Is It Worth It To Visit Joshua Tree National Park in Winter?
Joshua Tree National Park is one of my all-time favorite US national parks. We’ve visited multiple times over the years in both the early summer and the winter, and have learned a few things along the way.
As far as winter trips go, we’ve visited Joshua Tree in January and Joshua Tree in November and were taken by surprise by different winter-related things on both of those trips.
This guide is to let you know what to expect when visiting Joshua Tree National Park in the winter so that you hopefully don’t have the same surprises as us!
Our most recent visit to Joshua Tree in January was as a family. If you plan to visit with kids, be sure to check out this guide: The Ultimate Guide to Joshua Tree with Kids: Things to Do + Top Tips
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🌵 IN A RUSH? CHECK OUT OUR JOSHUA TREE FAVORITES!
WHERE TO STAY:
💰😍 Stargazing Yurt at 28 Palms Ranch: Enjoy the most unique experience of staying in a luxury yurt at an affordable price with a stargazing window, kitchenette, BBQ facilities, a rustic outdoor shower and overall great vibes. So dreamy!
💰💰😍 Yucca Hut - Design Forward Oasis Near Joshua Tree: Room for 5 in this beautiful rental with a hot tub with gorgeous Joshua Tree views (perfect for non-summer visits!)!
💰💰💰😍 Luxurious Jupiter House with Infinity Pool & Pickleball Court: Find relaxation at this 4-bedroom, desert getaway with a gorgeous infinity pool, a pickleball court, BBQ and fireplace!
EXCURSIONS TO BOOK:
🔭 Professional Stargazing Tour in Joshua Tree:Discover the stunning night sky of Joshua Tree National Park with a professional and high-powered telescopes and laser pointers 😍!
🥁 Soundbath with Desert Nature Walk,and Cacao Ceremony in Joshua Tree: Experience a true hidden gem in Joshua Tree with an easy nature walk followed by a meditative soundbath outside in the desert.
🥾 Half-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park: Worried about hiking on your own or wanting to learn more about the area? Create a custom hiking itinerary with a local guide!
🧗♀️ Beginner Rock Climbing Experience in Joshua Tree National Park: Learn to climb in a friendly atmosphere in Joshua Tree (a world-renowned rock climbing destination!)
🧗♀️ Family Rock Climbing Trip in Joshua Tree National Park: Learn how to rock climb as a family during this family-focused rock climbing experience in Joshua Tree National Park!
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking,Expedia,VRBO,Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
Is WINTER a Good Time to Visit Joshua Tree NATIONAL PARK?
Winter is a great time to visit Joshua Tree! In winter, you avoid both the oppressive (and dangerous) summer heat and the massive crowds of spring.
In the winter, daytime temps are perfect for hiking, and local tours and excursions are in full swing.
You have the potential of enjoying sunny, warm days in the 70°s F while still getting to cozy up in a hot tub and stargaze in the chilly evenings.
However, winter in Joshua Tree isn’t all sunshine and beautiful weather.
In the winter in Joshua Tree, the weather can swing from sunny, hot days to cold, brisk, windy days in the blink of an eye, and you never quite know what you are going to get until your trip arrives.
If you set proper expectations (like not being able to wear that adorable summer dress you were maybe hoping to wear) then you can have an amazing time in Joshua Tree in the winter!
Pros of Visiting Joshua Tree in the Winter
- Perfect hiking weather
- Not nearly as crowded as the spring (March/April)
- Shorter days make it easier to catch the sunset and stargaze
Cons of Visiting Joshua Tree in the Winter
- The park can get very busy around Christmas and New Year’s (in contrast, we visited the week after New Year’s and the park wasn’t crowded at all)
- Nighttime temps can be freezing (important to keep in mind if you are camping)
- You need to bring lots of layers because the weather can shift quickly. In January, we experienced a warm day in short sleeves, but also a cold, windy day in puffer jackets and beanies
Does it Snow in Joshua Tree National Park in The Winter?
It can! Snow is quite rare in Joshua Tree; however, the park does see a few snowy days each year.
Snowfall is most common in January and February, and it doesn’t stay around long. Just keep an eye on the forecast to see if you should be expecting a sunny and warm winter visit or a colder (potentially snowy) one.
Where to Stay in Joshua Tree in the Winter
One of my biggest regrets about our two winter trips to Joshua Tree is that I didn’t book accommodations with a hot tub either time! WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Your first reaction when you think of taking a trip to the desert may be that you want to stay somewhere with a pool. However, in the winter in Joshua Tree, a place with a hot tub is actually perfect!
