren’t accurate or up-to-date. The NPS app is free and updated.

Plan Your Route

Joshua Tree National Park is about the size of Rhode Island. Planning what you want to see before you get there will help you maximize your time in the park and keep you from wasting gas.

Pack Food and Water

There aren’t any food services or stores inside Joshua Tree National Park. If you plan on eating during the day, you’ll either have to bring your own or leave the park. Check out my Joshua Tree Day Trip packing list for inspiration.

Fill Up with Gas

Enter the park with a full tank of gas. Just do it.

Joshua Tree Day Trip Itinerary from Los Angeles

The beauty of a Joshua Tree day trip is that you can actually see the park’s greatest hits without feeling rushed, you just have to be strategic about it. Here’s the exact itinerary I followed to maximize my time in the park.

Skull Rock & Elephant Rock 

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Skull Rock is one of the more popular sights, which means lots of crowds. If you enter from the North Entrance in the morning, you’ll pretty much have it all to yourself. It’s also a good place to watch the sunrise.

Discovery Trail & Face Rock

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Across the road from Skull Rock is the Discovery Trail. This easy, less than one mile loop takes you through the sandy washes, boulder piles and rock formations. There’s also a lookout where you’ll get views of Face Rock, Skull Rock, Elephant Rock and Jumbo Rocks. If you want to explore even more, the Discovery Trail connects to Face Rock and Split Rock Trail.

Bighorn’s Domain

You won’t find it on the map, but if you drive past Geology Road and Sheep’s Pass, there will be a small pull off on the road to park your car. Because it’s not an official stop, you’ll likely be the only one there.

So, why did I stop here? Because the rocks looked really cool and otherworldly. According to the sign at this stop, the 250 bighorn sheep that live in Joshua Tree National Park think they’re pretty cool, too.

Hall of Horrors

Don’t let the name fool you. There’s nothing scary about the Hall of Horrors, except maybe the dedicatd parking lot. It’s usually pretty full, especially in the afternoon.

This trail is a popular stop for scrambling and rock climbing. There are also slot canyons, which I totally missed. To find the slot canyons, you need to go to the backside of the large rock formation that’s at the start of the trail.

Cap Rock

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At less than half a mile, the Cap Rock trail is one of the easiest trail loops at Joshua Tree National Park. It’s also centrally located in the park, making a great halfway point for your Joshua Tree Day Trip.

Cap Rock is a great place to stop and have lunch since there’s a picnic area and even some grills. There’s also a restroom available near the parking lot.

Barker Dam

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The Barker Dam Trail was probably one of my favorite loops in Joshua Tree. To quote one of my favorite characters from SNL: it has everything. Scenic views, rock formations, Joshua trees and, as the name suggests, the Barker Dam. At the end of the easy 1.1 mile loop you can see rock art or petroglyphs that date back 2,000 years.

Keys Ranch

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I’m a sucker for a guided tour. So when I saw the park offered a guided walking tour of Keys Ranch, I had to book it. Led by a park ranger, this 2-hour tour takes you to the Keys family ranch. This area is off-limits to anyone who doesn’t have a tour ticket, so it kind of makes you feel special.

Tickets cost $20 and tours are only available from October to May. If the Keys Ranch tour is available when you’re at Joshua Tree, you should definitely get tickets.

What to Pack for a Joshua Tree Day Trip

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Insulated Cooler Backpack

Since we brought our own lunch and drinks, we needed them to stay cold. I think regular coolers are clunky and take up too much room, which is why I prefer an insulated cooler backpack.

Not only is it lightweight and easy to carry, but it also comes with a lot of storage for utensils, napkins and other food that doesn’t need to be kept cold. And, most importantly, it keeps everything inside the insulated compartment cold.

Water

There is no potable water inside Joshua Tree National Park, so you have to bring your own. (FWIW, there are fill stations at the various park entrances, but if you’re only going for a day, it’s not the best use of your time.) I filled up my stainless steel water bottle before I left, and I put a couple of extra water bottles in my insulated backpack.

To stay extra hydrated and to combat sausage fingers, I also brought my favorite: Liquid IV. (I love the Lemon Lime flavor!) If you’re someone like me who is terrible at drinking water, this is a must when you travel.

Food & Snacks

Since there aren’t any restaurants or grocery stores inside Joshua Tree National Park, you’ll need to bring your own. We ordered sandwiches the night before and had lunch at one of the picnic tables at Cap Rock. I also packed my favorite snack: NuGo Protein Bars.

Sunscreen

Never underestimate the power of the sun, especially in winter. I applied my favorite SPF 40 sunscreen and wore a hat, but still managed to get some sun on my face.

Toilet Paper

All of the bathrooms I used in Joshua Tree National Park had toilet paper; however, that may not be the case when you visit. (Park supplies can run low.) I packed plenty of Stall Mates so I didn’t have to ask “Can you spare a square?”

Hand Sanitizer

While the toilet paper may have been plentiful, bathroom sinks — and running water in general — are not. (The toilets in the park are vault toilets.) I brought my favorite hand sanitizer wipes to keep my paws clean. Bottled hand sanitizer would work just as well.

