An Inside Guide to Joshua Tree
With temperatures hitting their sweet spot and festival season getting underway, there’s no better time to head to the California desert than now. Here’s our guide to the best of the Wild West, with tips on what to do and where to stay.
- Category
- Inside Guide
- Written by
- Roshan McArthur
- Published
- March 31, 2025
Gram Parsons died there, U2 wrote an album about it, and a slew of music videos and B-Westerns have been filmed on its streets and trails. At its heart is a national park full of oversized boulders and Yucca brevifolia, spiky succulents named by Mormon settlers for the biblical figure Joshua lifting his arms to the heavens in prayer. It's the land of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, as well as jackrabbits, tarantulas and rattlesnakes. It's also a community full of artists and rebels living defiantly off grid, with a vibrant—if decidedly eccentric—cultural scene.
If you’re planning a trip to Joshua Tree (which you should), here are our tips on what to do and where to stay.
Ten things to do in Joshua Tree
1. Visit Joshua Tree National Park
A visit to the park is non-negotiable, and if you feel like hiking, one of our local hosts Jennifer Gladysz recommends the trails at Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Split Rock Loop and North View. Get there early to beat the crowds in peak season. For guided rockclimbing, she also recommends Cliffhanger Guides, and for guided adventures The Wandering Mojave and Joshua Tree Adventures.
2. Explore Pioneertown
This 1880s-themed movie set was established in 1946 and, over the years, it has provided the backdrop for over 50 films and TV shows. Today, it’s a required stop for anyone wanting the full Wild West experience. Walk Mane Street and shop for leather goods, ceramics, crystals and even coyote bones. If you're hungry, stop by the Red Dog Saloon or the legendary Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace (and take in a live band while you're there).
3. Discover the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art
If you’re a fan of folk art, this outdoor sculpture park is a must-see. Noah Purifoy, the founding director of Watts Towers in LA, created these sculptures in the last decade of his life, and the four acres of outlandish installations are open to the public, free of charge.
4. Meet the Art Queen
A community hub in the town of Joshua Tree, the Art Queen is a vibrant center for retail, art, music and all things vintage, extraterrestrial and kooky. You'll find it at 61855 Highway 62. While you’re there, visit the World Famous Crochet Museum, the Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum, and the Alien Robot Museum. And don’t forget to stop by the Art Queen shop itself, founded by artist Shari Elf.
5. Shop some more
Other local retailers recommended by our hosts include Mojave Flea and The Desert Omen in Yucca Valley, plus JT Trading Post and Coyote Corner in Joshua Tree.
6. Eat & drink
Choose from a variety of local favorites, including host-recommended La Copine, The Tiny Pony Tavern and The Copper Room in Yucca Valley, Kitchen in the Desert in 29 Palms, and The Dez and Roadrunner Grab and Go in Joshua Tree itself. For a caffeine hit, don't miss Joshua Tree Coffee.
7. Check out the Joshua Tree Retreat Center
The buildings of this cultural center were designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright), and visitors are invited to explore its organic cafe, a garden with a rotating collection of public art, and a labyrinth.
8. Stop by Desert X
The famous annual treasure hunt of art installations around the Coachella Valley isn’t in Joshua Tree, but it’s a great pitstop en route from LA. This year it’s on from March 8 to May 11, and features works by Kimsooja, Alison Saar and Sanford Biggers.
9. Gaze at the stars
Do it yourself in the wild, gaze through the skylight above your bed at The Yucca, or take a guided tour.
10. Soundbathe
For a true High Desert experience, book a sound bath at the legendary Integratron in Landers. Alternatively, Jennifer suggests reaching out to Dana at Methods + Rituals for an in-home sound bath or cacao ceremony.
Where to stay
The Bust’n B Ranch, Pioneertown
Recently featured in Architectural Digest, the former home of a county sheriff has been reimagined by designer Sydney Ballesteros as a contemporary Western hideout, complete with cacti, boulders and saltwater pool.
The Yucca & The Ocotillo, Pipes Canyon
Designed by architect Duane Smith of Hundred Mile House, with interiors by Tyler Henry and Brandy Joy Smith, these two off-grid cabins were designed for stargazing and soaking in the silence of Pipes Canyon, just outside Pioneertown.
Panorama House, Yucca Valley
This vivid white modernist home with a cantilevered roof and wraparound deck was a passion project for its owner Julie Park, perfectly realized among the boulders of Yucca Valley.
Merchant House, Morongo Valley
A desert outpost created by stylist Denise Portmans and her artist daughter Sara Marlowe Hall, this home is a visual feast filled with shoppable art and treasures.
Casa Bella, Landers
This secluded desert modern getaway features a pool, fire pit, grill, outdoor shower and hot tub. And swaying hammocks complete the picture.
For a full selection of our Joshua Tree homes, click here.
Photography: Roshan McArthur; three property photos (bottom) courtesy of The Bust'n B Ranch, Casa Bella and The Yucca
