Fortynine Palms Oasis Hike in Joshua Tree

There are so many amazing, breathtaking, beautiful and fun hikes to do near Joshua Tree National Park! For an overall great hiking experience, the Fortynine Palms Oasis hike is a great choice. It showcases many of the beautiful desert features that one can expect from Joshua Tree. And the hike is not too long and not too strenuous, but it’s rewarding and refreshing.

Another great thing about the Fortynine Palms Oasis hike is that it is conveniently located and easily accessible without sacrificing any quality or beauty. It is also one of the hikes in Joshua Tree National Park that does not require an entrance fee.

Quick Info

Cost: Free

Distance: 3 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

Directions: From the Oasis Visitor Center in Twentynine Palms, turn west onto National Park Drive to the intersection with CA-62. Turn left onto CA-62 W and follow it for 4.2 miles. Then turn left/south onto Canyon Road near the VCA Animal Hospital. After 0.9 miles Canyon Road turns into Fortynine Palms Canyon Road. Follow that for another 0.8 miles to the designated day use parking area.

Know Before You Go: The parking area is day use only. There is a gate that is locked after sunset.

At The Trailhead: There is ample parking, a vault toilet and an information sign at the trailhead.

Hiking to Fortynine Palms Oasis

Even the drive to the parking area for this hike was beautiful. From the parking area, the trail starts to the right of the restrooms near the information sign.

The majority of the first mile of the hike was a gentle climb to the top of a ridge. As we were making the ascent, the trail was leading us through the beautiful desert terrain. We passed barrel cacti, yucca, rocks/boulders and wild flowers.

The trail was well defined and well maintained. Some sections were flat and easy, some were more rocky. Even though the trail is relatively short and in good condition, people have gotten lost out here so stay aware and keep your bearings.

Once we made it to the ridgetop we had a nice vast view overlooking the sprawling desert and civilization below.

From here, the trail begins its descent to the Fortynine Palms Oasis! We could spot the cluster of palms down below indicating the water source that we were heading to.

The descent was moderately steep in some spots. Take care with footing as the loose rocks can cause a slip! The views of the surrounding canyons were great as we followed the trail down to the oasis.

Eventually the trail reached the towering shaggy palm trees and the oasis situated at their feet. When we were here there was a good sized pool of water. Even though it wasn’t crystal clear or super clean it is always a treat seeing water in the dry harsh desert!

We love seeing untamed, wild palm trees out on hikes. They are so shaggy and seem so full of wildlife.

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There are large boulders to hangout and climb around on at the Fortynine Palms Oasis. We did this hike in the evening (this time) so after we took in the beauty we headed back.

And then the sun started to set and the colors and the lighting were stunning! Desert sunsets are almost always extremely beautiful and colorful.

On another occasion we hiked to Fortynine Palms Oasis but then ventured further. From the oasis, we climbed around on the rocks and followed them along the floor of the canyon. There isn’t a specific trail or destination but we love the freedom of scrambling and just exploring. On this adventure we ended up finding another sizable pool of water and some really awesome rocks to play on. The Fortynine Palms Oasis hike is a relatively popular hike but when we scrambled past the oasis we didn’t see many others.

Fortynine Palms Oasis is a great three mile hike that is perfect for squeezing in a quick (+ beautiful) workout or can be lengthened by doing some off trail adventure.

We love Joshua Tree National Park!! And we love canyons and rocks scrambling.

Check Out the Articles Below for More Adventures Like This One:

• Hiking in Joshua Tree Guide
• Exploring Quartz Vein Wash
• Ding and Dang Canyon Adventure
• Best Hikes in Pinnacles National Park

Thanks for keeping up with The Lost Longboarder! If you know of some awesome canyon adventures let us know in the comment section below!

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