A Jaunt to Joshua Tree NP

A common short trip from Phoenix is just west to Joshua Tree NP and as a self proclaimed National Park Hopper it's no surprise that I too made a trip out that way! The drive itself is just under 4hrs - so for any of us from the MidWest; you all know thats like nothing! I did stop for two days in Lake Havasu City* to explore some beach's before dragging myself back to the desert!

*Disclaimer: Lake Havasu City is absolutely phenomenal. 10/10 Recommend stopping and staying if you ever get a chance! I loved it!

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The Entrance to the Park

To say I was comepletly overwhelmed by this park would be understatement! Not only is the park wayyyy larger than I was expecting - it was also so incredibly diverse! I came in from the south entrance and it was barren and mountainous and there were not actually any Joshua Trees. So I was a little confused at first! I mean why call a place Joshua Tree NP if there really weren't all that many? The further in I drove - the more I understood this parks namesake!

But when entering the park from the South you just keep driving and eventually break through the edge of the range out there and you come across an open valley surrounded by mountains! It was stunning! See below for the moutanin range and vast valley!

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The Cholla Garden

The next distinguishing part of the park is a large field of only Teddy Bear Cholla Castus! Hundreds and hundreds of them all growing in one single area! It gave a strange otherworldly feel to walk amongst them all. Below is a single glance of a view from the Cholla Cactus Garden hike I did! It's a short and simple hike - and entirely worth it even if its simply to feel the "otherworldly"vibe it gives off.

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Next Stop : The Rocks

After the Cholla Cactus Garden the landscape again begins to change. There are these gigantic rock piles all at the base of the mountains that have slowly mellowed out. As a lover of a good rock scramble - I stopped at multiple points to get out and not only do some hiking but also some climbing. (Nothing professional - though its a hobby I want to look more into).

There were so many spots to stop and get out - and as previously stated: I stopped at soooo many of them. At one point I climbed atop a large set of boulders and just sat to take it all in. This park for all of its diversity - contained within itself such a simplistic, breathtaking beauty. With views like the ones you'll find below - its no wonder I stopped and sat many times to just breathe it all in.

The are many rocks that have seem to have taken on a more modern or anatomical shape - the one in thhe bottom right is one of the most popular in the park. Skull Rock - you can see why for yourself.

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And Eventually Joshua Trees

Once you get through all the other parts of this park you eventually begin to understand where the park got its name.

Hundreds of thousands of Joshua Trees littering the gorgeous landscape. As far as you could see - in every shape, size and direction! To say it was an amazing site would fail to do it any justice at all.

One of my favorite photos is the large solo at the top here followed by a handful of others I favor. This entire trip granted me with over 500 photos. For everyone's sake I will not share them all here - but the gallery at the bottom will contain a fair number of what I captured.