Road Trip San Diego to Joshua Tree – Desert & Joshua Trees

San Diego Joshua Tree National Park
270
km
3h
drive
Spring
season

The Itinerary

Joshua Tree National Park, where the Mojave (high desert) and Colorado (low desert) deserts meet, hosts the iconic Joshua Trees — giant yucca with twisted silhouettes.

Keys View (panoramic view of Coachella Valley), Hidden Valley (easy hike), Skull Rock (photogenic rock formations), Cholla Cactus Garden, Barker Dam. Popular for climbing and stargazing. En route, Palm Springs (mid-century modern oasis) and the San Andreas Fault (visible geological fault). U2's "The Joshua Tree" album (1987) immortalized the park.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Joshua Trees
    Yuccas géants emblématiques, immortalisés par U2.
  • ✦
    Keys View
    Belvédère sur la vallée Coachella, vue à 100 km par temps clair.
  • ✦
    Skull Rock + Hidden Valley
    Formations rocheuses photogéniques, sentiers faciles.
  • ✦
    Palm Springs
    Oasis mid-century modern, piscines, design.

Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave San Diego. 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 work
Practical info
  • Departure San Diego
  • Destination Joshua Tree National Park
  • Distance 270 km
  • Duration 3h
  • Category Long (250–500 km)
  • Best season Spring
Themes
desert park Iconic Spring star unique climbing

Plan your adventure with our interactive map

Open the map
All road trips