Road Map
Distances
Joshua Tree to:
- Downtown Los Angeles 160 miles. I-10 to Hwy 62 (29 Palms hwy).
- Las Vegas 230 miles. I-15 to Hwy 247.
- Phoenix 275 miles. I-10.
- Palm Springs 35 miles. Hwy 62.
Season
Southern California's climbing season allows everyone enduring winter a chance to get away and bask in sunshine, revel in steep delights while working off some winter deposits. October to May is the prime time to visit, Joshua Tree is climbable the entire winter. Pacific storm fronts can wash through the area between December and late February, but seldom last more than a day or two. One of the benefits of Josh's igneous rock is it only needs a couple of hours sunshine to completely dry. Always a plentiful commodity in the desert.
Amenities
The National Park contains no water supply, but all necessary supplies can be procured in either Joshua Tree or Yucca Valley. Water containers can be filled at the park entrance or outside Nomad Ventures in Joshua Tree (corner of hwy 62 and park Blvd) they also have an excellent selection of climbing hardware and products. Yucca Valley plays host to many markets and restaurants, a couple of gyms in town allow the purchase of showers.
Accommodation
There are several campground within the national park. Click to visit the National Park Service Joshua Tree web site, for listings of entrance fees, camping regulations and availability. No real campgrounds exist other than the park's, but there are many motels lining highway 62.
Airports
The closest is Palm Springs. The Los Angeles conurbation contains five major airports, Ontario is nearest the desert's crags.
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