Joshua Tree National Park, California

©Andrew Harper

It takes only about an hour to reach the northwest entrance of the immense (1,234 square miles) Joshua Tree National Park from The Willows, and the trip is well worth the effort. The trees for which the park is named have a Seussian appearance, with thick, furry branches terminating in green puffs of spiky leaves. In the northwest of the park, they are scattered among dramatic rock formations, and elsewhere, as near the entrance of the Hidden Valley hiking trail, they form vast groves on expansive plains.

The one-mile Hidden Valley loop is one of the park’s most scenic hikes, though it does require some agility to climb occasional stair-like sections of rock. The path weaves among granite cliffs, rugged outcrops and giant boulders, punctuated by Mojave yucca, pinyon pines, Muller’s oak and Joshua trees. I also recommend making the detour to Keys View, which presents panoramas of the entire Coachella Valley.

Allow two or three hours for the drive between the west entrance station and the north entrance station, and bring plenty of bottled water (available at service stations en route and in the visitors’ center). In warmer months, arrive as early in the day as possible to avoid the heat and experience the best light for photography.