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Multi-Day Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park

Duration
2-4 days
Season
March through June, September through November
Group size
Up to 8 people
Difficulty
Intermediate to advanced

There’s so much to do in Joshua Tree National Park’s 800,000 acres of Western wilderness. Nestled between two ecoregions—the Mojave and Sonoran deserts—this scenic national park is full of arid landscapes, numerous peaks, rugged rock formations, unique wildlife, and most of all, world-class hikes. Whether you’re strolling among the wildflowers enveloped by Hidden Valley’s natural rock walls, or pushing through the fatigue on Ryan Mountain’s steep trails to experience the sunset from its peak, no two days are ever the same in Joshua Tree. Explore the historical mine shafts, uncover hidden trails, and sleep soundly under the stars—the desert might not be such a bad place after all! Learn more about the best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park from Liz Thomas, professional hiker and guidebook author.

Adventure highlights

  • Learn about the remnants of Joshua Tree’s rich frontier history
  • Explore some of California’s most engaging hikes through scenic nature
  • Get lost in Joshua Tree’s otherworldly rock formations and desert landscapes
Highlighted reviews from other travellers
S
Shannon L
Perfect Private Hike!

We had an absolute blast with Travis! He completely tailored our private hike to our requests (wanted to see all kinds of trees, flowers, and plants, and landscapes, and didn’t want to see other people around). Highlight for me was when he decided to take us up a rocky/boulder portion of a mountain. We loved it and it was so fun navigating the rock climbing. We would have absolutely never known we could have accessed the route by going up that part of the mountain. Travis was also incredibly knowledgeable about all the plants, cacti, flowers, and even sand patterns in the dessert. We learned sooo much. Made sure we saw beautiful, different parts of the park (it’s huge and we’ve been multiple times!). Highly recommend Travis!!

W
Wally T.

Michelle was the perfect tour guide for our family. She was kind and patient with the members of our family ranging from 12 to 70. Michelle was very willing and attempted to please our many requests which she did with a smile. She even brought a cake for a surprise Birthday party. Michelle enthusiastically detailed the life of the park and many fascinating facts and fun spots to visit and hike. The hikes were age-appropriate in terms of accessibility yet fun with views and wildlife. We were able to do and see all we did because of Michelle and her professionalism as a tour guide. She fit in like one of the family.

L
Lorraine E.

We had the best experience- better than we could have imagined. The thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and knowledge of our guide, Jason, made our tour fabulous. The amount that we learned was extraordinary, and the number of sights we saw because of his experience and guidance was exactly why we wanted this tour. We highly recommend this tour.

Show all reviews

Available itineraries

Two-Day Custom Private Hiking Tour

If you’ve never been backpacking before and want to find out if it’s for you, this is a great place to start! With a wide variety of natural phenomena and hiking trails in Joshua Tree, hiking with a knowledgeable guide will upgrade your experience to the next level! Let them chart the route according to your thirst for challenge and abilities, and conquer one of 50 notable peaks in the national park. 

  • Arrive in Palm Springs, and meet your guide by early afternoon. After arrival, you’ll stop for a lunch break (lunch not included) before continuing on to Joshua Tree. To give you a good idea of what Joshua Tree hiking is all about, you and your group will warm up with a short, 3-mile walk to 49 Palms Oasis. Afterward, continue to your campsite at Indian Cove, where you will set up camp, eat a hearty dinner, get to know the crew, and review your full adventure with your guide.
    Meals included: Dinner

    Hikers on a trail in Joshua Tree
  • Head out bright and early for a 3-mile round trip to catch the sunrise from the top of Ryan Mountain. Feeling energized from your morning, continue your day on Joshua Tree’s hiking trails with a trip to Lost Horse Mine or a walk along the famous Boy Scout Trail, depending on trail and weather conditions. These are some of the best hiking trails in Joshua Tree!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

