Scott's 29 Palms/Joshua Tree Guidebook

Sightseeing

Joshua Tree National Park

The park entrance is only 10 minutes away from the house right outside of downtown Twentynine Palms. Joshua Tree National Park is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. Entry is $30 per vehicle and the pass is good for seven days. Passes can be purchased at the entry gate or on recreation.gov.

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Joshua Tree National Park

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The park entrance is only 10 minutes away from the house right outside of downtown Twentynine Palms. Joshua Tree National Park is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. Entry is $30 per vehicle and the pass is good for seven days. Passes can be purchased at the entry gate or on recreation.gov.

Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center

Great place to go to see the stars and it's free to enter. It's located right outside the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. 9697 Utah Trl, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277.

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Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center

9697 Utah Trail

78 personas locales recomiendan

Great place to go to see the stars and it's free to enter. It's located right outside the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. 9697 Utah Trl, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277.

Cholla Cactus Garden

Approximately 12 miles (20 km) south of the park’s north entrance in Twentynine Palms is the 0.25 mile (0.4 km) Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail; this flat loop leads hikers through nearly 10 acres (4 hectares) of landscape dominated by the teddybear cholla. This unusual stand of cacti is located in the Pinto Basin, a large expanse of alluvial fans covered with creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa) for as far as the eye can see. There are very few teddybear cholla stands in the park.

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Cholla Cactus Garden

Cholla Cactus Garden Trail

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Approximately 12 miles (20 km) south of the park’s north entrance in Twentynine Palms is the 0.25 mile (0.4 km) Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail; this flat loop leads hikers through nearly 10 acres (4 hectares) of landscape dominated by the teddybear cholla. This unusual stand of cacti is located in the Pinto Basin, a large expanse of alluvial fans covered with creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa) for as far as the eye can see. There are very few teddybear cholla stands in the park.

Barker Dam

Explore the rocky desert landscape of Joshua Tree on the Barker Dam Trail, an easy 1.1 (1.8 km) loop. Wander through Joshua Tree's iconic monzogranite boulders, namesake Joshua trees, and past the historic Barker Dam. Visit a rock art site and experience human history from a respectful distance.

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Barker Dam

Joshua Tree Parkway

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Explore the rocky desert landscape of Joshua Tree on the Barker Dam Trail, an easy 1.1 (1.8 km) loop. Wander through Joshua Tree's iconic monzogranite boulders, namesake Joshua trees, and past the historic Barker Dam. Visit a rock art site and experience human history from a respectful distance.

Arch Rock Nature Trail

A lollipop trail through sandy and rocky terrain. A .6-mile trail leads to a .2-mile loop. The arch is located halfway along the loop.

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Arch Rock Nature Trail

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A lollipop trail through sandy and rocky terrain. A .6-mile trail leads to a .2-mile loop. The arch is located halfway along the loop.

Skull Rock

Cool rock formation that looks like a skull. It can be seen from the road as you drive up. There is also a loop trail. Take an easy hike and explore boulder piles, desert washes, and of course the namesake Skull Rock.

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Skull Rock

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Cool rock formation that looks like a skull. It can be seen from the road as you drive up. There is also a loop trail. Take an easy hike and explore boulder piles, desert washes, and of course the namesake Skull Rock.

Pioneertown

In 1946, Pioneertown was founded by a group of Hollywood investors, including actors Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. They dreamed of creating an Old West set 125 miles east of Los Angeles that was actually a town worth visiting, with 1880s-style false-front facades but interiors that had stuff for visitors to see and do too. Up went (from the outside) frontier stables, saloons, and jails; inside, they housed ice cream parlors, bowling alleys, and motels. It wasn’t a place just for tourists to enjoy though; more than 50 films and television shows were filmed here in the 1940s and ‘50s. While location shoots here have dwindled in the years since, you can still see mock gunfights on Mane Street. But the most happening place by far is Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, which hosts surprisingly big-name live acts—Robert Plant and Leon Russell have played here, and more contemporary bands like Iron & Wine and CHVRCHES pass through as well. This must-see desert find also serves up awesome ribs, plus classic Santa Maria barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Check out their calendar of upcoming events. Though it’s always been a destination for those in the know, in recent years the town has been experiencing something of a renaissance—artists, entrepreneurs, and just regular folks looking to escape city stress are finding their way here. Longtime standby the Pioneertown Motel, a rustic, single-story 20-room inn, has been updated with fire pits, an outdoor bar, and hammocks; it and La Copine, an upscale eatery in nearby Flamingo Heights are contributing to the area’s newfound reputation as a hip getaway. Stroll along Mane Street and you’ll find MazAmar Art Pottery gallery and shop, and the vintage-vibed Pioneer Bowl. Other popular restaurants nearby include Giant Rock Meeting Room & Coffee House, near the aforementioned La Copine in Flamingo Heights, and Frontier Café, four miles down the road in Yucca Valley.

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Pioneertown

53688 Pioneertown Rd

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In 1946, Pioneertown was founded by a group of Hollywood investors, including actors Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. They dreamed of creating an Old West set 125 miles east of Los Angeles that was actually a town worth visiting, with 1880s-style false-front facades but interiors that had stuff for visitors to see and do too. Up went (from the outside) frontier stables, saloons, and jails; inside, they housed ice cream parlors, bowling alleys, and motels. It wasn’t a place just for tourists to enjoy though; more than 50 films and television shows were filmed here in the 1940s and ‘50s. While location shoots here have dwindled in the years since, you can still see mock gunfights on Mane Street. But the most happening place by far is Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, which hosts surprisingly big-name live acts—Robert Plant and Leon Russell have played here, and more contemporary bands like Iron & Wine and CHVRCHES pass through as well. This must-see desert find also serves up awesome ribs, plus classic Santa Maria barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Check out their calendar of upcoming events. Though it’s always been a destination for those in the know, in recent years the town has been experiencing something of a renaissance—artists, entrepreneurs, and just regular folks looking to escape city stress are finding their way here. Longtime standby the Pioneertown Motel, a rustic, single-story 20-room inn, has been updated with fire pits, an outdoor bar, and hammocks; it and La Copine, an upscale eatery in nearby Flamingo Heights are contributing to the area’s newfound reputation as a hip getaway. Stroll along Mane Street and you’ll find MazAmar Art Pottery gallery and shop, and the vintage-vibed Pioneer Bowl. Other popular restaurants nearby include Giant Rock Meeting Room & Coffee House, near the aforementioned La Copine in Flamingo Heights, and Frontier Café, four miles down the road in Yucca Valley.