Routes at a glance
| From | How | Time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Car | About 2 hours | Via I-10; much longer on Friday afternoons |
| Palm Springs airport (PSP) | Taxi or ride-hailing | 5–10 minutes | The airport is almost in the town centre |
| San Diego | Car | About 2.5 hours | Inland freeways or the scenic mountain road |
| Las Vegas | Car | About 4 hours | A lonely desert drive past Mojave National Preserve |
| Palm Springs to Joshua Tree (west entrance) | Car | 45–55 minutes | Via Highway 62 and the town of Joshua Tree |
| Palm Springs to Joshua Tree (south entrance) | Car | About 1 hour | Via I-10 to Cottonwood |
| Los Angeles to Joshua Tree | Guided day tour | About 10 hours return | The main car-free option |
Joshua Tree’s three entrances
The West Entrance at the town of Joshua Tree is closest to Hidden Valley and Keys View and has the longest queues, especially on spring weekends. The North Entrance at Twentynine Palms is usually quicker. The South Entrance at Cottonwood, off Interstate 10, is the quietest. Entering at one and leaving by another makes a satisfying day’s loop of about 100 km (60 miles) through the park.
The entrance fee is charged per vehicle and is valid for a week; the America the Beautiful pass covers it.
Desert driving
There is no fuel, food or drinking water for sale inside the park and almost no phone signal. Fill the tank in Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms or Indio, carry at least four litres (one gallon) of water per person per day and download maps in advance. Stay on paved and signed dirt roads unless you have a high-clearance vehicle.
Getting around locally
- A car is essential for the national park and helpful for everything outside downtown Palm Springs.
- Downtown Palm Springs is walkable, and many hotels lend bikes.
- Ride-hailing works within the Coachella Valley but not in or around the park.
- The tramway’s valley station is about 15 minutes’ drive from downtown, up a steep access road.
- In hot weather, start at sunrise and be off the trails by late morning.