At night, temperatures dip down into the 30°s F to 50°s F (or in the 20°s F, like when we were there in November 😱), and a hot tub is the perfect place to relax and stargaze 🤩.
It can’t get much better than seeing the Milky Way from a cozy hot tub in the middle of the desert.
Dreamy Joshua Tree Accommodations with a Hot Tub For Stargazing:
- 💰 😍 Invisible Wind Cabin With Hot Tub: Modern Joshua Tree cabin with rustic vibes and cozy, hilltop hot tub with expansive desert views
- 💰💰😍 Yucca Hut – Design Forward Oasis Near Joshua Tree: Room for 5 in this beautiful rental with a hot tub with a gorgeous view of Joshua Trees
- 💰💰💰😍 Steel & Solace By The Cohost Company: Two-bedroom home with stunning Joshua Tree landscaping with a hot tub, cowboy pool, fire pit, hammocks, and overall relaxing, desert vibes
Camping in Joshua Tree in the Winter
Joshua Tree has nine campgrounds within the park. Six of the campgrounds require reservations, and three of the campgrounds are first-come, first-served.
You can see an overview of each campground on the official national park website here.
Campsite reservations are available on a rotating 6-month calendar before your travel date on recreation.gov and it’s recommended to book as early as possible.
My favorite campground in Joshua Tree is Jumbo Rocks Campground. It’s a large, central campground with many of the sites nestled right up against gorgeous boulder formations.
Because of how amazing this campground is, it’s quite popular and books up quickly, so I recommend booking it as soon as bookings are available six months in advance.
The first-come, first-served spots fill up quickly from October to April and rangers say you most likely won’t find a weekend spot unless you arrive in the morning on Friday (and sometimes even by then they are gone).
Camping in Joshua Tree in peak winter does come with potentially freezing temperatures at night, and is something to keep in mind.
We’ve camped in Joshua Tree on two different occasions, once in May and once in late November.
When we camped in Joshua Tree in May, it was a dream with perfect temperatures at night.
However, when we camped in Joshua Tree in late November, we ended up with freezing temperatures in the 20°s F at night (it was SO COLD).
What is the Weather in Joshua Tree National Park in THE WINTER?
The main thing to take away about winter weather in Joshua Tree is that you need to be prepared for both the warm and the cold.
December and January daytime temperatures in Joshua National Park can vary greatly from 60° F all the way up to 80° F, and nighttime temperatures are in the 40°s to 50°s F.
Of course, that can always vary. When we visited in January, we were in short-sleeved shirts one day and light puffy jackets with beanies the next. It was a bit all over the place.
When we visited in late November, we were in T-shirts and hoodies during the day but, at night, the temps dropped into the 20°s F, and we were (which we did not expect).
In my opinion, an ideal winter place to stay would include a hot tub for stargazing on those cold desert nights.
This rental in Joshua Tree would be a dream to stay at because of its hot tub with beautiful Joshua Tree views.
We didn’t have a hot tub during either of our winter visits to Joshua Tree, and it’s one of the things I regret most about our trips 😭.
😍 🛏️ CLICK HERE TO SEE A RENTAL WITH A HOT TUB WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS IN JOSHUA TREE! 😍 🛏️
Just be sure to check the weather often before you visit Joshua Tree and come prepared with layers.
My favorite way to research the weather of a specific destination is to visit AccuWeather.com. On Accuweather, I search for my specific destination and then, in the top bar, select ‘monthly’.
This pulls up a calendar with the expected average high and low temperatures for each day of your selected month in the upcoming year.
However, my favorite feature is to select the month of the previous year in the dropdown menu to see the actual high and low temperatures for the previous year.
This gives a pretty good, comprehensive view of what the weather may be like during the time period you are interested in visiting.
What things can you do in the winter in Joshua Tree?
Everything! Winter is the perfect time to experience Joshua Tree at its fullest. Daytime temps are generally mild, hiking can be an all-day event, and local excursions are in full swing. Plus, sunset is a bit earlier, making it easier to catch the sunset in the park!
Check out my guide to 12 of the best hikes in Joshua Tree, ranked from easy to difficult (spoiler alert: there are loads of easy hikes in Joshua Tree).
If you’re looking to get a bit more out of your hiking experience, I’d recommend booking this half-day guided hike with a local.
