Perhaps because of the sparse nature of the desert and potentially high temperatures, Joshua Tree seemed to be heavy on the shorter interpretive nature trails, with fewer of the longer half-day and day hike options I usually prefer. At least in terms of established trails – you may want to explore backpacking and backcountry hiking options to get further off the main roads. That being said, it was definitely worth checking out some of these nature trails, particularly as first-time visitors. One of my favorites was the Cholla Cactus Garden on the road that heads toward the southern entrance. They really do look like fuzzy teddy bears, but that’s a mistake you don’t want to make. Barker Dam was basically a dirty puddle when we were there, but you can still walk the trail to spot lizards, learn about different desert plants, and, if interested, see the pictographs “enhanced” by old movie crews.
One fun hike was the 49 Palms Oasis trail. The entrance to this trail is actually outside of the main park off of Canyon Rd. leading in from the town of 29 Palms. The trail climbs in and out of the oasis for about a ~3 mile round trip (you get most of the 300-ft elevation in the first half-mile, and I imagine part of the moderately strenuous rating is that there is very little shade on the trail). While the trail is sparse, the oasis is full of ponds and palms (I tried counting, but lost track). Much of the oasis is off limits to protect the ecosystem, but it was fun to spot the palms tucked into the hills on the hike in then get to spend some time in its shade listening to the sounds of frogs (not a noise I associate with the desert).
Another little hike we did was the Pine City Trail, which required driving a few miles down a dirt road to get to the trailhead (no high clearance needed, but it was only one lane with no directionality that we could tell…). The trail was a nice walk ending in a canyon and highlighting some of the other types of trees of the desert (or should I say actual trees since the Joshua technically is not). The trailhead is also the base for exploring one of the mines in the park.