Joshua Tree Backpacking Trip

• Shuttle to Joshua Tree: 4 hours
• Hiking Mileage: 4.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1500 feet
• Elevation Loss: 280 feet

Our four-day trek into the backcountry of Joshua Tree National Park begins with a desolate drive deep into North America’s driest desert: the Mojave. Following your hotel pick up in Vegas, we’ll head south through a series of arid basins and abrupt ranges, bisecting Mojave National Preserve and getting our first elegant glimpses of Joshua tree groves as we proceed to our trailhead. After fueling up with a delectable lunch and readying our packs, we’ll embark on our hike. We will start with 6-8 liters of water each, which covers the first 1.5 days of the trip (all natural water sources in Joshua Tree are reserved for wildlife), and we will rely on water caches for the final 2.5 days.

Ascending through sprawling fields of creosote, Mojave yucca and other high desert shrubs, we’ll disappear into a canyon of towering boulders, winding our way into the infamous Wonderland of Rocks. Twisting and turning among the cretaceous plutons, at last we’ll end our day of ascent by setting up camp amidst the boulders and Joshua trees. We’ll soak in the desert sky and listen for the howls of coyotes as we fill our bellies and settle in for a good night of rest.

• Hiking Mileage: 8.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1100 feet
• Elevation Loss: 1500 feet

Today’s hike will delve us further into the heart of the park. After hot drinks and breakfast, we’ll break camp and set off along a series of crests and furrows yielding stunning views into the surrounding countryside. Descending from the maze of monzogranite formations, we’ll pause to refill our water supply and then disappear again into the remote wilds of the park.

Skirting our way along rolling foothills and slanted bajadas, we’ll descend gradually into a vast sea of Joshua trees. Just before the end of our day’s miles, we’ll stop to investigate a handful of evocative historical remnants dating back to the 1800’s. At last, we’ll sneak our way down a wash and into grassy quail territory to rest our weary legs for the evening, nestled in against the rocky outskirts of what will be tomorrow’s adventure.

• Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1600 feet
• Elevation Loss: 150 feet

While shorter in miles, today’s terrain will put the challenge level on par with the previous day. We’ll fill up with a delicious breakfast before endeavoring up our charming backcountry canyon, littered with sandy washes, marbled slickrock chutes, riparian thickets and boulders galore. Emerging from the canyon, we’ll make our way to the next water cache and replenish our lifegiving stores in the midst of this xeric land.

We’ll then follow a series of trails and gradual washes, witnessing a welcome transition into a lush high elevation flat, where we’ll find ourselves surrounded by craggy knolls spotted with some of the largest Joshua trees in the park. This grassy expanse will host us for our third and final night as we eat well and rest up for our exciting day tomorrow.

• Hiking Mileage: 7.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1400 feet
• Elevation Loss: 2500 feet
• Shuttle to Las Vegas: 4 hours

Our final day brings with it a substantial amount of descent, but not before a heart-pounding summit of Eureka Peak. Right at the brink of the San Andreas Fault, we’ll follow a series of twists and turns before climbing to soak in panoramic views of Coachella Valley and the surrounding San Bernardino Mountains.

Descending steeply into the labyrinth of ravines that make up the Little San Bernardino Mountains, we’ll snake our way between canyon walls, over open slopes, and through pinyon-juniper woodlands, dropping at last down sandy gullies into Black Rock Canyon Campground. After a celebratory lunch at the trailhead, we’ll make the return drive to Las Vegas for a a well-deserved shower and bed.