JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

I think our visit to Joshua Tree surprised us all. This was an add-on to our Southwest USA Road Trip and truly I did not plan for us to spend enough time here! We loved so much about our experience and we really did not have the chance to see everything. While it was hot, it wasn’t unbearable in August and there were plenty of places to take short hikes and get back to the car if you have little ones. The actual joshua trees were so unique we easily spent hours talking and laughing and making up stories about them, each of us trying to find one more distinctive than the last.

Overall, this was a great hiking experience for us! As newbies, we weren’t yet ready to hike for days at a time so driving through parts of the park and hiking for a couple of hours at a time was the perfect way for us to get some practice in without making anyone miserable. The only thing I wish we had done was to plan to stay through until dark. We had other places to see and wanted to get on the road again, but given the chance, we would all love to stick around and watch the stars come out.

Now that we know Joshua Tree is an International Dark Sky Park, it’s definitely a place we’d like to revisit! Learning that these designated parks have to meet criteria for “quality of starry nights” and as a “nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment,” we’re making new lists of places to see…at night!