5 Things You Absolutely Must See Near Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is one of my favorite national parks. You can spend several days hiking the numerous trails in the park like Barker Dam, Lost Horse Mine and Hidden Valley and never finish them all. Joshua Tree is also a premiere destination for rock climbing, attracting enthusiasts from all over the world. To be honest, just watching the sunset from Keys View merits a visit to Joshua Tree itself.

Joshua actually encompasses an area of over 1,200 square miles, which is just slightly larger than the entire state of Rhode Island, so there is a lot to do. Most people who visit the park only see a small fraction of what this area has to offer. If you truly want to experience the California desert, you’re going to have to get outside the main section of the park and do some exploring. Here is my list of 5 things you absolutely must see near Joshua Tree National Park.

1. Indian Cove Campground

Indian Cove Campground

The Indian Cove Campground is located within the boundaries of Joshua Tree National Park, but most visitors never see because it’s not accessible from the main road inside the park. Personally, I love that this campground only gets a fraction of the visitors as the rest of the park. Even when it’s busier, the Indian Cove Campground is surrounded by giant boulders which isolates you from your neighbors. As an added bonus, there are literally hundreds of amazing bouldering and rock climbing routes located all around the campground. This area of the park also affords some of the best stargazing anywhere in the United States.

 Indian Cove just happens to be located next to my favorite hike in Joshua Tree, which is Rattlesnake Canyon, but more on that later. One of the best aspects of Indian Cove is that you don’t have to pay to enter this section of the park, unless you plan on camping. You can just drive in, park, and start exploring. Camping rates are reasonable and range from $12-50 per night.  If you do plan on camping in Joshua Tree, you won’t find a better spot than the Indian Cove Campground.

2. Rattlesnake Canyon Hike

Rattlesnake Canyon Hike

My favorite trail in Joshua Tree has to be the Rattlesnake Canyon Trail. The word “trail” is a bit misleading, as Rattlesnake Canyon is really a maze of giant boulders you’ll have to hop, squeeze through and climb until you've had your fill. There are countless small caves and crevices to explore among the boulders. We even found a few small arches. This is also a popular spot for rock-climbing. Be warned: This not a hike for beginners or small children. Do not be misled by other sites claiming this is a moderate hike. If you plan on getting off trail and climbing through the boulders, Rattlesnake Canyon will challenge you and kick your butt.  

3. 29 Palms Inn

29 Palms Inn

A lot of people don’t like camping, which I totally understand. By the time you buy a tent, a sleeping bag and the rest of your camping gear, you could easily end up spending more than you would have for a hotel room. To be honest, I don’t always camp myself. Recently, I stumbled upon a little hotel near Joshua Tree called the 29 Palms Inn that was so perfect I almost hate to mention it for fear of spoiling it. The 29 Palms Inn is literally an oasis in the desert. Literally. It has a real oasis right in the middle of it. The “hotel” is really a collection of bungalows and cabins. My room looked like something out of a Wes Anderson movie. The hotel restaurant is actually pretty amazing. You can enjoy dinner and cocktails by the pool while you listen to live music.  The hotel also has an art studio where you can take painting and pottery classes or buy artwork from local artists. The 29 Palms Inn is easily the best hotel I’ve stayed in while visiting Joshua Tree.

4. Pappy and Harriet’s

If you’re visiting Joshua Tree National Park and you only had time to eat at one restaurant, Pappy and Harriet’s should be that restaurant. Billboard Magazine named Pappy and Harriet’s one of the ‘Top Ten Hidden Gems’ in a 2012 issue. The restaurant has also been featured in several television shows like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations . If you’re lucky enough to catch an open mic night, you can sit back and enjoy an 18oz Porterhouse steak while you watch traveling musical artists from all over the country. This is not open mic at your local coffee shop. Artists like Feist, Ke$sha, Matt Costa have all made appearances at open mic night here. 

On a weeknight, there is no hipper place to be than Pappy and Harriet’s. The wait time for a table can get quite long as the restaurant is frequently filled to capacity. But it's worth the wait. Make sure to check the events calendar on the website because the restaurant frequently closes at night to host major acts. Paul McCartney, Queens of the Stone Age, Neko Case, Arctic Monkeys, Band of Horses, Sean Lennon and Billy Corgan and countless other big label acts have all performed here.

5. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to Mount Jacinto

View from the Desert Trail on Mount Jacinto

No vacation to Joshua Tree is complete with taking a side trip to ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up Mount Jacinto.  Mount Jacinto is the sixth largest mountain in the lower 48 states. Its unique because the base of the mountain is located at sea level which gives Jacinto one of the steepest vertical ascents in the United States. The infamous Cactus to the Clouds Trail involves an elevation gain of over 10,000 feet from the base to the summit of the mountain. It is purported that John Muir once said "The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!"

