All Stories from Deserts

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  Your Winter Wellness Retreat: La Quinta

  La Quinta is one of SoCal’s best-kept secrets, a land of wild open spaces, deep history, beautiful art, and all kinds of ways to relax and soak in the healing power of nature.

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  Noah's Art

  Noah Purifoy Desert Museum of Assemblage Sculpture is an outdoor museum near Joshua Tree National Park, with a mosaic of items transformed into works of art. Go on a self-guided tour to view over 30 assemblage sculptures.

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  Red Rock On

  With its vivid volcanic reds, folded sandstone whites, and mudstone browns, it’s hard to believe that Red Rock Canyon State Park is within the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. For highlights, wander the nearly 1-mile loop trail.

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  The Holey Spirit

  Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Loop Trail serves up the best parts of the Mojave Desert, all in a 1.3-mile loop: vista views, rare geological features, and even a climb through a slot canyon.

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  Gem of a Vacation

  Backed by the Coachella Valley’s Santa Rosa Mountains, La Quinta’s vast wild spaces are steeped in history, with plenty of important historical sites amid its beautiful nature. Add in boutique hotels, spas, and great dining, and you’ve got one gem of a vacation.

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  Barrel of Fun

  Put a spring in your step and a barrel in your belly in Antelope Valley's Palmdale. Do a 2.75-mile hike on Barrel Springs Trail and enjoy a local winery that shares part of the nomenclature.

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  Take the Musical Road

  Drive the Musical Road—one of only a handful in the world—to connect two of Antelope Valley’s best parks, Prime Desert Woodland Preserve with its Joshua Trees and Apollo Community Regional Park.

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  Liquid Assets

  The arid Los Angeles high desert lets you pay homage to H2O via 7.75 miles of walking along the aquatic channel. Followed by enjoying a different liquid quencher, beer from Bravery Brewing Company.

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  Canyons Calling

  Canyon hikes come in all shapes and sizes in Death Valley, and we’ve got two gems. One requires more rigorous scrambling and navigation, and leads to a dryfall; the other takes you up to a brilliant vista.

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  Dune Swoon

  Of all the places to catch a sunset in Death Valley, we still think there’s none better than the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, inspiring many things, including log rolls, cartwheels, and sundown selfies.

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  Good as Golden

  Golden Canyon in Death Valley has a variety of hiking trails. We like this classic 5.5-mile loop exploring a labyrinth of marbled gold colored hills, badlands, narrow canyons, and tremendous vistas.

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  Cataclysmic Galactic

  Death Valley has a Star Wars vibe going with its desolate landscape. So when you first arrive to hike at the incredible Ubehebe Crater you might expect to see the Millennium Falcon hunkered nearby.

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  Tachevah Canyon

  Grand is great and all, but little canyons can make big impressions too. Take Tachevah Canyon’s rim-to-rim hike in the San Jacinto mountain range. This 4.7-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike features some dynamic desert landscape.

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  Trio of Trails

  Get into Joshua Tree National Park Park early and hit the classic circuit of short trails before the crowds arrive. We also have some food and overnight recos.

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  Split Decision

  Joshua Tree is famous for its namesake trees but it's also got some big-ass boulders! We're talking size-of-a-building boulders. See them on an off-the-beaten-path hike along the Split Rock Trail.

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  Find Your Oasis

  Don’t let the name fool you. Death Valley has a completely new lodging experience that’s all about being alive! Here are five amazing ways to find your oasis in the Lower 48’s largest national park.

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  Joshua Tree's Secret Aerie

  You won’t find Eagle Cliff Mine on the official Joshua Tree National Park map—which is part of the appeal of this challenging 4.6-mile (round-trip) out-and-back trek.

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  Ultimate Oasis

  Water is life in the desert, and nowhere does the desert come to life more dramatically than in Palm Canyon in the Agua Caliente Reservation's Indian Canyons. Here a walk on the 2.

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  49 Palms and Counting

  The hike to 49 Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree has pleasures great and small. Big: a genuine palm oasis and expansive views. Small: the possibility of spotting a desert tortoise or a ch

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  Hi, View!

  Pop quiz: Closest Joshua Tree trail to the LA metro area? It’s Hi-View Nature Trail near Yucca Valley’s Black Rock entrance to the national park. Overlooked, but worth looking over

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