    Mountains and Joshua Trees in Joshua Tree
  • Pack up camp and prepare to see even more of the park, with short hikes to Hidden Valley and Barker Dam and roadside stops at Skull Rock and Cholla Gardens. After a short walk to the Cottonwood Oasis, settle into your new home for the night at Cottonwood campground, where you and your crew will toast to your final night under the stars!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

    Hikers on a cliff in Joshua Tree National Park
  • Time to wrap up your outing in Joshua Tree National Park! But first, squeeze in one more sunrise hike to the top of Mastodon Peak (2.6 miles round trip) for some final views of the desert. After you pack up, head back to Palm Springs for afternoon departures and goodbyes!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

    Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park
Four-Day Custom Private Hiking Tour

Do you crave deep exposure to the desert landscape and have that insatiable desire to see what’s over every ridge or just around every bend? Join a local guide on this 4-day tour and crawl every rock, see every star, and follow every inclination you have while trekking in Joshua Tree National Park. 

  • Arrive in Palm Springs, and meet your guide by early afternoon. After arrival, you’ll stop for a lunch break (lunch not included) before continuing on to Joshua Tree. To give you a good idea of what Joshua Tree hiking is all about, you and your group will warm up with a short, 3-mile walk to 49 Palms Oasis. Afterward, continue to your campsite at Indian Cove, where you will set up camp, eat a hearty dinner, get to know the crew, and review your full adventure with your guide.
    Meals included: Dinner

    Hikers on a trail in Joshua Tree
  • Head out bright and early for a 3-mile round trip to catch the sunrise from the top of Ryan Mountain. Feeling energized from your morning, continue your day on Joshua Tree’s hiking trails with a trip to Lost Horse Mine or a walk along the famous Boy Scout Trail, depending on trail and weather conditions. These are some of the best hiking trails in Joshua Tree!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

    Mountains and Joshua Trees in Joshua Tree
  • Pack up camp and prepare to see even more of the park, with short hikes to Hidden Valley and Barker Dam and roadside stops at Skull Rock and Cholla Gardens. After a short walk to the Cottonwood Oasis, settle into your new home for the night at Cottonwood campground, where you and your crew will toast to your final night under the stars!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

    Hikers on a cliff in Joshua Tree National Park
  • Time to wrap up your outing in Joshua Tree National Park! But first, squeeze in one more sunrise hike to the top of Mastodon Peak (2.6 miles round trip) for some final views of the desert. After you pack up, head back to Palm Springs for afternoon departures and goodbyes!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

    Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park
Four-Day Group Hiking and Camping Tour

Explore the ins and outs of California’s amazing Joshua Tree National Park! This four-day adventure will take you on some of the best hikes in Joshua Tree, such as Lost Horse Mine, Mastodon Peak, Hidden Valley, and many more. Camp in beautiful areas and enjoy nights under the West Coast’s starry skies. Spend your evenings off the trails eating delicious meals and toasting with your friends—the perfect way to refill your energy for new adventures!

  • Arrive in Palm Springs, and meet your guide by early afternoon. After arrival, you’ll stop for a lunch break (lunch not included) before continuing on to Joshua Tree. To give you a good idea of what Joshua Tree hiking is all about, you and your group will warm up with a short, 3-mile walk to 49 Palms Oasis. Afterward, continue to your campsite at Indian Cove, where you will set up camp, eat a hearty dinner, get to know the crew, and review your full adventure with your guide.
    Meals included: Dinner

    Hikers on a trail in Joshua Tree
  • Head out bright and early for a 3-mile round trip to catch the sunrise from the top of Ryan Mountain. Feeling energized from your morning, continue your day on Joshua Tree’s hiking trails with a trip to Lost Horse Mine or a walk along the famous Boy Scout Trail, depending on trail and weather conditions. These are some of the best hiking trails in Joshua Tree!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

    Mountains and Joshua Trees in Joshua Tree
  • Pack up camp and prepare to see even more of the park, with short hikes to Hidden Valley and Barker Dam and roadside stops at Skull Rock and Cholla Gardens. After a short walk to the Cottonwood Oasis, settle into your new home for the night at Cottonwood campground, where you and your crew will toast to your final night under the stars!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

    Hikers on a cliff in Joshua Tree National Park
  • Time to wrap up your outing in Joshua Tree National Park! But first, squeeze in one more sunrise hike to the top of Mastodon Peak (2.6 miles round trip) for some final views of the desert. After you pack up, head back to Palm Springs for afternoon departures and goodbyes!
    Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

    Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park
Adventure brochure
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If you have questions or need help with planning a trip, schedule a call with one of our adventure experts.

