Park #7: Joshua Tree National Park

While we may not be able to hit a record, six parks this year, we are still on our quest to cover all fifty-nine. We started out 2018 with a California classic, Joshua Tree National Park. It is no wonder that Joshua Tree is a rock climbing mecca. Rock piles are as plentiful, if not more so, than the Joshua Trees that give the park it's name. Our kids have never met a rock pile they didn't like, so this park was their dream come true.

We arrived late and set up in the dark, which allowed us to be pleasantly surprised by the landscape that we woke up to. We camped at Jumbo Rocks Campground. It is one of the four reservable campgrounds in the park, centrally located, and surrounded by beautiful, jumbo-sized rocks. It was like living in Cars Land for three days.

We camped in site #35. Slightly elevated, this loop of the campground did not have as many rocks but did afford for sweeping desert views. Campsites, #8-10, and #90-92 looked awesome to come back to if you want to be right up next to, or nestled in with, the rocks.

After a late start due to high winds, we got everyone dressed... and realized that we left our son's clothes at home. So, we began our first full day with a trip to Walmart. I would not recommend this Joshua Tree excursion, however, as it didn't quite provide the wonder or tranquility that the rest of the our adventure did (but it did provide in the socks and underwear department).

Upon our return, we hiked to Skull Rock--which is a short walk (maybe .5 miles) on a trail that connects directly with Jumbo Rocks Campground. Skull Rock is very popular and looks like, well, a skull. It's an instagramers paradise so you may have to wait in line for a picture. We snapped one near the end of the day when most people had packed up and left. The best part of this skull, however, as is true for most skulls I suppose, is what laid behind it. There is a garden of boulders perfect for scrambling up and around. Our kids spent the better part of an hour exploring.

For our second full day in the park we ventured out to Barker's Dam. This dam was created by cattle rustlers hoping to make a go of it in the arid dessert conditions. Spoiler alert--it didn't work out. While they have long gone, the dam remains. The hike is a relatively flat loop of just over one mile. A section of the trail was closed for repairs while we were there so we did an out and back walk instead. The trail skirts the edge of Wonderland of Rocks and is, as the name implies, a wonder to behold. The walk was beautiful beyond measure and I highly recommend it. Again, at the end of the trail (as well as along it) there are a bounty of rocks for scrambling. Plan to spend some time. Our hike took us just under two hours when we included our exploring time.

After lunch, we trekked back to Skull Rock from our campground and crossed the street. Opposite Skull Rock lies the Discovery Trail. This trail joins the Skull Rock and Face Rock trails and was created by kids, for kids. It is a flat, walkable trail of just under one mile and weaves through two small, slot canyons, past (or over) lots of great rocks, and through washes. There are also a number of interpretive signs along the way. Although there isn't a ton of elevation gain, the little that there is provides a great vantage point of the area. I highly recommend the trail for anyone with littles, it was a great walk. Our four year-old loved it so much he told a group of 20-somethings coming off Skull Rock trail all about it and encouraged them to follow along with us.

Before heading out on our last day, we drove over to Hall of Horrors. This area is full of great rock climbing routes but it is also a gorgeous place to walk around and provided some of the most difficult rock scrambles we attempted while in the park. At one point, I got a little clammy squeezing through an opening just big enough for my body. It wasn't as bad as it sounds but, in my mind, I was mildly certain that that would be the way in which I would shuffle off this mortal coil. As a result, I sat out the last climb, which was apparently, the best one of the trip (of course). The last pile we climbed was towards the back of the Hall of Horrors area and, at the top, there was a large, grassy plateau with evidence of Big Horn sheep. While no actual sheep were spotted (which is a top-10-list item for our National Park project), it was the closest we have been yet.

After a little over an hour of exploring, we hit the road and headed for home. While we were sad to put Joshua Tree behind us we vowed, as we always do, that this would not be out last trip. That's the thing about this adventure we are on--we are visiting places that we have never been but, now that we have seen the wonder they offer, we can't imagine not visiting them again. Until next time!