Hiking Info
- Trailhead location: Fortynine Palms Canyon Road, Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
- Out and back trail: 3.5 miles roundtrip
- Rated: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 350 feet
- Free parking at trailhead
When To Go
The best time of year to visit Joshua Tree National Park is March-May and October-November.
Avoid July & August, too hot to do anything.
The winter months of December – February are cold but still doable if you prefer off season travel.
June and September are on the hotter side, but if you avoid midday hiking you would be okay.
49 Palms Oasis Hike
49 Palms Oasis is a nice moderate short hike to a secluded palm oasis (you guessed it). The palm trees are clustered near an out of place spring of water in the middle of the arid desert. The trees look really out of place here among the cacti. They were originally planted there by miners to mark the spring.
This trail is well marked, but has less traffic. It’s located in the park, but has no ranger station. For this reason you don’t need a park pass to park and hike, a huge plus for hikers without a yearly National Parks pass, or if you’re just passing through. Although this hike is technically within the National Park boundaries, you won’t see Joshua Trees along the path.
As you start the trail, you’ll notice it features a lot of cool looking red barrel cacti. As you climb higher, you’ll get all panoramic views of Forty-nine Palms Canyon. As you descend back down you can start to see the palms coming up from the spring, a cluster of greenery rising up from large boulders. The palms offer great shade at the end of a hike. It’s a good place to bring a picnic to relax.
Do you know any other great hikes in the high desert that we should try? Please leave them in the comments below.