Meet your guides

Travis Puglisi
5.00
Travis Puglisi
Wandering Mojave Hiking Services
Wandering Mojave Hiking Services
Travis Puglisi, owner and operator of Wandering Mojave, has worked with the Mojave Desert Land Trust, been an instructor for the Desert Institute, and spent 27 months living and working in Antarctica.  Permitted, insured, and a certified Wilderness First Responder through the NOLs program, Travis is equipped to operate on protected lands in and around Joshua Tree National Park as an educator and safety buddy for larger expeditions.
Wandering Mojave Hiking Services
5.00
Wandering Mojave Hiking Services
Wandering Mojave Hiking Services
Wandering Mojave Hiking Services aims to expand on the meaning of adventure by providing a safe and educational experience that balances your interests, abilities, and available time. They can just as happily help you find the quiet and stillness of observing flora and fauna as help you achieve high mileage over varied terrain.
Good Trip Adventures
5.00
Good Trip Adventures
Good Trip Adventures
Good Trip Adventures provide world-class experiences for all trippers – from first-timers to experienced travelers. They’re not just a local operator but a national company that ensures consistent experiences of the highest quality. Good Trip guides are professionally licensed. They are vetted thoroughly, trained often, and prepared for the unexpected. Most importantly, they love what they do!
5.00(5 reviews)
S
Shannon L
Perfect Private Hike!

We had an absolute blast with Travis! He completely tailored our private hike to our requests (wanted to see all kinds of trees, flowers, and plants, and landscapes, and didn’t want to see other people around). Highlight for me was when he decided to take us up a rocky/boulder portion of a mountain. We loved it and it was so fun navigating the rock climbing. We would have absolutely never known we could have accessed the route by going up that part of the mountain. Travis was also incredibly knowledgeable about all the plants, cacti, flowers, and even sand patterns in the dessert. We learned sooo much. Made sure we saw beautiful, different parts of the park (it’s huge and we’ve been multiple times!). Highly recommend Travis!!

W
Wally T.

Michelle was the perfect tour guide for our family. She was kind and patient with the members of our family ranging from 12 to 70. Michelle was very willing and attempted to please our many requests which she did with a smile. She even brought a cake for a surprise Birthday party. Michelle enthusiastically detailed the life of the park and many fascinating facts and fun spots to visit and hike. The hikes were age-appropriate in terms of accessibility yet fun with views and wildlife. We were able to do and see all we did because of Michelle and her professionalism as a tour guide. She fit in like one of the family.

L
Lorraine E.

We had the best experience- better than we could have imagined. The thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and knowledge of our guide, Jason, made our tour fabulous. The amount that we learned was extraordinary, and the number of sights we saw because of his experience and guidance was exactly why we wanted this tour. We highly recommend this tour.

Show all reviews
5.00(5 reviews)
S
Shannon L
Perfect Private Hike!

We had an absolute blast with Travis! He completely tailored our private hike to our requests (wanted to see all kinds of trees, flowers, and plants, and landscapes, and didn’t want to see other people around). Highlight for me was when he decided to take us up a rocky/boulder portion of a mountain. We loved it and it was so fun navigating the rock climbing. We would have absolutely never known we could have accessed the route by going up that part of the mountain. Travis was also incredibly knowledgeable about all the plants, cacti, flowers, and even sand patterns in the dessert. We learned sooo much. Made sure we saw beautiful, different parts of the park (it’s huge and we’ve been multiple times!). Highly recommend Travis!!

