8 Best Instagram Spots in Joshua Tree National Park

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There are many gorgeous Instagram spots in Joshua Tree National Park, but these ones are my favorites. I drove through Joshua Tree with Dan on my 29th birthday – after eating my way through LA with my sister – and it was one of the most memorable birthdays I’ve ever had.

I find that people either love the desert or are underwhelmed with it, but fortunately, I am the former. There’s something about the bizarrely shaped cacti and the arid landscape that fascinates me. Plus, the sunrises and sunsets are unbeatable. So, we visited Joshua Tree, and we loved it, and I know you will too.

But first, a few tips. To visit these Instagram spots in Joshua Tree National Park:

1. Go as early as possible for the best light and the fewest crowds. If there is no one at the entrance gate when you arrive, that’s ok. You can pay when you leave.
2. Drive through the park north to south, entering at the West Entrance Station and exiting at the Cottonwood Visitor Center. The northern half is much more beautiful than the southern half, so you want to catch it when the light is at its nicest. If you’re staying in the town of Joshua Tree near the northern entrance to the park, this will also allow you to pass through Palm Springs for a late lunch when you’re heading back.
3. Pack food and water, and make sure you have a full tank of gas. Even though this is a well-maintained national park, it’s still desert wilderness. Don’t get caught unprepared. 
4. Download a map of the park to your phone before you go. There’s minimal cell signal, so if you want to use GPS, you need to save the map to your phone before leaving civilization.

Now on to the list. You can visit all of these places on an almost straight-shot drive through the park on Park Boulevard and Pinto Basin Rd. They also require very little hiking, so you can do as much or as little adventuring as you like. Dan and I stopped and walked anywhere that looked interesting, and I recommend you do the same.

Ready to explore one of America’s most unique natural places? Use this list to discover the 8 best Instagram spots in Joshua Tree National Park (and don’t forget to bookmark it for the handy map below)!

 

 

1. This mysterious rock formation

Ok, it’s not really mysterious, but I don’t know the name and just spent an hour looking for it on various maps. It had a parking lot and an info sign, but no one seems to mention it anywhere else, so I’ll just have to list it as is. 

To get here, drive through Joshua Tree on Park Boulevard and you will see the turn off for it on your right – find it here on Google Maps. Then, you can snap a few pics from the parking lot or follow the trail into the rocks themselves. This is a choose your own adventure (and amount of exercise) type of day.

 

 

From the same parking lot, on the other side of the road, there is a field of Joshua trees and this beautiful rock face that I may be partial to because it looks just like the Organ Mountains that I live next to.

This area is great for an early morning photoshoot, especially because this mysterious rock formation isn’t even on the map, so there won’t be any crowds ruining the background of your photos. 

 

 

2. Keys View

Just like everything else in Joshua Tree National Park – and pretty much any outdoor space at all – the earlier you can get there, the better your photos will be.

Keys View is a great example of that. We could see miles of desert in almost every direction, but I could also see the smoggy haze of the every-present SoCal air pollution moving in fast.

This viewpoint is easy to reach with a parking lot right near the top, but you gotta get there early to get a nice photo for the ‘gram. Find it here on Google Maps.

 

 

3. Hall of Horrors

Clearly, this area has a slightly more memorable name than the first. The Hall of Horrors is photogenic from the parking lot, but I recommend following the trail and hiking a short loop through them as well.

The rock has another huge one behind it, and the ‘Hall of Horrors’ is the corridor that runs through them. It’s not spooky, but it is beautiful and definitely one of the best Instagram spots in Joshua Tree National Park. Find it here on Google Maps.

 

 

4. Skull Rock

Skull rock is probably the most famous Instagram spot in Joshua Tree National Park. It’s pretty easy to see why.

Just like everywhere else in the park, get here early to beat the crowds, which will climb all over it and ruin your photos (leaving you with nothing use on your annual Halloween cards to friends). Find it here on Google Maps.

 

 

5. Skull Rock (part two)

After snapping a few pics of Skull Rock, I crossed the street to see if I could get a better view from further away. I wasn’t able to get one of the formation itself, but I did climb on the rocks and get this phenomenal photo of the surrounding landscape.

It’s my favorite Instagram spot in Joshua Tree National Park, and all it took was a little excursion off the beaten path. Don’t miss this gem when you visit Skull Rock!

(I didn’t want to include a ‘Skull Rock Part Three’ in this list, but I also recommend climbing on the rocks to the left of Skull Rock where you can get photos of yourself immersed in two-tone a field of boulder and sky. It’s a cool area.)

 

 

6. Cholla Cactus Garden

Last up on your drive through Joshua Tree is the Cholla Cactus Garden. As you drive from north to south through the park, you’ll see the landscape change drastically, and nowhere is that more clear than in this ‘garden.’

The cacti are bizarre, and – just like every other spot on this list – it was hard to choose just one photo for it because I came away with so many. Just watch out for the bees during your photoshoot because there are a lot. Find it here on Google Maps. 

 

 

7. Joshua Tree Wildlife

Ok, this is a slightly cheeky addition to the list of best Instagram spots in Joshua Tree National Park because you can’t really control the wildlife you see. Still, knowing what you’re looking for can increase your chances.

I was beyond delighted to see this desert tortoise on one of our hikes, especially because they are a threatened species. (If you spot one, don’t touch it because you can scare them so bad they pee themselves, which dehydrates them and can be deadly.) Just as in any national park, keep your eye out for animals but remember to respect their right to the land!

Other animals you can see in Joshua Tree National Park are bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, bats, birds, lizards, and more. 

 

 

8. Forty-Nine Palms Desert Oasis

Last up is Forty-Nine Palms Desert Oasis. This is the only Instagram spot that’s not on the north/south driving route through the park, but it’s such an awesome place I want to include it anyway. 

This 3(ish) mile out-and-back trail goes through rocky desert terrain with sweeping ridgeline views and ends at a tiny desert oasis with 49 palm trees. It looked like the Arabian tales I imagined in my childhood, with the small pool of running water and a burst of greenery and life in a desolate landscape. We saw a bighorn sheep and a desert tortoise here, so keep your eyes peeled!

Plus, the entrance to this hike is outside of the park on the north end, so you can do it for free. Go at sunrise or sunset for the best views and coolest temps on the exposed trail. Find it here on Google Maps. 

 

 

 

Ready to go?

Explore unique Airbnbs in Joshua Tree – like this desert oasis with a hot tub or glamping in a spaceship – to book your stay. Then, check out more food, cultural, and outdoor experiences in SoCal to finish planning your trip!

 

This article is part of the SoCal Series. Read the rest below:

SoCal Road Trip Itinerary (Tried, Tested, and Approved)

7 Best Restaurants in West Hollywood (From a Local)

 

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