In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the national park service is waiving entrance fees for 110 national parks across the country, including our Joshua Tree National Park, today, January 17. Camping and reservation fees will still be collected as normal. Fee-free days are an opportunity to take advantage of scenic hikes and views, and to enjoy the desert, day or night. Prepare accordingly with a backpack, water, sunscreen, hat, and snacks. Pack up your family, bring a camera, and enjoy a free visit to your beautiful desert park. Fee-free days at the national park also tend to attract crowds. Crowded conditions create limited parking, full campgrounds, and lines at park entrances. The best ways to prepare for your visit to Joshua Tree National Park include avoiding entering the park between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and avoiding exiting the park around sunset. With more tips to prepare for your trip, here’s Reporter Ernest Figueroa…
The park may become drive-through only as the parking lots reach maximum capacity during times of extreme visitation. Visitors may be turned away from popular parking areas. Be flexible with plans, as the best hike may be the one where parking is readily available. Always be prepared with adequate food and water and let someone from home know you will be hiking as cell phones do not work in the park in most areas. Visitors can park along many, but not all, roadsides. Never drive over a curb to make a new parking space. Weekdays are usually less crowded than weekends—consider visiting the park Monday through Thursday.
Make a reservation at www.recreation.gov to reserve one of the 350 reservable campsites in the park. If there are no reservation sites available, there likely will not be first-come, first-served sites available when you arrive. Look to one of the private campgrounds adjacent to the park.
Many campgrounds intersect with hiking trails. Campers can hike trails that connect to their campground to avoid busy parking lots. Find a new favorite spot to explore in the park. There is no one best campsite, trail, or sunset spot.