W
Wally T.

Michelle was the perfect tour guide for our family. She was kind and patient with the members of our family ranging from 12 to 70. Michelle was very willing and attempted to please our many requests which she did with a smile. She even brought a cake for a surprise Birthday party. Michelle enthusiastically detailed the life of the park and many fascinating facts and fun spots to visit and hike. The hikes were age-appropriate in terms of accessibility yet fun with views and wildlife. We were able to do and see all we did because of Michelle and her professionalism as a tour guide. She fit in like one of the family.

L
Lorraine E.

We had the best experience- better than we could have imagined. The thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and knowledge of our guide, Jason, made our tour fabulous. The amount that we learned was extraordinary, and the number of sights we saw because of his experience and guidance was exactly why we wanted this tour. We highly recommend this tour.

D
Denise

It was a great tour. Beautiful place. Guides, Kyle and Beau, were super nice, knowledgeable, and did their best to give us a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this tour and guides.

M
Maarten V.

We loved our experience and our guides Megan and Alex were great! The hikes were beautiful and we managed to see a lot of wildlife. Our guides were very knowledgeable, sociable and flexible – we would definitely travel with them again. Thanks for a great adventure! 🙂

Things to know

  • 57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

    We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Joshua Tree National Park, California, please refer to Visit California’s COVID-19 travel guidelines and Joshua Tree National Park’s COVID-19 alerts and conditions.

    Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

  • What you get on this adventure:

      • An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
      • Two or four days of hiking
      • Transportation for the duration of the trip
      • Park entry fees
      • Campsite reservations
      • Tent, sleeping pad, and all camping gear for the group tour
      • All meals on the trail

    What’s not included:

      • Transportation to Palm Springs
      • Sleeping bag (available to rent from your guide for $50 USD)
      • Tent and sleeping pad for private tours
      • Personal hiking and camping gear
  • Some hiking experience is recommended for this adventure. You will be hiking for up to 6 hours a day, covering 5-8 miles of terrain with moderate elevation gain. Participants should be comfortable being active for most of the day, multiple days in a row. Keep in mind, the weather can be hot and you’ll also be packing a daypack filled with water and other things you’ll need throughout the day.

  • Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

      • Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 15-30L bag)
      • Hiking poles — optional
      • Warm hat
      • Sun hat with a brim
      • Buff or neck scarf
      • Breathable wicking base layers
      • Warm down, puffy, or fleece jacket
      • Waterproof rain jacket
      • Lightweight hiking pants
      • Warm clothes to sleep in
      • Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
      • Sandals or camp shoes
      • Reusable water bottle or hydration bladder (3L capacity)
      • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
      • Personal first aid kit
      • Headlamp
      • Sunglasses
      • Sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees or below with liner
      • Pack cover
      • Camera — optional (but recommended)

    Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season.

  • Group sizes and prices:

    • For these adventures, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 4:1 for private and 8:1 for group tours. 
    • Costs per person decrease as the group grows for private tours, so it’s the perfect opportunity to hike with friends and family.
    • It takes a minimum of 4 people for the group tour to operate. The cost does not decrease as the group grows.

    Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

    Min. age requirements:

      • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
      • Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

    If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

  • To get to Joshua Tree National Park, CA, most people fly into Los Angeles International Airport 2 hours away. From there, you can take a local flight, rent a car or take a bus to Palm Springs.

    Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet. 

    For the 4-day group tour, your guide can pick you up at the Palm Springs airport shortly after your arrival. Alternatively, they can pick you up at another central point in Palm Springs, or at your accommodation there if you chose to arrive a day early.

  • A 30% deposit is due upon booking. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies. The remaining amount is paid the latest 2 months (60 days) prior to departure.

    Cancellations made more than 30 days before the trip start date will receive a refund, less a 20% cancellation fee. Cancellations made within 30 days of a trip start date will receive no refund.

Have more questions? Read our FAQ, or Talk with us
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