Thankfully, reaching the summit can be simplified by taking a quick ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which cuts about 8,000 feet off the climb. A round-trip hike from the observation deck at the top of tram to the peak of Mount San Jacinto is about 11 miles, but may take as long as 7 hours to hike it because of the thin air at this elevation.  There is also great campground at Round Valley if you don’t want rush your trip and plan to stay the night on the mountain. You should be aware that temperatures on Mount Jacinto can differ from those on the desert floor by 60 degrees or more, and sub-freezing nighttime temperatures are possible even in the summer. Pack accordingly.

If you don’t plan of hiking to the summit, you can still see some amazing views from the observation area at the top of the tram which overlooks all of Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park. Families with children should consider checking out the easy 1.5 mile Desert View Trail which also starts at the top of the tram.

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SkyPark at Santa's Village Grand Re-Opening 2016

Skypark at Santa's Village 2016

Opening Day is December 2, 2016

Situated high in the mountains above San Bernardino County in the tiny town of Skyforest California, there is a historic piece of Americana called Santa’s Village. Every year at Christmas time, parents and grandparents all over Southern California would make the annual trek up the mountain to take the kiddies to see Santa Claus. Originally opened in 1955, Santa’s Village was a beloved family Southern California attraction which operated for 30 years until finally closing their doors in 1998. In the years that followed, the park changed hands and fell into serious disrepair. In 2003, a wildfire nearly destroyed the remaining buildings on the property. Enter a new owner with a bold new vision for the park. After 30 month of painstaking renovations, Santa’s Village is finally scheduled to re-open this November just in time for Christmas.

Santa's Village 1991

For those of you who remember the park in it's heyday, Santa’s Village will look about the same as it did when it first opened all those years ago. Eighteen of the historic log cabins on the property have been fully restored to their former grandeur. The new owners really outdid themselves on the cabins. The small details are really first-class and rival anything you would see at Disney. With its snow-capped cabins, giant candy canes, glittering trees, elves, jugglers and even a real live white wolf, Santa’s Village really does feel like a winter wonderland.

The new Santa’s Village, dubbed “SkyPark at Santa’s Village", has expanded to include several mountain themed activities including a rock climbing wall, an outdoor skating rink, mountain biking trails, a skypedal monorail (whatever that it?), ziplining, hiking trails, electric assisted pedal cars and more. The outdoor skating rink is the first of its kind in the San Bernardino mountains since the Ice Castle in Blue Jay closed after a roof collapsed in 2001. The ice skating rink and rock climbing wall are nearly completed and should be ready in time for Christmas. The tentative plan for outdoor section of the park is to keep it open all year, but some of the attractions may not be ready until the spring of 2017.

Outdoor enthusiasts in Southern County will be excited to hear that the new owners of the park plan to add a camping area. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the tiny town of Skyforest where the park is located, Santa’s Village sits on a prime piece of land which is 6,000 feet above sea level and with spectacular views overlooking San Bernardino County below. The giant Lodgepole pine trees in the area are worth a visit themselves. When the new campground is opened in 2017, I’ll probably be the first one in line for a spot. 

Skypark at Santa's Village Map

If you want to turn a trip to Santa’s Village in a multi-day excursion, there are several awesome attractions and hikes nearby including Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain ski resorts, HeartRock Falls and Bonita Falls. For a real adventure, you could even pick up the Pacific Crest Trail at the northern end of Lake Arrowhead and hike 10 miles in to Deep Creek Hot Springs which is easily one of the best natural hot springs in Southern California.

For more information about the new Skypark at Santa’s Village, visit skyparksantasvillage.com

Skypark at Santa's Village is located on scenic Rim of the World Highway (California State Route 18) in the city of Skyforest

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Ortega Oaks Candy Store. Ortega Highway

Lake Elsinore Overlook from Ortega Highway

I stop at the Ortega Oaks Candy Store every time I drive down Ortega Highway, so I decided to do a post about them. All of the baked goods are made in-house and the bread pudding is quite possibly the best thing I've ever eaten. If you're ever in the Lake Elsinore area, this place is worth a detour up the mountain. I'm not the only person who raves about this place. Read the reviews on Yelp. While you're in the area, you should also hit up the Lookout Roadhouse and grab a beer. The patio has the best views in all of Orange County. We usually pre-game a few beers here on the way to Temecula.

 For the hikers reading this, you can hit the San Juan Loop across the street from the candy store. Ortega Falls and Chiquito Falls are both nearby too, but they're both dry as a bone every time I visit, so I don't have any good pictures of them.

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Hiking In Extreme Heat

Vegas Temperatures in August

The desert temperatures are likely going to hit 110 every day for the rest of this week. If you have plans to hike in the desert, hike within your limits, bring a ridiculous amount of water, wear a ton of sunscreen, bring a hat and sunglasses, let someone know your itinerary, bring a cell phone and take frequent breaks. A married couple from California died a few weeks ago on 4th of July weekend while they were hiking in Utah on a 100+ degree day.

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Sapphire Falls. The worst hike in Southern California

Sapphire Falls in Rancho Cucamonga

This hike is currently closed. 

