Joshua tree?

[Seanz0rz]

so im planning some outings out in joshua tree for this year. one will be a family outing, the other may involve some of you guys and gals.

so im searching and am obviously not looking in the right places. im working on a general plan right now, and ill post that up as soon as i get it sketched out to an acceptable level. any suggestions for those of you that have been out there, or suggested readings. any threads out there on the interwebs? also any spectacular books i just must have? i found a couple the other day and bought one, going tonight to buy the other.

thanks guys! maybe this will end up in the wiki as a trail and what to do some day!

[4x4mike]

I'll have to look at where went. I'll post once I dig up some stuff.

[paddlenbike]

I revisited Joshua Tree this year with Ultimateyota, hadn't been there since I was a little kid. Definately a cool place. To say it's busy around spring break would be putting it lightly. Before I go on, how long were you planning to visit?

[Scuba]

Dude Id be down.
Dont know where to go though...
I love it out there, lived in 29 for about 4 years when i was younger...
Ill stay on the lookout

[Seanz0rz]

planning to spend about 2 days total there, this run (in a month or so) will be kind of a prerun for a longer visit later in the spring.

[4x4mike]

2 days is not a lot of time. For starters I'd try to get a campsite reserved at Jumbo Rocks. For the most part all the places to go are near the campsite areas and you don't have to drive a ton. We went during the last weekend of spring break and barely got a spot at Jumbo Rocks. We had some wind (paddlenbike seemed to have the most) but we were told other campgrounds have a lot of wind. JR has water, other campgrunds don't.

I'll have to go through and post some of my picutres. I noticed my Joshua Tree album has 350 picutres in it. I liked Big Horn Dam, we also did a nice offroad loop that wasn't bad. The most fun was the trail that took us to 29 palms. I know some of the others know the name, I couldn't find it on the map.

[corax]

you can get in for free from Dillon Rd in Desert Hot Springs (if you just want to run around for the day), but you have to leave the same way or you'll have to pay the fee anyway at the ranger station . . . or use this as a way out to the I-10 near Indio

Google Maps

from here it might be about one hour to the more traveled roads, there's one slightly tight spot, but nothing I that caused me to cringe when I only had 31's and open/open

Here's the map I used when I went -> http://www.joshua.tree.national-park.com/map.htm <- and another link with a whole bunch of printable .pdf's all within Joshua Tree -> http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/maps.htm <- I never did get to play around Pinto Basin, but heard that there where some good mines still stnading in that area (and just outside the park itself)

[4x4mike]

Pictures: Like I said, around spring break os the Joshua Trees were blooming and it wasn't very hot.

Blooming JT.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/1.jpg[/img]

Spikey thing on our first hike.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0056.jpg[/img]

Skull Rock. Good short hike from Jumbo Rocks.
[img width=531 height=800]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0080.jpg[/img]

I think this was also the Skull ROck trail.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0090.jpg[/img]

Joshua Tree
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0112.jpg[/img]

Trail sign and route
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0133.jpg[/img]

[4x4mike]

Road out to a nice road/trail that took most of the day. I don't remember the name though.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0142.jpg[/img]

The group
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0144.jpg[/img]

Most of them out of the vehicles
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0163.jpg[/img]

Us.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0171.jpg[/img]

Them.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0182.jpg[/img]

Scotiac in the distance
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0188.jpg[/img]

[4x4mike]

Cool little structure with a mine near by. We couldn't see the bottom but we were dropping rocks in there. There were mine holes all over the place, in the middle of nowhere. If you ever wanted to get of a body...nevermind.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0194.jpg[/img]

Nice fun trail.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0225.jpg[/img]

All of us at the trailhead for Barker Dam/Big Horn Lake. 4runner, 4runner, 4runner, Land Cruiser and a uh Accord (belong to Lance no less. At least he had an excuse).
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0236.jpg[/img]

Hiking trail shot to the lake.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0241.jpg[/img]

The lake.
[img width=800 height=531]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0245.jpg[/img]