While in Palm Springs, CA, we headed to Joshua Tree National Park. We had two days to explore and do some nature hikes. The first day we entered from the southern end of the park. Here we learned that Joshua Tree is actually two desert climates that meet (the Mojave and Colorado deserts). We saw ocotillo flowers and cholla cactus fields while driving through the park. Once we were just north of the center of the park, we checked out Arch Rock and Heart Rock. These were both pretty easy hikes that had some fun views. We got to scramble up to arch rock and then take photos with the heart shaped rock. We also got to stop and see some bugs in the sand!

Day two we spent more time in the northern half of the park. This is the Mojave desert climate where the Joshua trees thrive. This is also the section that gave Joshua Tree National Park it’s name. Obviously it’s named after the trees (which scientifically are actually succulents, not trees). The trees were named by early Mormon settlers who thought the shape of the trees looked like Joshua raising his hands to the heavens. While in this section we got to do a long loop of hiking in Hidden Valley. Kai had his emotional-support scarf and his hiking stick (a branch he found at our campground in Winterhaven, CA that one of our friends smoothed and carved KAI into). We got to see a surprising amount of colorful flowers and got to do some more scrambling on the rocks.

Overall we would definitely recommend this park! It’s on the smaller side for the National Parks that we’ve visited, but it was such a cool experience. Plus if you’re into rock climbing, this would be a spectacular place to do so. Now, onto our next adventure!