Day Hike - Joshua Tree National Park

Meet at the Lost Palms Oasis TH at 9 AM.  This trailhead is located in the south part of Joshua Tree NP--8 miles north of I-10 at Exit 168 (Cottonwood Springs Rd).  Proceed about 7 miles north from I-10 on Cottonwood Springs Road and then turn right on Cottonwood Oasis Road.  Proceed to the end of this road.   Entrance fee to national park or America the Beautiful Pass.

This trip is part of  six days of hikes in Joshua Tree National Park--March 9-14, 2025.  Lost Palms Oasis is Trip #1.  I have hiked this before and it had amazing flowers.  Let's hope for the same.  I will be camping on the Salton Sea (see below) the night before this hike.  This extended trip to Joshua Tree NP is juxtaposed with the prior "Week of hiking in Palm Springs and Coachella Valley" extended trip.  I will be car camping five nights in Joshua Tree NP at Jumbo Rocks Campground.  Others are welcome to join me with prior approval--as room allows.

This is a "Special Leader's Permission" hike and trip.  In requesting permission:

1)  Please telling me about your hiking experience

2) Where you are thinking of staying--your own accommodations and car or at the Mecca/Salton Sea camp-out (see option below) before the hike and/or the Jumbo Rocks Campground in JTNP (see also below)?

3)  Are you hoping to ride in my car to the TH, to/from the airport (see more info. below)?

3) How many of the six JTNP area hikes do you plan to do?  

4) If I haven't hiked with you before please provide a recommendation from a Mountaineers leader I know and respect.

Please request permission as soon as you are ready, have research the cost (airflight, car rental, hotel, meals, etc.) and are confident that you can and will do this trip if selected.  Please don't ask my permission in case you "may" want to go.  I will review all the applications and get back to folks no later than Jan. 12th. Note it will take me a couple of days to get all six day hikes posted.   I will pick the group that seems the most compatible.

Participants are responsible for getting to the Joshua Tree NP area and to the TH each day and all other necessary accommodations. Some folks on past similar trips have gone together on hotel/AirB&B  and a rental car.  Some prefer only solo accommodations and transportation.  There are two towns north of JTNP that may have accommodations--Joshua Tree and Twenty-nine Palms.  

I will be staying at car campground on the Salton Sea before this hike--Mecca Campground in the Salton Sea State Recreation Area.  Others are welcome to stay with me--Saturday night 3/8--one night if there is room.  You can also get you own site-adjacent or not.  Note:  The Salton Sea is known to have a negative smell in the summer months and sometimes other times of the year.  There could be a unpleasant smell at the camp area.  Please let me know if you want this option.

I have reserved two adjacent National Park Campground sites at Jumbo Rocks.  These sites, as with most in the park have picnic table, vault toilets, firepits, but no water.  There may be water at the park ranger station or we will need to bring it all in from town.  From NP website:  Water bottle fill stations are located at the Black Rock Nature Center, the West Entrance Station, and the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Water jugs can be filled at the West Entrance Station, Indian Cove Ranger Station, Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds, and at Park Headquarters (in the Northeast section of the parking lot).  These are all a 12+ miles drive away from our camp.  I anticipate room for at least 6 tents.  I will be bringing a two-burner camp stove and pots/pans and other camping stuff I can share.  Let me know if you have interest in staying here with me and how many nights.  Friday, March 14th, is our last hike, we will check out of campground that morning and proceed to the last hike in the northwest part of the park  (Black Rock).  I can drive those that choose to ride with me/share car to the Palm Springs area after this hike.  You would need to stay in a hotel overnight and likely fly out of Palm Springs airport the next day.  At the beginning of the trip, March 8th, I could pick up folks in the early morning (at Palm Springs Airport) before the March 8th --Palm Springs and Coachella Valley hike to Ladder Canyon/Painted Canyon. You would need to spend that night at the Salton Sea Campground the night prior to the six hikes in JTNP.  There would be a $10 per day charge to use my car (I will be the only driver), plus your share of the gas.  I can drive you to the THs and resupply trips to town.  There are limited spots in my car for this option.  If you desire to stay at Jumbo Rocks and are bringing your own car, there may be an additional charge or maybe not room for more than the one spot allocated for each camp spot.  This would need to be investigated.  Most information and clarification will follow.  I will be posting the remain JTNP hikes within the next couple of days.  Thanks.  Rob