3 Days in Joshua Tree
Three Days in Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park, California
DO: Explore both ends of the park! They definitely had a different vibe!
DON’T: Skimp on Accommodations-our @Destination_JoshuaTree Airbnb really made the trip!
Imagine warm days exploring in the desert and cool nights stargazing in the hot tub with a glass of wine. Our three days in Joshua Tree ended an incredible one-week trip to California! This was our first major travel adventure with Graham (4-months) and we learned a lot about traveling with a baby! We found this National Park to be really unique and thought the desert was breathtaking. It also was very kid-friendly! We had four kids under 4!!! Three Days was perfect for this destination & we have created a full itinerary for you!
Below you will find:
Where to Stay in Joshua
Joshua Tree National Park Highlights (with Kids!)
Places to Eat & Drink
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Check out our full 3-day Joshua Tree Itinerary!
What’s Included:
A Fully Customizable Itinerary
Instantly Download right to your device
Accommodation Options
Where to Eat & Drink
A Pinned Google Map
Daily Activities
Links to Book Everything
Discount Codes
Our Expert Advice on Traveling to your next destination!
Day 1: Settle in to Your Accommodations & Explore Joshua Tree Town
Where to Stay
We found “Mojave Vista” on Airbnb & boy were we impressed. This place was incredible! It had the perfect amenities for our group of 3 couples with 4 total kids. The house had:
A heated pool
8-person hot tub
Tetherball & Horseshoes
An Amazing Gas Firepit
A relaxing hammock
3 Bedrooms & 2 Full Baths
A very well-equipped kitchen
Head to toe renovations.
We would highly recommend this place for a group! The sunsets from our back yard could not be beat.
We like to spend our first day settling in & getting our bearings! We unfortunately got stuck in some traffic on our trek from Catalina Island so we didn’t get in until sunset. Our Airbnb was about 5 minutes from the main strip of Joshua Tree Town, so we were able to grab groceries, grill out & enjoy our backyard for the evening!
Day 2: Explore Joshua Tree
National Park
Joshua Tree National Park: Twentynine Palms Side
Highlights :
Cholla Cactus Garden
Arch Rock Hike
Skull Rock
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We decided to drive to the furthest point & make our way back towards town! These three spots were great for pictures & were easy with kids! After our morning in the park, we stopped at the Joshua Tree Saloon for lunch. It was great! The atmosphere was really cool on the back patio and our food & drinks were very good. We then visited the Joshua Tree Visitor Center to stamp Graham’s Jr. Ranger book, and then Coyote Corner to get Graham a postcard, Nate a sticker & some other cool gear. These were all right next to one another. We spent our evening at Mojave Vista & got lucky to have a clear night to see the Milky Way!
Day 3: Explore Joshua Tree
National Park
Joshua Tree National Park: Joshua Tree Side
Highlights:
Quail Springs Area
Hidden Valley Nature Scenic Loop
Hall of Horrors
We entered the park through the other side on our last day! It was perfect because it wasn’t quite as far. Had we not had all the kids, we probably would have started the morning with a hike at the Ryan Mountain Overlook. Instead, we decided to just stop at some easy stopping points & were not disappointed. The drive was beautiful. We didn’t have the Quail Hollow stop planned, but decided to stop because we wanted to see some of the rock climbers. It was a great place to get some pictures & you could climb to the top of the rocks easily to get a great view of the park. There were Joshua Trees Everywhere. In retrospect,f I think it would have been fun to pack a picnic for this stop from DEZ Fine Food Takeaway, but instead, after exploring, we headed back into town to pick up sandwiches & salads from here to take to Joshua Tree Brewery. Once again, we spent our last evening just hanging at our Airbnb, soaking up the sunset, stars, fire pit & taking some family photos.
Other Suggested Joshua Tree Stops:
Our Exploring was not as fast-paced as we’re used to, so we didn’t get to fit in as much as we normally would have! With more time we would also have visited these places:
Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Museum
Pioneertown & Pappy and Harriet’s
The Station
Lost Horse Mine Loop Trail
Other hikes in JTNP
Be sure to check out our Full Joshua Tree Itinerary by signing up below!
The trips we plan around National Parks usually end up being pretty epic experiences, and this one was no different. If you want more information, download our FREE Joshua Tree 3-Day Itinerary! Interested in another destination? Click below for more information about our Curated Trips!
What should the Duhls Do next?
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