How to spend two days in Joshua Tree

With the New Year arriving, and one of my resolutions being to spend more time in nature, what better place to ring in the New Year than Joshua Tree? We decided to spend our holiday in Joshua Tree because of its natural beauty, off-the-grid-esque experience, and surprisingly close proximity.

We only had enough time to spend one night in Joshua Tree. We packed as much as we could in to our 48 hours. Because there is so much to do in the National Park, we felt that spontaneity was important. We did also have a few places we made a point to see on our journey.

Although Joshua Tree National Park is beautiful regardless of time of year, we were lucky that it snowed just days before we arrived. Since snow is rare in Joshua Tree, we hadn’t seen any pictures of a snowy desert landscape. The Joshua Trees, cacti and mountains were gorgeous covered in white blankets of snow, and luckily we didn’t even need chains.

A huge reason we chose Joshua Tree was to disconnect from our busy day to day lives. We get so caught up in social media, work, school, etc. that it was a much needed two days of taking in nature and exploring a beautiful place. There isn’t much phone service out there, so you won’t see any one scrolling through their Insta feed while on a trail (and you won’t even be tempted to).

Another plus was how close to us Joshua Tree really is. We had never been to a National Park, so when we discovered that it was only an hour and a half from us, we knew we had to go. We live in the Claremont/Upland part of the Greater Los Angeles areas, so we basically took the 10 freeway the entire way until we arrived in Yucca Valley. A simple, short drive to a beautiful place? YES, PLEASE.

There are so many great things to see, but here is where we hiked, ate and stayed for our two-day Joshua Tree adventure.

Day 1 in Joshua Tree

Drive in to the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park ($30 entrance fee is good for a week). Stop and hike to Barker Dam. Eat at The Rib Co. and last but not least, relax in your adorable Airbnb.

Barker Dam: After entering the park, we were in complete awe of all of the snow. Because of the scenery, the drive to Barker Dam felt short, but in reality it was probably about 30 minutes from the entrance. This was a relatively short hike, about 1.5 miles. Because of how frequently we stopped for pictures (okay so we didn’t totally disconnect on this trip) and some slippery snow, it took us about an hour and a half. It was a family friendly trail, with people of all ages hiking it. Because it was New Year’s Eve, and snowy, it’s likely that there were more visitors than normal. We did have to park in a turnout down the street from the regular parking lot, but it was totally worth the walk. On our drive out, we took in the scenery, and honestly driving through was an excursion in itself.

The Rib Co: We skipped lunch and went straight to the park, so after all of the hiking, we were starving. Given that it was New Years Eve, some of the places that were recommended to us had very long waits, including Joshua Tree Saloon. Some Yelp searches resulted in just a 15 minute drive to The Rib Co. which is technically in 29 Palms. From the ribs and steaks, to Mac ‘n cheese and baked beans, the food was deliciously homemade. Your taste buds will start to water right when you open your car door, thanks to a grill in the front of the restaurant letting off some serious smoky meat scents.

Our Airbnb: There is no shortage of adorable places to stay near the National Park. Honestly, the hotels/motels in the area are just not nearly as exciting or unique as the homes available on Airbnb. Our place was called the “Tin Can” and was on a lot with other tiny homes that shared a kitchen, pool and Jacuzzi. I wish we could have stayed longer to really use all of the amenities, but sipping wine under the stars in the hot tub was so relaxing.

After the hot tub and getting acclimated to our place for the night, we brought out our books, coloring books and painting supplies. It was a great way to relax after an adventurous day, and I fell asleep 2 hours before midnight (on New Years Eve!).

Day 2 in Joshua Tree

Start with breakfast at Crossroads Cafe, shop in Downtown and go back in to the National Park to see Hidden Valley, Cholla Cactus Garden and Skull Rock.

Crossroads Cafe & Shopping: This was recommended to us, and when we arrived, we realized it was also recommended to loads of other people. To be fair, it was New Years Day and we only had to wait 30 minutes before being seated. This restaurant is in downtown so there are a few vintage shops and places to get souvenirs right next door. We took advantage of the shops while we were waiting to be seated and got some fun Joshua Tree stickers and handmade leather notebooks from The Mincing Mockingbird.

Back to the important stuff, FOOD! I started off with an orange juice and it tasted like it was fresh-squeezed just for me. Their menu is unique, featuring a few of vegan options. I ordered the Piggy Pancakes, which are pancakes made with bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions in the batter and grilled to perfection! D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.

Hidden Valley: We made it back in to the Park at about noon and headed straight for the Hidden Valley Trail. This one mile loop was an easy hike with just a few steep climbs to get down into the valley. Once you get down, it is a beautiful 360 degree view of boulders, blue sky and vegetation. If you’re into bouldering (I envy you), there were quite a few groups spending the day here to climb. We found a parking spot near the trail head and it only took us about an hour to complete, pictures and all.

Cholla Cactus Garden: About a 20-30 minute drive from Hidden Valley is a magical patch of Cholla Cacti. Because of the distance, we almost didn’t go, but it ended up being one of my favorite stops of the trip. This area of Joshua Tree didn’t get any snow, so we got to see the traditional desert landscape.

There was more than enough street parking right next to the cacti. But be careful, we saw someone get stuck by a few needles (and it wasn’t a pretty sight when they were trying to remove them.)

Skull Rock: Skull rock is iconic for Joshua Tree, so much so that we were lucky to find parking with the amount of families who were also stopping there. We stopped briefly, just to see the skull shaped boulder, and were on our way. If you’re looking to hang out there for a while, there are flat boulders where families were picnicking and kids were climbing, or there is a 1.7 mile hike you can embark on. This is one of those places you just have to see in Joshua Tree.

We exited the Park at the 29 Palms exit, because we didn’t want to go back the way we came (and also it was near the closest gas station, oops).

This was such a brief trip, that I can’t wait to come back and explore more trails and visit more downtown restaurants. If you’re looking for more ideas and have a longer trip, check out this post with 15 Joshua Tree must-sees.

You can find a Joshua Tree National Park map here. Trust me, you’ll need it!