About a month ago, I completed my first PCT section of the year, hiking from the Southern Terminus in Campo to Paradise Valley Cafe near mile marker 151. Although I had finished what I set out to do, I wasn’t quite ready to be done with my desert adventures before flying home to the cold, snowy Northeast.

It’s not uncommon for long-distance hikers to embark on side quests while hiking trails like the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail. On the PCT, popular side quests include summiting Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. Whitney and detouring through Yosemite National Park. But what about a Southern California side quest that isn’t often talked about?

My History of Side Quests

Like many other hikers, I love a good side quest. As a section hiker, I always look for opportunities to check off any national parks, high points, cool state parks, or other attractions during my trips. For example, I stopped at Natural Bridge State Park after completing a section on the AT in Virginia on my way home. 

I also stopped at Acadia National Park on my way back from completing Mt. Katahdin, which I saved for my last day of the AT. Although I had already visited Acadia as a child, it was still fun to explore Bar Harbor and revisit some of the popular spots in the park.

Visiting Acadia National Park on my way back from completing Mt. Katahdin

My section hikes on the PCT so far have been no different. For my first section on the PCT, I flew into Portland and then took a bus to Cascade Locks to hop onto trail at the Bridge of the Gods and hike southbound. When planning this section, I realized that Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon, was one of the bus stops on the way to Cascade Locks. If you’re driving to the falls, you need a reservation permit, but by taking the bus, I didn’t need one. How perfect! So I stopped at the falls to see it and enjoy a second breakfast before catching the next bus to Cascade Locks.

Stopping at Multnomah Falls on my way to the PCT

Why Joshua Tree National Park?

Visiting Joshua Tree National Park is not a common PCT side quest. In fact, I had never heard of other PCT hikers visiting it. But when I realized that the national park was relatively close to Palm Springs, where I was flying out at the end of my section hike, I was immediately intrigued.

Visiting all of the national parks in the U.S. has been a dream of mine for quite some time now. I’ve been so excited to hike through the seven national parks that the PCT passes through. I even keep a scratch-off map of all of the national parks hanging on the wall in my gear closet next to my wall map of the PCT. Seeing just how close Joshua Tree National Park was to the trail was especially tempting.

The PCT wall map I hang in my gear closet, which shows how close Joshua Tree National Park is to the trail. The section I just completed is highlighted in purple.

The park gets its name from the iconic Joshua trees that can be found all over the park. It’s thought that the trees were named by Mormon settlers in the area who believed that the trees looked like the Biblical figure Joshua. In addition to the trees, the park is known for its unique rock formations and is a popular place for rock climbers. The photos I had seen looked incredible, and the more I thought about it, the more excited I became about the possibility of visiting.

Standing in front of one of the iconic Joshua trees that the national park is named for

Getting There from the PCT

Joshua Tree National Park is about an hour’s drive from Palm Springs. After finishing my section hike at Paradise Valley Cafe (near PCT mile marker 151), I got a ride from a local trail angel to the Palm Springs International Airport. Since most hikers hitch from PVC to Idyllwild (which is the opposite direction), I arranged the ride in advance and offered to cover gas money. Although this was not a typical trail angel request, I had no problem receiving offers.

The view on the ride from the PCT to Palm Springs

At the airport, I picked up the rental car I had reserved to drive to my Airbnb, where I stayed two nights. I visited the national park the next day and then headed back to the airport to return the rental car and fly home.

The view at sunset from my Airbnb

My Adventures in the Park

Since I had just finished my 150-mile section, I didn’t plan any long hikes in the park, fully expecting to be sore and tired. However, the day I visited, I actually felt pretty good but still opted for the shorter hikes so that I could see more of the park.

I arrived early, as I had read that the park can get crowded. I used the entrance near Twentynine Palms and arrived just in time for sunrise, where I saw very few other visitors. I started by taking a short hike to see Heart Rock and Arch Rock, and I had the entire area to myself! It was freezing, but it was beautiful.

Arriving at Joshua Tree National Park for sunrise

Arch Rock

Heart Rock

Next, I stopped at Split Rock and Skull Rock, two unique rock formations that are especially popular to visit and don’t require hiking to see them.

Skull Rock

I continued on to walk around the Hall of Horrors, which was not at all horrifying but was certainly amazing to see with its dense concentration of Joshua trees.

Hall of Horrors

I finished by driving up to Keys View, which looks out over the Coachella Valley and offers views of Mt. San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. It was so cool to see the next section of the PCT I would tackle!

Keys View, where I could see the next section of the PCT I’ll be doing. Hopefully, the snow on the peaks will melt by then!

Joshua Tree National Park is also really popular for rock climbing and bouldering. One thing I really regret is that I didn’t book a guided rock-climbing tour. Although I’m just a beginner rock climber, I’m sure it would have been a lot of fun. I just didn’t have the right clothing or gear after just getting off trail.

Who This Side Quest Is (and Isn’t) For

When planning this trip, I was on the fence on whether to go to Joshua Tree National Park or not. It does require at least one day to visit. Some hikers may not want to sacrifice that amount of time off trail. For me, that meant I had to fly home on a Sunday instead of Saturday and arrive the night before returning to work the following morning. Not exactly ideal, especially when adjusting back to regular life after being on the trail and not having a day to rest, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and mentally recover.

It was also expensive. Food, gas, and lodging were very expensive in the area. You have to rent a car to get to the national park, unless you know someone in the area who could drive you. Unless you have an America the Beautiful pass, it costs $30 to enter by car. On top of that, my flight home on Sunday was more expensive than leaving Saturday.

However, in the end, I decided to go for it. Since I’m on a mission to one day visit every U.S. national park, I figured I was already so close– what’s one extra day when I was already in Palm Springs? I didn’t have to use an extra vacation day since the trip fell during a weekend, and I could always recover and do laundry later in the week. Plus, having an extra day in California before flying home gave me peace of mind about missing my flight in case something unexpected happened on trail and I fell behind my planned schedule.

For me, it was worth the visit. The national park was so stunningly beautiful, from the trees to the landscape to the cool rocks. I actually had a lot of fun in the park, even by myself.

This side quest probably isn’t for hikers on tight schedules or budgets, but it’s a great option for those with a flexible itinerary who enjoy exploring beyond the trail.

The Bottom Line

If you’re like me and interested in a fun adventure that’s off the beaten path of the PCT (and you have a little extra time and room in your budget), then this side quest might be for you. Joshua Tree National Park isn’t the most convenient or cheapest detour, but it was incredibly beautiful and a memorable way to extend my desert experience and make some progress on my national parks checklist.

Side quests are one of the many reasons that make long-distance hiking and section hiking so rewarding for me. I’m really looking forward to more side quests this year on the PCT and in future years to come.