We spent three days in Joshua Tree National Park this October. Because it was unseasonably warm, we did shorter hikes and took it easy in the afternoons. The following sampling of trails gave us a good overall sense of the park.

A number of Joshua Trees, in the “Barker Dam” area.

Our motel was just north of the park in Twentynine Palms, providing good access to most areas. The eastern part of the park is in the Colorado Desert (a region of the Sonoran Desert that feels familiar to us as Arizona natives), while the western is the Mojave Desert. The Mojave area has most of the Joshua Trees.

The Split Rock Loop Trail is in the transition area between the two deserts. It has a few Joshua Trees, and many of the park’s signature boulders. The two mile trail meanders over rolling hills and between boulder outcrops. It’s surprisingly charming.

I guess this is “Split Rock”?

It’s pretty easy to find the trailhead parking for the Hall of Horrors Trail, but the trail itself is not marked at all. Fortunately we ran into some people who pointed us in the right direction. The “Hall” is a crack in the boulders, quite narrow in places, with some scrambling required. I recommend previewing the trail on YouTube to help you find the right access.

Even sideways with the backpack off, Hall of Horrors is a tight squeeze.

The 49 Palms Oasis Trail doesn’t connect to the rest of the park. After a vigorous climb through a barren landscape, it drops down into a valley with enormous and unexpected palm trees. The Oasis was dry on our hike, but in season it’s a popular watering hole for bighorn sheep. This four-mile roundtrip was the longest trek of the set.

The Oasis really looks out of place in the otherwise dry landscape.

The Minerva Hoyt Trail is flat and pleasant, if a little boring. It features thousands of Joshua Trees. We followed the trail all the way to Hidden Valley Campground, where there are some great boulders with slot-canyon-like passages between them. The Hidden Valley picnic area has nicely shaded tables.

Boulders at Hidden Valley, Minerva Hoyt area in background

The Hi-View Nature Loop is by itself in the northwest corner of the park. Starting at a higher elevation than most of the park, it has more of a prairie feel. About a mile from the trailhead, the summit offers good views.

The lusher vegetation of the Hi-View area

Mastodon Peak is in the far southeast. The trail begins near another palm oasis. The final ascent requires a moderate scramble. A mostly rocky area with nice views.

Mastodon Peak area

Three days was enough to see most of the park, and we could have done it in two with cooler weather. I recommend all of these.