Top 5 Things to Do in Joshua Tree, CA

May 14

Joshua Trees in field with mountains and sunset behind them

Joshua Tree National Park is one of my favorite places to visit for it’s serene environment, unreal stillness, incredible night skies, artistic and relaxing airbnbs, and spiritual/meditative experiences to boot! Here are my top five favorite things to do while visiting!

Hi there! We’re Tana and Cory Metcalf - a husband and wife photo/video team, local to Utah! We love exploring all that the world has to offer and taking our doggos along for the journey, as well!

Bride and groom smiling at camera with beanies on in front of ice wall

Finding the Perfect Airbnb

Man in desert blanket drinking coffee in front of desert plants and boulders in the background

Joshua Tree, CA is chock-full of artistic, kooky, peaceful and relaxing airbnbs and it is part of the appeal of visiting the city to begin with!

My favorite company is The Joshua Tree House for their lovely design in architecture for the airbnbs they create! House of Kuna is also amazing!

2. Joshua Tree National Park

Couple hugging and laughing in front of Joshua Trees and sunset

Here are some gorgeous and scenic hikes to view the chunky boulders of JTNP as well as the namesake Joshua Trees!

Skull Rock Nature Trail - 1.7 mile loop (It’s fun to venture further back too and explore the boulders and slots to crawl through)

Arch Rock - 1.4 miles round trip (Heart Rock is a cute stopping point for Instagram along the way)

Hidden Valley Nature Trail - 1 mile (great view of Joshua Trees)

Cholla Cactus Garden - fuzzy cacti garden that is gorgeous to walk though at sunset

3. Downtown JT (or nearby) -

Shopping & Where to Eat

Walk the shops at downtown Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley or Twentynine Palms to find one of a kind items, home decor, art, and clothing! Not to mention grab some delicious food along the way!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Favorite Shops:

Acme 5 Lifestyle - Home Decor (everything you need to live your best desert life!)

This N That Desert Treasures Best Thrift Shop in JT

Favorite Eats:

Sky High Pie JT - Pizza

Luna Sourdough - Pastries, Breakfast, Lunch