Joshua Tree National Park

[funhouse8]

Tell me all there is to know. My neice is getting married in the park April 2012. She sent out a save the date but didn't say anything about where to stay. Can anyone suggest a place to stay. What is there to do in the area? I know Palm Springs is the closest airport but no direct flights from where we are traveling from so we will be looking to fly in elsewhere. Thanks any advice would be helpful.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Palm Springs would probabaly be the best place to stay. You could fly into Orange County (SNA) and drive to Palm Springs.

 

[wnissen]

Can I suggest you wait to make hotel reservations? The issue is that Joshua Tree is big. Very Big. The northern entrance at Twentynine Palms is fifty miles from Palm Springs. Depending on the location of the wedding, you might be better off staying there or Yucca Valley, if proximity is important to you. However, those are pretty small towns (Twentynine Palms is the biggest at 25K people) and the lodging is generally motels with a handful of national chains and not much in the way of touristic interest. Don't get me wrong, I adore Joshua Tree, it's just I wouldn't be spending my time in the cities when there are trails to hike and boulders to climb.

Palm Springs has a wide variety of lodging and restaurant choices, art galleries, etc. The adjoining towns of Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Desert are pretty sleepy but convenient to Palm Springs if that's where everyone is staying. We stayed in Cathedral City and it was suburban but nice. Lots of golf courses.

SNA would be a distant second place to ONT - Ontario Airport. ONT has lots of Southwest flights and saves you from having to drive 25 miles across the LA basin. LAX is a nightmare, frequently delayed and even further from Palm Springs. Burbank and Long Beach are both smaller airports that are better than LAX. However, sometimes LAX just is the cheapest by far. I put my own mother through LAX to Cleveland, after all... Just be aware that there is no such thing as "rush hour" in the LA area. It's bad from 5am-10am, and then again from 3pm-8pm, so take that into account when planning your flight.

Unfortunately, there's not much in the way of alternative transport. I got a quote of $200 one way for a Palm Springs-LAX shuttle, and the train only runs once a day. You'll be driving for sure.

Walt

 

[Aurora1959]

Can I suggest you wait to make hotel reservations? The issue is that Joshua Tree is big. Very Big. The northern entrance at Twentynine Palms is fifty miles from Palm Springs. Depending on the location of the wedding, you might be better off staying there or Yucca Valley, if proximity is important to you. However, those are pretty small towns (Twentynine Palms is the biggest at 25K people) and the lodging is generally motels with a handful of national chains and not much in the way of touristic interest. Don't get me wrong, I adore Joshua Tree, it's just I wouldn't be spending my time in the cities when there are trails to hike and boulders to climb.

Palm Springs has a wide variety of lodging and restaurant choices, art galleries, etc. The adjoining towns of Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Desert are pretty sleepy but convenient to Palm Springs if that's where everyone is staying. We stayed in Cathedral City and it was suburban but nice. Lots of golf courses.

SNA would be a distant second place to ONT - Ontario Airport. ONT has lots of Southwest flights and saves you from having to drive 25 miles across the LA basin. LAX is a nightmare, frequently delayed and even further from Palm Springs. Burbank and Long Beach are both smaller airports that are better than LAX. However, sometimes LAX just is the cheapest by far. I put my own mother through LAX to Cleveland, after all... Just be aware that there is no such thing as "rush hour" in the LA area. It's bad from 5am-10am, and then again from 3pm-8pm, so take that into account when planning your flight.

Unfortunately, there's not much in the way of alternative transport. I got a quote of $200 one way for a Palm Springs-LAX shuttle, and the train only runs once a day. You'll be driving for sure.

Walt

I second all that.

My MIL's property backs up to the edge of Joshua Tree. And if you stay in Yucca or 29Palms, there is NOTHING to do. You might want to talk to her about what she is planning for the wedding. Stay the night before, or the night of in a nearby town. And spend the rest of your time in Palm Springs or one of those areas. When we fly in, we go to Ontario.

We did a similar thing when my cousin married in Tahoe. We stayed nearby but as most of the family wasn't needed for anything other than the actual wedding day, we got together and went sightseeing. We spent time in Squaw, Reno, etc. Depends on your situation, but something to consider. If you can get others to join you, hitting the main strip in Palm Springs in the evening is great. The weather is perfect, lots of little shops, great places to eat, things to do.

 

[JennCa]

I would check into Palm Spring or Palm Desert for hotels. There are no palces to eat or buy anything really except water and a few postcards at Joshua Tree so bring everything you need. Also, there are not very many flush toilets except at the main attractions/visitor centers so go when you can! It is not a built up national park, it is very beautiful though and climber love it!!! As for airfare, price wise I would check out Ontario. If time is more of an issue Palm Springs works also. I just avoid it though because it is usually a small little plane and is a bit windy so I don't enjoy flying into there. I am a wimp because I also avoid Denver for the same reason, the turbulance, but those are the big airplanes!

Jenn

 

[dwelty]

I have to agree Ontario Airport is the way to go, Airport code (ONT). Do not fly into Orange County as you will have to fight traffic through the Santa Ana canyon. It is a new modern airport with lots of flights. Weather in the desert is just about perfect that time of year. Enjoy!

 

[rpbert1]

We stayed at our cousins in Yucca valley, there home is beside one of the entrances to Joshua tree.
Like others i think Palm springs is to far out , and 29palms or Yucca valley is where i would stay for convenience.
there is a Best Western there that looks quite nice

http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ge=SelectHotel&isMapOpen=true&selectedHotels=

 

[GrumpyGoat]

If you want to be near the park, I would suggest either Yucca Valley or Joshua Tree. I would avoid staying at any motels in Twentynine Palms as that is the location of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and the town is just over-run with young single Marines on the weekends. I have a lot of respect for the Marines, but the noise goes on until the wee hours...