4 dreamy night activities in Joshua Tree National Park
Where is Joshua Tree National Park?
Joshua Tree National Park is located in the greater Palm Springs area of inland southern California. It’s known for rugged rock formations and and varied desert landscapes. The nearest city is 29 Palms and it’s a few hour drive from Los Angeles and San Diego.
It is my home national park that never gets old because there’s day and night activities to do. There’s always something to do because the park is vast and each season has a different dynamic. Whether you enjoy day or night activities, sightseeing or elevation hiking, camping or birding, there’s something for just about everyone. Above all else, the peaceful desert nights can’t be beat. I’m excited to share 4 dreamy night activities below that you can do!
A huge milestone took place during this trip. I passed the 1/2 travel test as I make my first steps back to adventuring. I probably had to make 1,000 decisions in the last year to get to this point in my physical recovery because I was told I may never hike again. But, I refused to accept that. So, next up is a full day adventure test.
Take a light painting class
Desert nights are my favorite because they are peaceful. I’ve seen light painting in the city but not in national parks so I found this to be a fun trailblazing opportunity at Joshua Tree National Park! I enjoy living at the intersection of business, art, tech, and the outdoors.
If you want to take this class and live in southern California you can drive home the same evening which makes it a 1/2 day trip. Casey is a great guide as I’ve taken 3 tours with him over the years. He is an experienced photographer that lives in town. Some of his tours include amazing post processing tips. Book your class at Joshua Tree Workshops.
2. Create a star trail
First off, you need a great camera for night photography. I love my Sony Alpha A6500 which captures night skies perfectly.
To create a star trail you need to take a series of photos over several minutes which you layer in post production to create the effect you see here. You can learn how to do this from friends or YouTube but Joshua Tree Workshops helped me with learning the settings and skills. I highly recommend their classes!
3. Go on a hike
Milky Way season is around the corner from May to September. You can see the stars clearly at night when there’s less light pollution away from the city.
Grab a group and a headlamp and make your way to Joshua Tree National Park for an epic evening of exploration! You usually don’t have to pay a park entrance fee after dark. Joshua Tree Workshops helped me patch these 4 photos together into one dreamy shot!
4. Enjoy stargazing while camping
The camping at Joshua Tree National Park is on a first come, first-served basis. There’s a handful of sites that require reservations. Otherwise, they are high recommended for busy times such as weekends, holidays, and the spring season. There is even equestrian camping if you have horses! Read more details on the Joshua Tree National Park website.
