Fortynine Palms Oasis

Fortynine Palms Oasis is a grove of desert fan palms in a rocky canyon on the north edge of Joshua Tree National Park, reached by a 3-mile round-trip trail off Highway 62 between Indian Cove and Twentynine Palms. It sits on its own short road, apart from the main park roads, and makes a good half-day from the house in Yucca Valley. It is also one of the harder short hikes in the park, and it closes every summer.

The oasis

Desert fan palms (Washingtonia filifera) are native to the low, hot deserts of southern California. The park service says they can grow up to 75 feet tall and live 80 to 90 years, and they only grow where a steady supply of water reaches the surface, often along fault lines where hard rock pushes groundwater up. There are about 118 desert fan palm oases in all of North America, and the park counts seven of them inside Joshua Tree.

That water is why the rules here are stricter than on most trails. The park calls Fortynine Palms a sensitive biological area and a crucial water supply for plants and wildlife. Follow the posted signs, stay on the trail, watch your step around young palm seedlings, and don't walk into the oasis itself. Swimming, wading and bathing are banned in every water source in the park, this one included, because contaminated water can keep bighorn sheep from drinking. The park names bighorn sheep, Gambel's quail, coyotes, western yellow bats and hooded orioles among the animals that use its oases, so give the palms plenty of room.

The trail

The park lists the Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail at 3 miles out and back, with about 300 feet of climbing in each direction, and rates it strenuous. Plan on 2 to 3 hours. The path is compact dirt with uneven footing. From the parking area it climbs to a ridge, then drops down the other side into the canyon where the palms grow. You climb on the way out and climb again on the way back. Rangers describe it as deceptively difficult, and the three miles tend to feel longer than people expect.

There is no shade along the trail. Barrel cactus dot the ridge on the way over. The palms are the turnaround point, so enjoy them from the trail and head back the way you came.

When to go

Under the park's current rules, the Fortynine Palms Trail is closed to all entry every year from June 1 through September 30. The park gives two reasons. Summer temperatures here can top 110°F on a hike with no water, no shade and limited cell service, and in drought years the local bighorn herds depend on the spring to get through the hot months. The park's trail page also ties reopening to rain refilling water sources, so check the alerts on nps.gov/jotr before you drive out, especially in early October.

That leaves fall, winter and spring, and even then it pays to go early. The park's general advice is to avoid hiking between 10am and 5pm in summer, and its trail list says of this one: avoid it when it's hot out. On a cool winter day you have more room, but an early start still gets you over the ridge before the warmest part of the day.

The parking area is day use only, open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, so this isn't a stay-for-the-stars outing. Save the night sky for the fire pit and the car bed back at the house.

Getting there

From Yucca Valley, drive east on Highway 62 through the town of Joshua Tree and past the Indian Cove turnoff. Between Indian Cove and Twentynine Palms, turn south onto Canyon Road and follow it to the trailhead parking area. From the house it's about 40 minutes, depending on traffic through the towns.

This corner of the park is separate from the other park roads, and the park's three entrance stations are elsewhere, so check nps.gov/jotr on how the entrance fee applies here and carry your pass. The trailhead has a parking lot with room for larger vehicles, restrooms and an information board. The park doesn't list drinking water there, so fill your bottles before you leave town. If you want the main park the same day, the North Entrance is a short drive east in Twentynine Palms; our guide to Joshua Tree entrances and fees covers passes and which gate to use.

Pairing it with Twentynine Palms

Twentynine Palms makes a natural second half of the day. The Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center in the middle of town, which replaced the old Oasis Visitor Center in 2022, has a bookstore, flush toilets and a water bottle filling station. A second, much gentler palm oasis is at park headquarters: the Oasis of Mara, a flat, paved half-mile loop on a place the Serrano people named Mara. Flood damage in September 2025 closed the trail, and parts of it have stayed closed since, so check the park's alerts before you go and don't count on walking the full loop. Our guide to Twentynine Palms and the Oasis of Mara has more on the town.

On the way back west, Indian Cove is a short detour off the same highway, with a half-mile nature trail and a picnic area among the boulders.

Dogs, kids and safety

Dogs aren't allowed on the Fortynine Palms trail. The park keeps pets off its trails, with two short paved exceptions (the Oasis of Mara and Keys View). The house welcomes dogs, so if yours is along, read visiting Joshua Tree with a dog for places you can go together.

With kids, think about the walk back. The return climbs to the ridge again in full sun, with no shade along the way. Younger children usually do better on a shorter, flatter walk such as the half-mile nature trail at Indian Cove.

Carry plenty of food and water even for this short hike; the park recommends at least a gallon of water per person for a day in the desert. Wear sturdy shoes for the uneven footing, plus a hat and sun protection. Cell service is limited, so tell someone where you're going, and in an emergency call 911. Our notes on desert safety and Leave No Trace cover the rest.

Know before you go

• Distance. About 3 miles round trip with roughly 300 feet of climbing each way, per the park. Allow 2 to 3 hours.
• Season. Closed every year from June 1 through September 30 under the park's current rules, and possibly longer in a dry year. Check alerts on nps.gov/jotr.
• Hours. The parking area is open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
• Shade and water. No shade on the trail and no listed drinking water at the trailhead. Bring more than you think you need.
• Oasis rules. Stay on the trail, stay out of the oasis, and no swimming or wading.
• Fees. The park's entrance stations are elsewhere; check nps.gov/jotr on how the entrance fee applies here.
• Dogs. Not allowed on the trail.
• Emergency. Call 911. Don't count on cell coverage.

Fortynine Palms makes a good morning. Afterward, the house is about 40 minutes back west, with a stock-tank pool and a private hot tub waiting. Check dates for your trip.