Hiking Joshua Tree National Park With Young Kids

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Little ones are naturally curious, and ours love the outdoors, so we love taking them to parks and hiking with them. But let’s be honest. Hiking with young kiddos is not always fun. They whine. Their little legs get tired. They want to be carried. Or, if you have a child like my two year old daughter, they stop every single person they meet along the trail to give them a hug. And while this may seem adorable, it makes for a very slow hike. So, now when we go hiking we try to scope out the best, shorter, kid-friendly trails beforehand. And thankfully there were a bunch of them at Joshua Tree National Park!

Here are our top picks for hiking with young children at Joshua Tree National Park.

1). Hidden Valley Trail

Distance: 1 Mile Loop

Location: If you enter at the West Entrance Station, it is approximately a 9 mile drive to the Hidden Valley Picnic area, which will be on the right hand side of the road.

Parking area: Large lot with a picnic area and incredible views of the Joshua trees.

The Hidden Valley Trail was, hence the name, a valley surrounded (hidden) by large boulders and rocks. It was an easy, mostly flat, loop. Our kids enjoyed walking through and climbing over the boulders. The trail was peppered with Joshua trees, Mojave Yucca plants, and cactus.

This valley was rumored to once have been used by cattle rustlers since it was enclosed by rock.

There were signs on this trail that said to watch for big horned sheep, but we didn’t see any. Probably because it was too early in the afternoon.

Another thing we liked about this trail were the placards every so often that gave information about the area and the things we were seeing along the trail.

2). Barker Dam Trail

Distance: 1.1 Mile Loop

Location: From the West Entrance Station, drive about 9 miles. Turn left on Barker Dam Road and drive about another mile and a half to the parking lot.

Parking: Parking Lot and overflow along the road

Tip: Visit this trail as early as possible. The parking lot fills up quickly.

The Barker Dam trail is a loop, but half of it was closed when we were there, so we had to hike to the dam and then turn around and hike back the way we came. It was a gorgeous hike, and like the Hidden Valley trail, it had placards placed that told about the different things we were seeing as we hiked.

One of the really cool things about this trail were the petroglyphs on the rock that could be seen just as the trail bends right towards the dam. Unfortunately the original petroglyphs had been painted over in an act of vandalism, but they were still a pretty neat thing to see.

The Barker Dam trail also said to watch for bighorn sheep, that like to rest in the rock crevices to keep cool. I would recommend going in the early morning or late in the day for a chance to see them. We were there just before lunchtime, so the little guy below was the only wildlife we saw, in addition to the handful of lizards scurrying across the path.

Once we reached the dam, there were large boulders to climb on and beautiful views of the water. The dam was built by early cattle ranchers, and an old water tank could still be seen there.

3). Discovery Trail

Distance: 0.7 Mile Loop

Location: From the West Entrance Station drive approximately 18 miles until you get to Skull Rock, which you can see on the right side of the road. The trailhead for the Discovery Trail is across the street from Skull Rock.

Parking: Along the road by Skull Rock

The Discovery Trail connects the Skull Rock loop trail and the Split Rock loop trail. It was probably my favorite trail to hike with the kiddos. It is an easy hike that wanders through boulder piles and desert washes, and it has some really interesting rock formations. Can you see the faces in the rocks below?

We were pleasantly surprised when we rounded a bend in the trail and both sides of the path were covered in beautiful wildflowers! The yellow poppies were so gorgeous mixed in with purple wildflowers!

There was an overlook on this trail with great views of skull rock and elephant rock, as well as face rock in the opposite direction. The overlook even had a binocular stand there to check out the surrounding area with a closer view.

4). Cholla Cactus Garden Trail

Distance: 0.25 mile loop

Location: From the Cottonwood Visitor Center near the south entrance, drive north about 20 miles. You can’t miss the cactus garden on the left side of the road.

Parking: Parking Lot

Tip: Make sure your kiddos stay on the trail, and be careful not to brush up against anything! (I ended up with a few pointy stickers in my bum cheek).

The Cholla Cactus Garden Trail is a super easy super short loop through these cute little cactus trees! It felt like we were in a mini forest in some other world! I loved it! Imagine driving down the road and there is desert and wildflowers on each side of you. Then, all of a sudden, a huge patch of these little guys pops up! I was amazed as soon as I saw it!

I loved visiting this trail in the spring time. The cactus blossoms were so pretty!

5). Cottonwood Spring

Distance: 0.1 mile to the Palm Oasis

Location: From the Cottonwood Visitor Center near the south entrance, turn onto Cottonwood Oasis Road. Drive about 1.2 miles to the trailhead.

Parking: Small parking lot and overflow along the road.

This is a very short very easy walk to a pretty cool fan palm oasis with cottonwood trees. How amazing is it to be in the middle of the desert and suddenly come across a group of palm trees?! There was plenty of shade here, and it was a great place for bird watching. I’m not sure I would really call this a trail if you are just going to the oasis, but if you wanted you could continue on the Lost Palms Oasis trail. Just realize that it is strenuous and is 7.5 miles out and back.

6). Bajada Trail

Distance: 0.25 mile Loop

Location: From the Cottonwood Visitor Center drive south about 5.5 miles. The trail will be on the left side of the road.

Parking: Small parking lot.

We did not actually hike this trail, but we drove by and it looked amazing! Wildflowers were everywhere! This trail is a very short loop and is wheelchair-accessible.

Hiking Tips

Best time to visit: It gets HOT at this park in the summer, so there are definitely less people visiting then. As it cools down a bit in the fall it starts getting busier, and the springtime is the busiest season. Even if there are more people and it’s more crowded, visit when it’s cooler outside. Especially if you are hiking with young children who can get tired and irritable easily. We visited in mid-March and the weather was really nice. It was the busy season, but the trails weren’t crowded and we definitely enjoyed ourselves.

What to bring: Even if you are visiting when it’s cooler outside, the sun is still beating down on you and most of the trails do not offer much, if any, shade. Definitely make sure you wear sunscreen, and a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses are recommended. I got sunburned on the first trail that we hiked! Most importantly, bring lots of water! Again, it gets HOT at this park! It is so easy to get dehydrated here while hiking. The park recommends drinking one gallon of water per person per day, and to eat lots of salty snacks or electrolyte drinks when active. Water is also available at some of the campgrounds and visitor centers.

When to hike: If you can, try to hike early in the day before it gets too hot, or later in the evening before the sun goes down. Usually it’s less crowded at these times, and cooler! Plus you are more likely to see some wildlife!

Stay on the trails: It is very easy to get lost at Joshua Tree when hiking in the back country. In fact, people have gone missing here and actually died while hiking the back country. Make sure you, and your children, stay on the marked trails for your own safety.

Watch out for wildlife: There is a lot of wildlife at this park. Make sure you are careful to protect it! Watch for desert tortoises and other critters on the roads, and if you see them when hiking, observe from a distance. Don’t put your hands or feet into any crevices where you can’t see. Rattlesnakes could be hiding out there. Also, the Joshua trees are fragile and are protected, so make sure you do not hang anything from them, try to climb them, or pull on them.

Tired Kiddos: Even if you choose short hikes, young kids are probably going to get tired of walking at some point. We bought the carrier below for our two year old and I love it! They can sit or stand in it, and it has a detachable backpack and a lot more storage for snacks, water, diapers, etc.! Click on the photo to learn more.

Thank you for reading about our hikes at Joshua Tree! I hope you get the chance to check out this desert paradise with your kiddos! For more information about Joshua Tree National Park click here.