Joshua Tree National Park
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Joshua Tree National Park
Rode a little over 700 miles round trip over 4 days. I went through the park twice, once from the south entrance up to Joshua Tree and a second time from Joshua Tree to Twenty Nine Palms. Riding throughout is actually pretty good with lots of fun road and interesting views, but the section from Joshua Tree up to Skull Rock on the Loop Road was the best. If I were to do it again, I would pack a picnic and spend the whole day there watching the rock climbers.
This time of year (Spring) the weather can be hard to predict. We had a storm come down from the north and cool things off enough to make me wish I had worn an extra layer, but it also cooled Palm Springs down enough to make it comfortable. Since we wanted to hang out there for a day, it worked out pretty well.
We stayed at the Best Western in Yucca Valley. It was a bit expensive relatively speaking, but it was a nice room. There is very little lodging in Joshua Tree, so best bets are either Twenty Nine Palms or Yucca Valley. I prefer Yucca Valley. The area is pretty popular with bikers, so lots of bars and places to eat. A few pics...
This time of year (Spring) the weather can be hard to predict. We had a storm come down from the north and cool things off enough to make me wish I had worn an extra layer, but it also cooled Palm Springs down enough to make it comfortable. Since we wanted to hang out there for a day, it worked out pretty well.
We stayed at the Best Western in Yucca Valley. It was a bit expensive relatively speaking, but it was a nice room. There is very little lodging in Joshua Tree, so best bets are either Twenty Nine Palms or Yucca Valley. I prefer Yucca Valley. The area is pretty popular with bikers, so lots of bars and places to eat. A few pics...
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I planned this trip for like 6 months before I was able to pull the trigger. Had to have all of the stars line up just right: things quiet at work, wifey can get the time off (she needs at least 2 weeks notice), and the weather is good.
The Winter is when the desert SW gets most of its rain and when the storms come down from Alaska, it can get pretty darn cold. The park is at 4,000 feet too, so it is even colder there. It might be a little more predictable in the Fall than the Spring. We had rain on the ride out, but the day we spent in the park we had temps in the 60's and 70's with clear skies and no breeze. Basically... postcard perfect.
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Could be a good Los Angeles by-pass route: through the park to Yucca Valley, then north to Barstow and Bakersfield. The ride through the park is a lot of 35MPH, so it can be slow going, but worth it. That's what I'm thinking about for my next trip into CA anyway. From Bakersfield, its either west to the Pacific Coast or north to the Sierra Nevada's.
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From: Henderson, Nevada
I think Joshua Tree National park must be some sort of secret. Rode though many times, great desert escape. Great photos, ready to go again. I leave Las Vegas south to Route 66 to Amboy (great ride) then to 29 Palms to Joshua Tree National Park. Also my prefered route to San Diego for some Padres baseball.
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