One of my favorite weekend trips was when I ventured out to Joshua Tree National Park with my boyfriend Tyler. I’ve lived in Southern California for over 10 years and had never been to Joshua Tree- can you believe that? On our trip, Tyler took me camping and rock-climbing for the first time! Both of those things are pretty out of my comfort zone (heights, eek!), so it was fun experiencing new things with my guy.

Here are details about our experience to help you plan your next trip to Joshua Tree!

WHEN TO GO

We visited in mid-November. Fall tends to be a busy season for Joshua Tree, because the temperatures are much cooler than in the summer time but are still warm enough for you to enjoy the outdoors before winter. The only con was that it was pretty windy when we went, but somehow we managed to keep our tent from blowing away when we packed up!

Spring is also a great time to visit– generally plan on visiting Joshua Tree during milder temperatures.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground. Our campground was a little off the beaten path, but it was less crowded (a major plus!). We really enjoyed it and I would definitely stay there again.

If I weren’t camping, I would probably stay in an Airbnb! (Get $40 off your Airbnb here!) Here are a few Airbnb accommodations in Joshua Tree with modern, well-styled interiors: The Joshua Tree House, The Joshua Tree Campover Cabin, Dome in the Desert in Joshua Tree, Desert Hideaway, and The Joshua Tree Casita. I haven’t stayed at any of these places but I would love to next time! They each have 5 star reviews.

What to do

You can’t go to Joshua Tree without a visit to Joshua Tree National Park! There, you’ll find Joshua Trees everywhere you turn, as well as a bunch of rocks and boulders! We saw tons of people rock climbing and bouldering in the park, and this is where Tyler took me rock climbing for the first time!

Tyler and I are both photographers, so we took a ton of photos! We also went for a night climb and took some long-exposures of the desert night sky.

WHERE TO EAT

We ate at the Joshua Tree Saloon, which was really good and really close to the park.

If you’re in Southern California and have been wanting to go on a fun weekend getaway, I would highly recommend Joshua Tree! It’s absolutely beautiful and just far enough away from home that it makes you feel like you’re on vacay.

P.S. if you’re loving these photos and just have to have one, you can! Many of these images are available as fine art prints in my home decor shop.