Joshua Tree National Park is located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California, about a two hour drive from Los Angeles.
Joshua Tree makes a great weekend camping spot or an easy day trip from Palm Springs. It's located in parts of two California deserts - the Mojave Desert in the West and the Colorado Desert in the East - so you'll find yourself immersed in desert flora and fauna, including lizards, cacti, and of course the park's namesake, Joshua trees.
If you're making a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park from Palm Springs, I'd recommend a self-guided driving tour of the park (about 10 bucks).
If you plan on camping at Joshua Tree there are a few things to keep in mind: the weather and capacity.
Being the desert, the temperatures can get extreme. The summer temperatures routinely eclipse 100, winter nighttime lows can hit freezing, while spring and autumn can offer near perfect weather.
With the great weather comes the crowds. Many of the Joshua Tree campgrounds offer reservations, which is recommended for a weekend trip. Otherwise, the first-come, first-served campgrounds can fill up quickly.
Of course, when many Angelenos think of a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, they're thinking of "glamping" and (while not in the National Park itself) the Joshua Tree region certainly has an abundance of glamping options.
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