The crisp winter skies make for some of the best stargazing the park has to offer, which you can enjoy on your own, or you can even book a professional stargazing tour with high-powered telescopes! 😍
My favorite site to search for tours and excursions is Viator. Viator is a massive online marketplace of tours and excursions all around the world. My favorite things about Viator is that you can read reviews and see travelers’ photos to get a real feel for what the experience is like.
Amazing excursions to book in Joshua Tree in the winter
🥁 Soundbath with Desert Nature Walk, and Cacao Ceremony in Joshua Tree: Experience a true hidden gem in Joshua Tree with an easy nature walk followed by a meditative soundbath in the desert.
🔭 Professional Stargazing Tour in Joshua Tree: Discover the stunning night sky of Joshua Tree National Park with a professional and high-powered telescopes and laser pointers 😍!
🥾 Half-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park: Worried about hiking on your own or wanting to learn more about the area? Create a custom hiking itinerary with a local guide!
🧗♀️ Beginner Rock Climbing Experience in Joshua Tree National Park: Learn to climb in a friendly atmosphere in Joshua Tree (a world-renowned rock climbing destination!)
🧗♀️ Family Rock Climbing Trip in Joshua Tree National Park: Learn how to rock climb as a family during this family-focused rock climbing experience in Joshua Tree National Park!
In contrast to the winter, in the summer, some of these activities may not even be running, and if they are, they would have extremely early start times because of the intense summer heat.
✨🌵 CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR WINTER EXCURSIONS/TOURS IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK ON VIATOR ✨🌵
WHAT TO WEAR WHEN VISITING Joshua Tree IN THE WINTER
When visiting Joshua Tree in winter, you have to be prepared for a bit of everything regarding the weather.
Yes, you can have some sunny, warm, glorious days, but you can also have some cold, windy, bitterly cold (potentially snowy!) days.
When we spent two days in Joshua Tree in January, our first day was a gorgeous, sunny day where we’d all stripped most of our layers by noon and were hiking in t-shirts.
Flash forward to our second day in the park, and we were in light puffers and beanies and dodging rain throughout the day!
I recommend continually checking the weather up to your trip to really be prepared, but even if it’s looking warm, having extra layers on hand is important because temperatures drop quite a bit in the evenings/early mornings.
What I Recommend Having on Hand in the Winter in Joshua Tree
- Long pants
- Short-sleeve shirt
- Sweater
- Wind breaker
- Light puffer
- Beanie
Summer vs Winter in Joshua Tree National Park
If your only two available times to visit Joshua Tree National Park are either peak winter or peak summer, I’d choose PEAK WINTER EVERY time.
Honestly, I recommend avoiding visiting Joshua Tree in the summer at basically all costs.
From May to September, temperatures in Joshua Tree can exceed 100° F on a daily basis with the hottest months being July and August.
Not only is that uncomfortably too hot to hike in the park, but it’s actually quite dangerous. Park rangers recommend that you have at least one gallon of water per person, hikes should be done before 9 am, and no hikes over two miles in any sort of heat.
Basically, if you want to visit Joshua Tree in the summer, you should consider a driving tour in the comfort and safety of your air-conditioned car.
For a lot of great information about visiting the park in the summer, check out the Joshua Tree National Park website here.
Now compare that to the winter, where you have perfect weather for hiking and exploring, and you can do basically anything and everything you could want to do in and around Joshua Tree- I’d, of course, pick winter.
OTHER GOOD TIMES TO VISIT Joshua Tree NATIONAL PARK
Weatherwise, March and April are the clear winners for the best months to visit Joshua Tree.
However, everyone else is also chasing this perfect Joshua Tree weather, making these months BY FAR the busiest months in the park (with the most expensive lodging as well).
During spring and summer, parking lots can be full and trails quite busy, so it’s recommended to arrive early in the morning (before 9 am).
If you’re trying to get the best of both worlds, you may consider visiting in late February and hope for some glorious weather while beating some of the crowds.
And that’s everything I think you need to know about visiting Joshua Tree in the winter! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions, and I’ll be sure to get back to you!
🌵 LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT JOSHUA TREE?
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🥾12 Gorgeous Joshua Tree Hikes You Need to Take (From Easy to Difficult)
🌵The Ultimate Guide to Joshua Tree National Park and Nearby Towns
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THINKING OF VISITING ARCHES NATIONAL PARK?
🥾 7 Family-Friendly Hikes In Arches National Park Your Kids Will Love
👉The Ultimate Guide to Arches National Park with Kids: Things to Do + Map and Tips
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