Staff Pick
Road Trip Palm Springs → Joshua Tree – Coachella Valley
Palm Springs
Twentynine Palms
95
km
1h30
drive
Spring
season
The Itinerary
Palm Springs, the desert's chic oasis at the foot of Mount San Jacinto (3,302 m), is famous for its 1950s modernist architecture (Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Bob Hope all had homes here), pools, hot springs, and aerial tramway — the world's largest rotating tram — climbing to 2,596 m in 10 minutes.
50 minutes east, Joshua Tree National Park merges two deserts: the Colorado (low elevation, ocotillos, cholla cactus) in the south and the Mojave (high elevation, the famous Joshua trees) in the north. Granite boulders eroded into surreal shapes (Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, Jumbo Rocks) make Joshua Tree a world-class climbing paradise.
The Coachella Valley between them holds Indian Wells boutiques, the Coachella music festival (April), and — more authentic — the Salton Sea, an orphan salt sea in slow dehydration. Avoid in summer (45°C+). October to April are ideal.
50 minutes east, Joshua Tree National Park merges two deserts: the Colorado (low elevation, ocotillos, cholla cactus) in the south and the Mojave (high elevation, the famous Joshua trees) in the north. Granite boulders eroded into surreal shapes (Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, Jumbo Rocks) make Joshua Tree a world-class climbing paradise.
The Coachella Valley between them holds Indian Wells boutiques, the Coachella music festival (April), and — more authentic — the Salton Sea, an orphan salt sea in slow dehydration. Avoid in summer (45°C+). October to April are ideal.
Points of Interest
-
✦
Joshua Tree National ParkJoshua trees, granite formations, world-class climbing.
-
✦
Palm Springs Aerial TramwayWorld's largest rotating tram, 2,596 m elevation.
-
✦
Cholla Cactus GardenCholla cactus forest, Colorado desert.
-
✦
Salton SeaDisappearing salt sea, migratory birds.
Take this route offline
Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Palm Springs. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.
Try PDF Export How geo-referenced PDF maps workPractical info
- Departure Palm Springs
- Destination Twentynine Palms
- Distance 95 km
- Duration 1h30
- Category Short (< 100 km)
- Best season Spring
Plan your adventure with our interactive map
Open the map