Activities
Pappy & Harriet’s
New Yorkers Robyn Celia and Linda Krantz bought Pappy’s in 2003 and have booked artists such as Lucinda Williams, Kurt Vile, Cat Power, Sean Lennon and Rufus Wainwright, with occasional superstar surprise guests such as Paul McCartney and Robert Plant. Located about a half-hour away from Joshua Tree in Pioneertown (a faded strip of frontier-era facades built by Hollywood investors in the ’40s — and not much else), the bar has an outdoor arena and smaller indoor stage.
The Palms
Palms Restaurant, a desert roadhouse in Wonder Valley, is even farther from civilization than Pappy’s. It’s known for its free-spirit vibe and avant-garde performances — such as Wonder Valley Experimental (March 30), a festival of experimental music; imagine pots and pans and concrete mixers as instruments.
Transmission Sculpture
World-renowned South African artist Daniel Popper continues to leave viewers in awe with his latest work, “Transmission,” located at the Mojave Moon Ranch. This 220-acre property, known as the “Jewel of Joshua,” indeed has a jewel of its own with this remarkable and mystifying installation. Rising almost 30 feet above the vast Joshua Tree sands, this ethereal giant made of concrete, steel, and embellished with glass mosaics is truly a sight to behold.
Cadiz Dunes
At nearly 20,000-acres, the Cadiz Dunes Wilderness area in Mojave Trails National Monument preserves some of the most pristine sand dune features in California’s desert region, and offers visitors an incredible opportunity to experience true desert solitude.
Barker Dam Loop
This trail is an easy 1.1 mile loop with minimal elevation gain. The presence of standing water brings a unique set of freshwater indicator species to this trail, which you see in and around Barker Dam. The trail winds through bouldery outcrops with pinyon-oak woodlands, desert willow riparian corridors, and loamy basins dominated by Joshua tree woodlands or creosote bush scrub.
49 Palms Oasis Trail
The 49 Palms Oasis Trail offers a three-mile round-trip hike to a fan palm oasis. It requires two to three hours and is rated moderately-strenuous, ascending about 300 feet each way. This well-maintained trail climbs to a ridge where large numbers of barrel cacti dot the landscape. After winding around the ridgetop, the trail descends steeply to the oasis located in a rocky canyon. Towering palms create a canopy over clear pools of water. Large boulders provide a place to rest and enjoy the sights and sounds of this small ecosystem.
Amboy Crater
Designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973 and located just off historic Route 66, Amboy Crater is an example of geology creating geometry—it’s an almost perfectly symmetrical volcanic cinder cone. This 250-foot/76-meter bump in the Mojave National Preserve landscape provides panoramic views of some astounding features, including a 26-mile-/42-kilometer-long lava flow, Bristol Dry Lake, and the Marble Mountains.
Integratron
The Integratron is a structure designed by ufologist and contactee George Van Tassel. Tassel claimed the Integratron was capable of rejuvenation, anti-gravity and time travel. He built the structure in Landers, California (near Joshua Tree), supposedly following instructions provided by visitors from the planet Venus. The Integratron machine was started in 1957, the structure was erected in 1959. It was financed predominantly by donations, including funds from Howard Hughes.
Noah Purifoy Art Museum
The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum is a unique cultural attraction located in Joshua Tree, California. It was established by artist Noah Purifoy, who was known for his assemblage sculptures created from found objects. These artworks are made from discarded materials such as scrap metal, wood, and plastic, and they address themes of social justice, environmentalism, and the human experience. The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum offers a one-of-a-kind artistic experience that celebrates creativity, resourcefulness, and the power of art to provoke thought and inspire change.