Hidden Valley Trail is a loop trail located in Joshua Tree National Park. This easy, mile-long trail is popular for a reason, as it offers up beautiful views of Joshua Tree’s otherworldly rock formations. For guests who are new to visiting Joshua Tree, Hidden Valley Trail is a great introduction to the unique and iconic […]
Cottonwood Springs Trail is a beautiful and lesser visited trail that winds through the ecologically diverse confluence of the Mojave and Colorado deserts in Joshua Tree National Park. This short trail is a really interesting one that offers a glimpse of many of the unique flora and fauna of the region, including one of the […]
Barker Dam Trail in Joshua Tree National Park is a must visit! It’s a fun loop trail that packs a lot of punch. You will see many highlights of the Mojave Desert on this short trail, including Joshua trees, as well as other desert plants such as yucca and cacti, and beautiful monzogranite rock formations. […]
It was about 7:30 one night in May of 2015. Eight hours earlier we had loaded up our car in San Francisco with tools, clothes, and our cats. We had just bought The Joshua Tree House a week earlier and were making our first trip to stay for a few weeks. We got off I-10 […]
Split Rock Loop Trail in Joshua Tree National Park is a moderate loop trail that we’ve been really enjoying lately. We find that it’s not as trafficked as other trails in the park (like Hidden Valley or Barker Dam), but offers similar beauty (think rock formations, Joshua Trees, and incredible views). There’s so much beauty […]
The current government shutdown and temporary park closures have prompted us to remember all of the surrounding landscapes outside of Joshua Tree National Park that deserve just as much love and attention as the national park. We’ve gotten many questions about what trails to explore and what to see in areas outside of the park […]
Ryan Mountain Trail in Joshua Tree National Park is a moderate to challenging hike with an elevation gain of 1,060 feet. The first half of the trail can be pretty steep, but the whole trail has incredible views of Joshua Tree. The trail itself is a total of 2.9 miles and is clearly marked. It is […]
Arch Rock Trail in Joshua Tree National Park is a great short hike and one of our most frequent hikes in the summer season due to its short length and infinite beauty. The trail itself is a pretty quick 1.2 mile out and back hike and is clearly marked, which allows us to get some […]
Willow Hole trail in Joshua Tree National Park is unlike any other trail we’ve hiked in the desert. Once you arrive to the turnaround point of the trail—Willow Hole—you’ll be surrounded by lush green vegetation that feels surreal to the area. As one of the few oases to visit in Joshua Tree, it’s also a […]
Over the weekend we celebrated two years of full-time desert living. We moved for a variety of reasons—a lower cost of living (though coming from San Francisco most places are), a desire to be more connected to nature, to work remotely as freelance designers, and simply because every time we came to Joshua Tree it […]
