Day Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Joshua Tree, please refer to the California State website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get on this adventure:

• A professional, knowledgeable, medically-trained, wilderness guide
• Entrance fees and national park permits
• Transportation in and around the park if needed

What’s not included:

• Transportation to and from Palm Springs or Las Vegas
• Accommodations
• Meals and snacks
• Personal equipment and personal items

The best thing about hiking in Joshua Tree National Park is that there are incredible options for all skill levels. For beginner hikes, if you can walk for four to six hours with little elevation gain, you are good to go! Intermediate hikes will see a little more change in elevation and hikes will start to increase in length, hiking anywhere between four to eight miles. Advanced hikes are full day treks with steep descents and challenging switchbacks. Keep in mind, the weather in summer can be very hot and you’ll also be packing a daypack filled with water and other things you’ll need throughout the day.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 25-40L bag)
• Hiking poles — optional
• Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
• Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
• Spare clothes for layering
• Waterproof rain jacket
• Sunhat
• Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Sunglasses
• Camera — optional (but recommended)

With us, it’s all play and no work for you! 57hours is an open platform that connects you with trained and certified outdoor adventure professionals all over the world. Using our tech-savvy, we make it super easy to find and book adventures worth tackling, with guides worth booking, all gathered from the first-hand experiences of the locals who adventure in these amazing locations.

Hiring a local guide offers you the chance to experience the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park to the fullest. Local guides know all the hidden gems the area has to offer, will explain the history and geology during the hike, and will customize your day to the desires of your group. Because there is so much to see and do in Joshua Tree National Park — and it gets crowded quickly — this is one location where it really pays to have a guide by your side to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For these adventures, the usual client to guide ratio is 5:1. The cost per person decreases as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to hike with friends and family!

Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

• Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this hiking adventure.
• Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to hike with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Tours are scheduled to fit with the seasons and ideal hiking conditions. When the weather does not cooperate, your guide will know the correct course of action to take. Whether that’s shifting to a more favorable location or postponing until conditions approve, your guide will know just what to do. In the event of predictably bad weather, you will be contacted prior to the trip to discuss suitable alternatives.

We highly recommended that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

With 57hours, you benefit from both our own cancellation policy as well as that of the individual guiding service that delivers your adventure. All policies regarding cancellation will be clearly laid out by your guide after booking your adventure, but rest assured that our own cancellation policy will work on top of what is provided by your guide.

For this adventure, 57hours offers a Strict Cancellation Policy, which states:
If Client cancels the Booking anytime prior to thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the trip contemplated by the booking, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the total amount paid when Booking. After that deadline, Client is not entitled to any refund.

For more information on terms and conditions, please visit our Terms of Service page.

Getting to Joshua Tree National Park is pretty easy — you simply fly into Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) and drive less than an hour east. The most common way to get to the hiking trails is to drive in from the town of Joshua Tree, heading south on Park Blvd towards the park’s entrance.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide office or a predetermined location other than their office. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the fitness ability of the group.