Joshua Tree National Park is in the Mojave Desert. This high desert landscape has many large rock formations and an abundance of Joshua Trees.
The appreciation of the desert's beauty can be an acquired taste. I remember seeing a Joshua Tree years ago and wondered what the big deal was about. Now I am drawn to the beauty of the high desert and find it one of my favorite places with many things to appreciate.
Jumbo Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Our first camp was Jumbo Rock Campground in Joshua Tree National Park. Reservations are on a first come basis and it's packed on weekends in the spring and fall so we arrived before noon on a weekday to get a great spot for the entire week.
NOTE - There water and dumpsite ONLY at Black Rock Campground on the edge of the park. This is the only campground has any facilities and cell coverage and it is barely inside the park . There is limited water ranger station as you enter and none inside the park so it is best to come prepared. The cell coverage disappears shortly after you enter the park and go up in elevation.
I have never experienced such silence as I have in this area. When the wind is not blowing the silence is so dense and complete that it seems to have matter.
Jumbo Rock Campground is set among large rock formations and has many scenic sites. We were able to walk directly out of our campsite and explore in several directions so most of our explorations were directly from our campsite or from a trail leading to Skull Rock from our campground. . The GPS on our phones were helpful to find our way back easily to our camper since we were not on trails.
The blooms on the Joshua trees were massive and dense with a velvety butter texture and color.