It’s been a minute since I’ve actually made the trip to Joshua tree, but I’m finally taking the time to write about it. A few (ok, maybe more than a few) months ago, my friend asked me if I wanted to join her camping in Joshua tree. Of course, I said yes.
We left super early in the morning on Saturday, spent the night camping and then left on Sunday afternoon. Since it’s not a super far drive from Phoenix (about 3.5 hours), we were able to get there pretty early in the morning and spend the day exploring.
We were only there overnight, so we knew we had to pack a lot into a pretty quick trip.
Our first stop after arriving in the park was a ranger station to pick up a map and some cool souvenirs. I bought a mug and a stargazing guide, both of which I’d consider to be good purchases considering how much use they’ve gotten since then.
We decided on a few of the places we really wanted to see, including Arch Rock and Skull Rock. Using the map, we were able to figure out all the places we wanted to go and the best way to get there. We did try to put a bit of time limit on ourselves, just to make sure we had enough time to get through the park and set up our campsite. If you’ve never been to the park before, you’d be surprised how long it takes you to drive from end to end.
Whenever we saw something cool, we pulled over to explore for a bit, always getting the best photo when we could. Here are some of the top things to do while you’re in the park:
Camping
In my opinion, the best way to spend your time in Joshua tree is to camp while you’re there. While I stayed a campground just next to the park, there are a lot of campgrounds in the park itself. Each campground offers a much different feeling with each of them being in different areas of the park.
Joshua Tree is located in Southern California, so it can get pretty hot but since it’s a desert, it does cool off at night. I went in early October, so I definitely needed a jacket after the sun went down. The best camping months are the spring and fall, so think April, May, September, and October.
Skull Rock
Skull Rock is a pretty notable rock formation in the park, creatively names after the fact the rock looks a bit like a skull. This particular rock is off the side of a road and can get pretty busy. If you’re in the park on a weekend, expect a line of cars near this particular location.
Arch Rock
Arch Rock is another super notable rock formation in the park. Had this trip not been the first time I was trying astrophotography, I may have tried to get a shot here.
It’s a pretty open path until you get closer to the rock and there will generally be a line of people going to see the Arch as well. This is another formation I recommend getting to early.
Hall of Horrors
We also stopped in the Hall of Horrors area. While this wasn’t a stop we planned on originally, it was hard for us to pass up given the name. We walked around the area for a bit and the actual hall of horrors is a bit tricky to find. We did climb on some rocks here though.
Stargazing
Last but not least, my personal favorite activity any time I’m able to get away from a city is stargazing. Joshua Tree is a designated dark spot, meaning it’s far enough away from light pollution to get amazing photos of the night sky.
Before our trip, I asked my friend if she’d be willing to drive me into the park when the sun went down so I could take some photos. It was cold, we had to wear headlamps, and setting up in different spots took some work, but she was a good sport.
Prior to our trip, I read a lot of blog posts, watched YouTube videos, and downloaded a few apps to learn how to do this. I already owned a Nikon D5300 (which is a crop sensor NOT full frame) and settled on purchasing a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 wide angle lens to get the shot I wanted.
I took all of these at f/2.8 ISO 640 with a shutter speed of 20-30 seconds. They all took a bit of editing, but I was pretty excited for how my first astrophotography shots turned out.
