What to Do When Joshua Tree Is Crowded, Closed, or Rained Out

World Famous Crochet Museum

A former drive-through photo kiosk stuffed with crocheted animals, celebrities, and Oreo cookies. Free. Takes about five minutes to see everything. Co-founded by artist Shari Elf, now a local institution. Behind the Beauty Bubble Salon.

Palm Springs Art Museum

A serious art museum with a strong modern and contemporary collection. The permanent collection includes work by Henry Moore, Helen Frankenthaler, and Ed Ruscha, plus rotating exhibitions that draw from major private collections. Air-conditioned, spacious, and a genuine alternative to hiking.

Palm Springs Air Museum

Five hangars of flyable WWII, Korean, and Vietnam-era aircraft. CNN rated it one of the top 14 air museums in the world. Flight simulators, a library, and planes on the tarmac. More substantial than most national park visitor centers.

The Integratron

A white dome in the desert built in the 1950s by a ufologist who believed it could reverse aging. Now offers 60-minute sound baths with quartz crystal singing bowls. Reservations required, $60 per person. Closed January, July, and August. Either transcendent or absurd depending on your disposition.

Smith's Ranch Drive-In

Operating since 1956. Double features under the stars for $10. Classic concessions. The kind of place that should not still exist but somehow does.

Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum

Ten acres of large-scale assemblage sculptures made from found objects: bicycles, toilets, cafeteria trays. Created by artist Noah Purifoy over the last 15 years of his life. Free, self-guided. Not indoor, but works in most weather.

Mojave National Preserve

Bigger than Joshua Tree and almost empty by comparison. The Cima Dome area has the densest Joshua tree forest in the world (though the 2020 fire damaged parts of it). Kelso Dunes offers miles of sand to yourself. Teutonia Peak Trail is an easy hour through Joshua trees with mountain views. No entrance fee.

Best for: Joshua tree forests, sand dunes, solitude

Pioneertown Mountains Preserve

Just northwest of the park with none of the crowds. The Chaparrosa Peak trail starts from a parking lot and climbs through volcanic rocks and chaparral. Combine with dinner at Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown.

Best for: Quiet hiking, volcanic rock, chaparral

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

A genuine oasis where water comes to the surface creating a riparian habitat completely different from the surrounding desert. Over 250 bird species documented. Several miles of boardwalks and trails. Free. One of the best birding spots in Southern California.

Best for: Birding, green oasis, easy trails

Whitewater Preserve

A canyon with actual flowing water, rare in this part of California. The 3.5-mile Canyon Loop trail follows the river. The Pacific Crest Trail passes through. Swimming holes appear seasonally. Free, but the road can flood in heavy rain.

Best for: River access, canyon hiking, Pacific Crest Trail

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

California's largest state park. Lower Sonoran desert with ocotillo, elephant trees, and slot canyons you can walk through without ropes. Famous for spring wildflower blooms. Much warmer than Joshua Tree, so better as a winter alternative.

Best for: Different desert ecosystem, slot canyons, wildflowers

Skull Rock

The park's most photographed formation is visible from the road and takes minutes to reach. Park on Park Boulevard, walk 100 feet, done. When you just want to say you were here.

Cholla Cactus Garden

A short boardwalk loop through a dense grove of teddy bear cholla, best in morning or late afternoon light. No hiking required. One of the park's most distinctive landscapes.

Arch Rock Trail

A 1.8-mile loop to two of the park's most photogenic formations: Arch Rock and Heart Rock. Some rock scrambling but nothing technical. Start from Twin Tanks parking lot.

Barker Dam

A 1.25-mile loop to a historic cattle rancher's dam that sometimes holds water and attracts wildlife. Native American petroglyphs near the trail. Best after recent rain when the dam is actually full.

Keys View

Drive to 5,185 feet for a sweeping view of the Coachella Valley, Salton Sea, and San Andreas Fault. No hiking. On clear days you can see into Mexico. Best at sunrise or sunset.

Head to Palm Springs

The Palm Springs Art Museum and Air Museum are both substantial enough to fill a rainy afternoon. The city has enough restaurants, shops, and mid-century architecture to make a day of it.

Check that I-10 and Highway 62 are passable. Desert roads can flood.

Chase the wildflowers (post-rain)

If rain has fallen in the weeks before your visit, the desert can explode with wildflowers. The park's social media channels post bloom updates. Pinto Basin Road often has the best displays.

Superbloom years draw massive crowds. Check conditions before getting excited.

Photograph the clouds

The desert sky is almost always clear, which makes dramatic clouds a rare opportunity. Keys View and Cap Rock are good spots. The contrast between dark clouds and the rock formations creates images you cannot get on sunny days.

Lightning is a real risk in open desert. Do not stand on exposed ridges.

Pappy & Harriet's

Mesquite BBQ and live music in a former Western movie set. Paul McCartney and Robert Plant have played here, but most nights feature local and regional acts. No reservations. Gets crowded, go early.

Closed Thursdays. Check their website for show schedules.