The Quick and Dirty:
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Schedule: 2.5 hour drive, one way from Orange County to Joshua Tree National Park. We had time to do several hikes (total about 7 miles) before sunset.
Dogs Allowed? No dogs are allowed on trails inside the park with the exception of the Oasis of Mara Trail near the visitor center in Twentynine Palms.
Good to Know: Like many other national parks, there are several entrances for the park. Plan out your driving directions to eliminate the amount of driving within the National Park.
Entrance Fee: $20 per vehicle, it is good for 7 days.My friend Azrina has been visiting us this month from Boston and wanted to check out Joshua Tree National Park since it’s the closest national park from our house. We left Saturday morning at around 8AM and planned to do several short day hikes within the park before heading back. We entered the park at its West entrance station and hiked Barker Dam, Wall Street Mill, Hidden Valley and climbed Ryan Peak.

Barker Dam, Wall Street Mill and Hidden Valley were short hikes about 1-2 miles each, it’s very easy to do.

Barker Dam

Abandoned car near the Wall Street Mill

Wall Street Mill

Azrina and I rock scrambling while wearing the same colored jackets

Made it to the top!

Ryan Mountain is a 3 mile round trip hike. It’s also an easy hike and we were able to get up and down in about an hour and a half with plenty of photo breaks in between. We ended our day with a great cardio workout climbing to the top of the peak and slowly coming down the mountain while enjoying the sunset.

Group photo on top of Ryan Mountain

Sunset on the way down.