The route
From Palm Springs, head north to Interstate 10 and go west a few miles to the Highway 62 exit, near Whitewater. Highway 62, the Twentynine Palms Highway, climbs north out of the valley through Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley to the town of Joshua Tree.
In the town of Joshua Tree, turn right onto Park Boulevard. The park's West Entrance is 5 miles south of the highway.
How long it takes
Plan on under an hour from Palm Springs to the West Entrance: about 20 minutes to Morongo Valley, about 15 more to the town of Joshua Tree, then the 5 miles down Park Boulevard. Traffic on Interstate 10 and through Yucca Valley can add to it, so check your map before you leave.
Which entrance to use
The West Entrance is the closest from Palm Springs, and it leads straight into the Joshua tree forests and boulder piles along Park Boulevard that most people come for.
The North Entrance is farther along Highway 62 in Twentynine Palms, 3 miles south of the highway on Utah Trail. The South Entrance, near Cottonwood Spring, is off Interstate 10 about 25 miles east of Indio. From Palm Springs you can make a loop of it: east on Interstate 10, in at the South Entrance, north through the park, out at the West Entrance and home down Highway 62. The park puts the drive from the South Entrance to the West Entrance at about an hour and a half.
Where to stop on the way
- Whitewater Preserve, a canyon with the year-round Whitewater River running through it, up a canyon road off Interstate 10 near the Highway 62 exit. It is free and run by the Wildlands Conservancy. It closes in bad weather and when flash floods threaten, so check before you turn off.
- Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, in Morongo Valley, with a long boardwalk through the canyon, open daily all year and free. It is an internationally known spot for birding.
- Kaleidoscope Desert, our sanctuary, also in Morongo Valley. More on it below.
- Yucca Valley, the biggest town on the way, for groceries and gas. There is neither inside the park.
- The Joshua Tree Visitor Center, on Park Boulevard in the town of Joshua Tree, for maps, a pass, a ranger's read on conditions and a bottle refill before you head in.
Kaleidoscope Desert, right on the way
Kaleidoscope Desert is a nonprofit art and animal sanctuary on 7.5 acres in Morongo Valley, the first town on Highway 62, about 20 minutes from Palm Springs and 15 minutes from the town of Joshua Tree. More than 100 rescued animals roam free among the art, Rubs the zebra, mini horses, mini cows, goats, pigs and giant tortoises among them, and they come over to meet you.
The Sanctuary Tour is a guided walk with someone who knows every resident by name, about 90 minutes, and it runs daily. The Gamelatron is one full hour of fifteen bronze gongs played by robotic mallets, with sessions on the hour from 1 to 7 PM. The Day Pass is the whole afternoon, 12 to 6 PM, with the tour, a Gamelatron session, the pool and the hot tub. Every visit is for adults, 18 and over.
It fits the drive either way. Book the tour and stop on the way up, or do the park first and catch a Gamelatron session on the way back down.
100% of proceeds go to the animals: their rescue, their care, and the sanctuary they live in. Kaleidoscope Desert Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
A simple day plan
- Early: leave Palm Springs with food and water for the day, and stop at the visitor center in Joshua Tree for a pass and a map.
- Morning: through the West Entrance and on to Hidden Valley, a one mile loop through a valley ringed by boulders.
- Late morning: Keys View, a 20 minute drive off Park Boulevard, where the ridge drops nearly a mile to the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault runs below.
- Midday: a picnic you brought, then east on Park Boulevard past Cap Rock to Skull Rock.
- Afternoon: back out the West Entrance and down Highway 62 to Morongo Valley for a Gamelatron session, on the hour until 7 PM.
- Evening: Palm Springs for dinner, about 20 minutes on.
Before you go
- You need an entrance pass. Buy it ahead on Recreation.gov and save it to your phone, or pay at the entrance station by card. Check the park's site for the current fee.
- No reservation is needed to enter, and the park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- There is no gas, food or drinking water inside the park. Fill the tank before you go in and carry at least a gallon of water per person for the day.
- Cell service in the park is very limited. Download offline maps before you leave town.
- The park is busiest on weekends and holidays from October to May and over spring break. On those days, get to the trailheads early.
- Check the park's current alerts at nps.gov/jotr for roads or trails closed after a storm.