 Last week I hiked to Sapphire Falls in Rancho Cucamonga with some friends. I can say without hesitation that it was the most filthy, polluted and completely despoiled trail that I have ever hiked. There were heaps of trash several feet tall strewn along the trail. The canyon walls were so completely covered in graffiti that it looked more like a freeway underpass than a nature hike. A local hillbilly was actually burning huge piles of discarded bottles and wrappers in a very misguided attempt to clean up and the canyon was completely filled with the putrid black smoke from the burning plastic. We actually got into a verbal altercation with him when we put out his trash fire.There were hundreds of people hiking in the canyon in the 90+ degree heat and many of the groups I saw only had a single bottle of water to share between several people. With such a large number of people jammed into such a small space, I highly suspect that the water in the creek is too dangerous to swim in because of fecal bacteria. If you accidentally swallow a mouthful of creek water, you might end up in the hospital. In case you have Sapphire Falls on your 'to do' list, let me strongly suggest that you save yourself some heartache and skip it. This easily gets my vote for the worst hike in Southern California. I've read rumors online that the city is trying to block access to the canyon and discourage hikers by issuing parking tickets. I almost never agree that closing a hike is an appropriate course of action, but in the case of Sapphire Falls, it might be the only option.

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Mormon Rocks, Hesperia California

Mormon Rocks

I’ve passed Mormon Rocks on my way to Las Vegas at least 20 times before I finally decided to stop and check it out. If you've lived in Southern California all your life, you’ve probably passed them a hundred times. Mormon Rocks is the enormous white sandstone outcropping you see just after you hit the Cajon Pass north of Rancho Cucamonga on Route 15. The parking lot for Mormon Rocks is just 1 mile from Route 15. Just take the exit for route 138 west towards Mountain High ski resort and pull off onto one of the dirt parking areas on the right side of the road. The trail to the top of Mormon Rocks is probably less than two miles from the parking lot, but it can be little bit tricky your first time. The easiest way to reach the summit is to head east and pick up the narrow dirt ridgeline trail. You won’t be able to see the entire trail because it’s hidden by the brush, but I assure you it goes all the way to the top. It’s not nearly as scary as it looks from the bottom. You could safely hike it in tennis shoes. The view from the top of Mormon Rocks is awe-inspiring. The highway noise disappears. We got to see a train wind its way through the valley. I’m sure there are other great bouldering spots in this valley because the rock is perfect for it. As an hour detour from the highway, Mormon Rocks stands alone.

For more info, check out http://www.summitpost.org/mormon-rocks/270028

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Big Falls, San Bernardino National Forest

Big Falls, Valley of the Falls Drive California

Big Falls is a high priority Southern California day trip. The 5-tiered waterfall is located in a beautiful mountain canyon filled with giant redwood trees. The park itself has a picnic area and plenty of gentle eddies in the river to swim and relax. The falls are located near the small mountain hamlet of Forest Falls California in the San Bernardino National Forest. The drive only takes about 30 minutes from the I-10 in Redlands and the hike is relatively easy. The falls are less than a mile from the parking lot. The hike requires a few easy stream crossings with a moderate elevation gain. The last 300 yards to the falls entails some tricky rock hopping, but you can keep your feet dry if you watch your footing. From the parking lot, you hike uphill, following small river trail for 1/2 mile. On a busy day, people will be swimming and having picnics at various spots on the river. You will see a tributary on the far side that feeds the river. Find a suitable place to climb down the riverbank and cross over to the other side. During a high flow, you may really want to keep a lookout for a good place to cross. Follow the small tributary creek up the narrow canyon. The path disappears at random places where you have to rockhop. The canyon is filled with giant redwood trees that leech water from the creek. There are a few absolute giants that look to be at least a few hundred years old. The creek leading to the falls cascades down through the canyon. Make sure to take some photos along the way. It’s one of the most picturesque areas I’ve ever been to in my life. It reminds me of Lothlorien from the Lord of the Rings. The canyon ends ½ mile upstream at the falls. The bottom tier is 70 feet tall and it usually has a heavy flow of water. It’s most impressive when the snow starts melting in the springtime.

If you’re adventurous, you can climb further up the mountain and see 3 additional tiers of the falls, but the climb gets more perilous as you get higher up. The upper tiers are completely secluded and as beautiful and serene as any place that you’re likely to visit in your entire life. I’ve never made it to the very top of the falls, and would highly recommend against trying it without the right gear and a good guide. A word of warning, the temperature at this elevation is very different from the bottom of the mountain. It can easily vary by 50 degrees. Storms can roll in extremely fast. You don’t want to get caught in a freezing cold rain storm half way up the side of a fully exposed mountain.

 To get to the falls from Redlands CA, take 38 North and follow it up the mountain for approximately 13 miles. Turn Right at Valley of the Falls Drive and Follow it another ten miles through the small town of Forest Falls. You can purchase supplies in Forest Falls. Valley of the Falls Drive ends just past Forest Falls at the parking lot for Big Falls. Ordinarily, the drive is quick and easy, but route 38 can be very busy on the weekends during the summertime. I’ve heard of traffic jams that wind all the way down the mountain.

Big Falls, Valley of the Falls Drive

Big Falls, Forest Falls California

Big Falls, Forest Falls California

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