Phone Charger

Halfway through the day my iPhone battery was lower than 60%. (I expected that since I started using it at 4:00 a.m.) I only had to use my magsafe portable phone charger once and it was good to go until I got home.

Camera

While I used my phone for most photos, I also brought along my Insta360 Go Ultra to capture 4K footage while driving through the park. And when I wanted to go hands-free, I embraced my inner nerd and used the hat clip attachment. This came in handy while climbing the rocks at Hall of Horrors.

First Aid Kit

Ever since I cut my toe open a few years ago, I keep a first aid kit in my car. As my parents always say: “You’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” And this is very true when you’re around areas with cacti.

What to Wear for a Joshua Tree Day Trip

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Not sure what to wear to Joshua Tree? Here’s how I stayed warm, cool and comfortable in the desert.

Layers

Joshua Tree National Park may be in the desert, but that doesn’t mean it’s always hot. If you arrive at the park early, it will be chilly. When I visited the park in late January, temperatures ranged between the low 40s to 50s at sunrise. I only needed my Eddie Bauer Cloud Cap Insulated Trench for the first hour or so, but I’m still glad I brought it.

For most of the day, I got by wearing my Paka Ultralight CoolMax Sweater that I bought in Peru. By the afternoon, it was basically t-shirt weather (think low 70s). I swapped my sweater for a lightweight denim shirt over my Paka Essential Tee.

The trails are dusty, so I would recommend wearing long pants or leggings. (I wore Old Navy StudioSmooth Leggings.)

Hiking Shoes

While most of the hikes in Joshua Tree are easy, you’ll still want to wear sturdy hiking shoes. I busted out my Merrell Moab Speed 2 Hiking Shoes that I wore in Peru and they handled the different terrains with ease.

Sun Protection

Wearing a hat and sunglasses are essential in Joshua Tree, regardless of what season it is. When I went in late January, it was unusually warm and I was glad I wore a hat. (I learned my lesson after not wearing one in Cusco.)

Joshua Tree Day Trip FAQs

As someone who had only been to one national park, I had a lot of questions before my Joshua Tree day trip. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Joshua Tree National Park.

How far is Joshua Tree National Park from Los Angeles?

Joshua Tree National Park is about 130 miles from Los Angeles, making it a 2.5 to 3-hour drive depending on traffic. The most popular route to get there is the I-10 East to the CA-62 E. (You can also take the I-10 East to the CA-60, but you’ll eventually be dumped back onto the 10.)

When should you leave LA for Joshua Tree?

If you want to beat the crowds and experience less traffic, leave early. (Day of the week doesn’t matter. LA traffic on the 10 East during the week, especially in the morning, is the tenth circle of hell.) I left from mid-city Los Angeles at 4:00 a.m. and was inside the park before 7:00 a.m.

What time should you arrive at Joshua Tree?

If you’re planning a Joshua Tree day trip, you should arrive as early as possible. This will not only let you see more of the park, but it will be less crowded and easier to find parking. I arrived before 7:00 a.m., and there were hardly any people on the North side of the park. If you’re not an early bird, you should aim to arrive no later than 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.

How much does it cost to enter Joshua Tree National Park?

The entrance fee is $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. The fee covers everyone in your car, so you don’t have to buy multiple passes. You can enter and exit the park as much as you want during those 7 days.

How do you buy a pass to Joshua Tree National Park?

There are two ways to buy Joshua Tree National Park passes: in-person or online through Recreation.gov. If you plan to arrive early, buying your pass online is the best option. Just make sure to download and save your pass to your phone or print your pass — or both! You’ll most likely have to show your pass when you exit the park. If you don’t have it, you’ll have to pay the fee.

What is the best entrance to use for a Joshua Tree day trip?

There are three entrances to Joshua Tree National Park:

• The North Entrance (Twentynine Palms)
• The South Entrance (Cottonwood)
• The West Entrance (Joshua Tree Village)

The West Entrance is the most popular, which also makes it the most congested. I used the North Entrance from Twentynine Palms and there was maybe one car ahead of me. Because I got there early, I also chose this entrance so I could go across the park and hit the busier stops, like Skull Rock, before the crowds. I highly recommend this strategy, of course, it all depends on what you want to do and see.

Is there cell phone reception in Joshua Tree National Park?

Cell phone reception inside Joshua Tree National Park ranges from non-existent to the occasional one bar. But it’s mostly the latter. To make sure you can access the Joshua Tree National Park map from your phone while in the park, download it from the app before you arrive.

Is Joshua Tree pet friendly?

While pets are allowed only in parking areas, campgrounds, and along paved roads, they are not allowed on Joshua Tree National Park hiking trails. I saw a lot of people break this rule. Please don’t be one of those people. There’s a reason why this rule exists.

Is One Day Enough for Joshua Tree?

As someone who has done a Joshua Tree day trip, one day is just enough time to see the main attractions in Joshua Tree National Park. Is it a long day? Yes. Is it kind of crazy? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. One day is also enough time for you to start thinking about your next visit to Joshua Tree so you can see even more!

Ready to Plan your Joshua Tree Day Trip?

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