Joshua Tree National Park is a surreal desert landscape unlike anywhere else. Protected as a national monument in 1936 and a national park in 1994, it covers about 800,000 acres in Southern California, close to Palm Springs and about 140 miles east of Los Angeles. Facilities are limited, and that wild, remote feeling is exactly why millions of people visit every year.

The park sits where two deserts meet, the higher Mojave and the lower Colorado, and each has its own look. The shaggy, twisting Joshua trees give the park its name, and giant boulder piles create a playground for hikers and rock climbers, with more than 8,000 climbing routes. Watch for bighorn sheep, coyotes and jackrabbits, see the Cholla Cactus Garden glow at sunset, and visit in spring when wildflowers bloom. After dark, the clear skies make for spectacular stargazing.

Joshua Tree is best visited from fall through spring, as summers are extremely hot. I'll plan your route and lodging, from desert rentals to Palm Springs resorts, and help you combine it with Palm Springs.