巨石和拱, 崎岖的山脉, 黄金矿业遗迹, desert plains dotted with oddball trees—约书亚树国家公园 是一个奇妙的地方吗. 被当地人戏称为“j树”, the park lies at an ecological crossroads, where the high Mojave Desert meets the low Colorado Desert. That marriage results in amazing desert flora, including those wacky namesake trees (actually a type of yucca), 还有枝繁叶茂的棕榈树. Joshua Tree’s beauty shines around the clock, with vibrant sunsets melting into nights filled with uncountable stars perfect for 耽于幻想 冒险.

首先开车去 键视图, where you can get a panoramic vista of Mount San Jacinto and Mount Gorgonio—often snow-capped in winter—with the Salton Sea shimmering in the distance. Take a hike to survey the vista from the summit of 瑞安山, the park’s tallest peak at 5,461 feet. Go explore the remarkable monzogranite boulders at 头骨的岩石 Nature Trail or the Wonderland of Rocks. 如果你想做点什么 攀岩, 约书亚树有超过8个,已建立的000条攀岩路线, from easy beginner scrambles to extreme vertical cracks.

Learn about the park’s fascinating gold 最小值ing history at the 我失去了马这是一次简单的四英里往返徒步旅行. 寻找 阴暗的棕榈树林 和涓涓细流 49手掌绿洲一个三英里的往返徒步旅行 follows sections of an old Native American pathway, 和失落的棕榈绿洲. 来一趟由护林员带领的徒步旅行 键的牧场, the home of 最小值er and pioneer William F. 键. 在20世纪早期, 凯斯建了一座农舍, 校舍, 车间, and gardens amid the yuccas and boulders and lived for a remarkable 60 years in this desert enclave. For a different kind of stimulation, sign up for a class at the 沙漠研究所, a weekend field program for adults and families with courses in such fields as natural science, 文化历史, 创造性的艺术, 沙漠博物学家的研究, 和沙漠生存.

Big, climbable rocks are like catnip to active kids, and Joshua Tree offers a natural playground full of them, with more than 400 climbing formations and 8,已建立的000条攀岩路线. To get started, join a group class—like those from 约书亚树攀岩学校—to learn fundamentals such as handling ropes, 用绳索下降, and “belaying” (getting back down) on beginner slabs and boulders. You can rent pads, helmets, and camp gear at shops like 游牧民族企业.

A good place to get the lay of the land and try some easy boulders: the 1.5英里, 由巴克大坝设计的相当平坦的环形小道, which is also a good place to see the park’s unique, namesake trees and even some Native American 岩画. 

Joshua Tree’s nine campgrounds offer plenty of 野营 选项, but they fill up fast from September to May (in the heat of summer, 网站更容易获得. You’ll find desert-themed lodgings and quirky motels in towns just outside the park—Joshua Tree Village, 进行, 和丝兰谷. 不要错过附近的参观 Pioneertown, an 1880s-style false-front Old West town where more than 50 films and television shows were shot in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, you can still see mock gunfights on the town’s “Mane Street” and top-notch live music at 糊 and 哈里特Pioneertown宫.