We have arrived in California! It really feels like we are on the home stretch now, the journey is almost over... only California an Oregon remain. But there are still plenty of parks left to visit! The first park on our journey through California was Joshua Tree National Park. Funny story... there aren't a lot of gas stations around the north side of Joshua Tree (which is where we were coming in) so even though we started looking for gas almost 100 miles before we ran out... we still almost ran out. Plan accordingly.
We entered Joshua Tree from the 29 Palms area, and immediately were hit with a wave of uninteresting landscape. Oh dear... this is going to be like Petrified Forest and Saguaro, isn't it? Nope! it turns out that the park just starts off boring, but it gets far more interesting as you head west! As we crested one of the hills in the park a beautiful sight hit our eyes... rock formations! And Joshua Trees! OK... lets be honest, we were more excited about climbing on the rocks than the Joshua Trees... but the trees were good to see so that we could verify the veracity of the park's name.
We stopped at the first picnic area that had some surrounding boulders, and went right to work playing in and around the rocks! Super fun just to be able to scramble around and find unique little viewpoints interspersed throughout the boulder field. The rocks were super grippy, and a little bit hard on our hands, but perfect for some low intensity scrambling.
Personnel:
We didn't interact with any of the fantastic rangers that patrol this park.
Climate/weather:
It was a little bit cool, but very pleasant for scrambling. There was a clear blue sky above and a light wind that kept the air fresh without too much chill.
Facilities/signage:
We didn't experience the park facilities here. But we did see them so we know that they exist! The entrance sign was unremarkable, and the driving signs inside the park were clear and effective. We didn't go on any designated hiking trails so we weren't able to check those signs out.
Hiking experience:
Super fun! Boulder scrambling is always a good time. The boulders are low and easy, so even kids would be able to participate in some of the boulder scramble.
Driving experience:
The drive (from east to west) starts out with pretty average scenery for the area, then slowly builds to fun rocks and trees in the middle, then back to average. There aren't any spectacular views that take your breath away, but the rock formations provide interesting contrast to the bland desert around, and the Joshua Trees are fun to look at.
Camping options:
There are eight campgrounds in the park (2 accept reservations, the rest are first come first served).
Hammockability:
There are definitely some places among the boulders where you could string a hammock, but the Joshua Trees don't proved many options (too small and too far apart) so the boulders are the best bet.
Scenery:
Our favorite part of the scenery in this park was the boulder formations in the central part of the drive. The Joshua Tree groves are fine, but didn't capture our imaginations like the rocks did.
Nearby food:
We didn't see any food inside the park, but just outside the park in the towns of 29 Palms and Joshua Tree there were food options aplenty.
This park was a fun place to visit! We would love to come back with a group of friends and explore and adventure in and among the rocks and boulders. Compared to other parks we didn't find this place epic or impressive, but we found this park super fun and definitely want to come back! Also, since it is so close to Loma Linda, we might be able to bring some friends! We also accept people from other areas! All inclusive!
We were able to stop by Loma Linda after visiting the park and saw some super awesome people (Mindy and Michael Woodruff, Lisa McMillan, and Kelsey Zuppan!) and had some excellent waffles! So good to see these wonderful people! Thanks for taking some time from your schedules to hang out with us vagabonds!
Next stop: Death Valley (by way of Thousand Oaks!)
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