San Diego to Joshua Tree

The route

Take Interstate 15 north out of San Diego. Map apps usually cut across to Interstate 10 by way of Interstate 215 and Highway 60 through Moreno Valley. Follow Interstate 10 east to the Highway 62 exit near Whitewater, just before Palm Springs, then Highway 62 north 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 about 2 hours from San Diego to Morongo Valley in light traffic, about 15 minutes more to the town of Joshua Tree, and a few more down Park Boulevard to the entrance.

Traffic through the Inland Empire changes the drive more than anything else, so leave early and check your map before you go.

Which entrance to use

The West Entrance is the closest from San Diego, and it leads straight into the Joshua tree forests and boulder piles along Park Boulevard.

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. To see the whole park, you can come in at the South Entrance and drive north to leave by the West Entrance, which the park puts at about an hour and a half inside the park.

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.

A simple day plan

• Early: leave San Diego 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: about 2 hours home from Morongo Valley in light traffic.

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.