Joshua Tree National Park: Is the PCT Side Mission Worth It?

About a month ago, I completed my first PCT section of the year, hiking from Southern Terminus in Campo to Paradise Valley Cafe near mile 151. Although I had finished what I set out to do, I wasn’t quite ready to be done with my desert adventures before flying home to the cold, snowy Northeast.

It’s not uncommon for long-distance hikers to embark on side quests while hiking trails like the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail. On the PCT, popular side quests include reaching the summit of Mount San Jacinto and Mount Whitney and detouring through Yosemite National Park. But what about a Southern California side mission that isn’t often talked about?

My side quest story

Like many other hikers, I love a good side quest. As a section hiker, I always look for opportunities to visit national parks, high points, interesting state parks, or other attractions during my trips. For example, I stopped at Natural Bridge State Park after completing a section of the AT in Virginia on the way home.

I also stopped in Acadia National Park on the way back from completing Mount Katahdin, which I saved for my last day of the AT. Although I had already visited Acadia as a child, it was still fun to explore Bar Harbor and revisit some of the park’s popular spots.

Visiting Acadia National Park on my way back after completing Mount Katahdin

So far my section gains on the PCT have been no different. For my first section of the PCT, I flew to Portland and then took a bus to Cascade Locks to pick up the Bridge of the Gods trail and hike south. When planning this section, I realized that Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon, was one of the bus stops on the way to Cascade Locks. If you’re driving to the falls, you need a reservation permit, but to take the bus, I didn’t need one. How perfect! So I stopped at the falls to see them and enjoy a second breakfast before taking the next bus to Cascade Locks.

Stopping at Multnomah Falls on the way to the PCT

Why Joshua Tree National Park?

Visiting Joshua Tree National Park is not your average PCT side quest. In fact, I had never heard of other PCT hikers visiting. But when I realized that the national park was relatively close to Palm Springs, where I was flying at the end of my hiking section, I was immediately intrigued.

Visiting all of the US national parks has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I have been very excited to walk through the seven national parks that the PCT passes through. I even have a scratch-off map of all the national parks hanging on the wall of my gear closet, next to the PCT wall map. Seeing how close Joshua Tree National Park was to the trail was especially enticing.

The PCT wall map I hang in my gear closet, which shows how close Joshua Tree National Park is to the trail. The section I just completed is highlighted in purple.

The park gets its name from the iconic Joshua trees that can be found throughout the park. The trees are believed to have been named by Mormon settlers in the area who believed the trees resembled the biblical figure of Joshua. In addition to the trees, the park is known for its unique rock formations and is a popular spot for climbers. The photos I had seen looked incredible, and the more I thought about it, the more excited I became about visiting them.

Standing in front of one of the iconic Joshua trees that give the national park its name

How to get there from the PCT

Joshua Tree National Park is about an hour’s drive from Palm Springs. After finishing my hiking section at Paradise Valley Cafe (near PCT mile marker 151), a local angel gave me a ride to Palm Springs International Airport. Since most hikers hitchhike from PVC to Idyllwild (which is the opposite direction), I arranged the trip in advance and offered to cover the gas money. Although this was not a typical follow-up angel request, I had no problems receiving offers.

View of the road from the PCT to Palm Springs

At the airport I picked up the rental car I had reserved to drive to my Airbnb, where I stayed two nights. I visited the national park the next day and then returned to the airport to return the rental car and fly home.

The sunset view from my Airbnb

My adventures in the park

Since I had just finished my 150 mile section, I didn’t plan any long walks in the park as I expected to be sore and tired. However, on the day I visited, I felt pretty good, but I still opted for the shorter walks so I could see more of the park.

I arrived early, as I had read that the park can get crowded. I used the entrance near Twentynine Palms and arrived just in time for sunrise, where I saw very few visitors. I started off by taking a short hike to see Heart Rock and Arch Rock, and I had the whole area to myself! It was very cold, but it was beautiful.

Arrive at Joshua Tree National Park for sunrise.

rock arch

heart rock

Next, I stopped at Split Rock and Skull Rock, two unique rock formations that are especially popular to visit and don’t require hiking to see.

skull rock

I continued walking through the Hall of Horrors, which was nothing scary, but certainly surprising to see with its dense concentration of Joshua trees.

hall of horrors

I ended up driving to Keys View, which overlooks the Coachella Valley and offers views of Mount San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. It was great to see the next section of the PCT I would tackle!

Key View, where I could see the next section of the PCT that I will be doing. Hopefully the snow on the summits will have melted by then!

Joshua Tree National Park is also very popular for rock climbing and bouldering. One thing I really regret is not booking a guided rock climbing tour. Although I’m only a beginner climber, I’m sure it would have been a lot of fun. I just didn’t have the right clothes or equipment after going off trail.

Who is (and isn’t) this side quest for?

When planning this trip, I was on the fence about whether to go to Joshua Tree National Park or not. It requires at least a day to visit it. Some hikers may not want to sacrifice that amount of time off trail. For me, that meant I had to fly home on a Sunday instead of a Saturday and arrive the night before returning to work the next morning. It’s not exactly ideal, especially when returning to normal life after being on the road and not having a day to rest, do laundry, shop, and mentally recover.

It was also expensive. Food, gas and accommodation were very expensive in the area. You have to rent a car to get to the national park, unless you know someone in the area who can take you. Unless you have an America the Beautiful pass, entry by car is $30. Plus, my flight home on Sunday was more expensive than Saturday.

However, in the end I decided to do it. Since I’m on a mission to one day visit every national park in the U.S., I figured I was already pretty close: What would an extra day be when I was already in Palm Springs? I didn’t have to use an extra vacation day since the trip fell on a weekend, and I could always recover and do laundry later in the week. Further, Having an extra day in California before flying home gave me peace of mind that I wouldn’t miss my flight in case something unexpected happened along the way and I was delayed from my planned schedule.

For me it was worth the visit. The national park was incredibly beautiful, from the trees to the scenery to the cool rocks. I actually had a lot of fun in the park, even alone.

This side quest probably isn’t for hikers on tight schedules or budgets, but it’s a great option for those with a flexible itinerary who enjoy exploring beyond the trail.

The conclusion

If you’re like me and interested in a fun adventure off the beaten path of the PCT (and you have a little more time and space in your budget)then this side quest might be for you. Joshua Tree National Park isn’t the most convenient or cheapest detour, but it was incredibly beautiful and a memorable way to expand my wilderness experience and make some progress on my national park checklist.

Side quests are one of the many reasons that make long distance hikes and segment hikes so rewarding for me. I’m looking forward to seeing more side quests this year on the PCT and in the years to come.