Advertisement
Get Ready to Play. Take the Quiz!

49 Palms Oasis

49 Palms Oasis

Hike an ancient pathway to a cool retreat

Joshua trees are ubiquitous throughout most of Joshua Tree National Park, but you won’t find them on this trail. The elevation is a bit too low for the spiky yuccas. Taking their place is a wealth of low-desert flora: the towering palms, spiky barrel cactus, and clusters of brittlebrush, a shrub with silvery green leaves and a yellow, daisy-like flower.

The trail follows sections of an old Native American pathway, climbing up and over a small ridge and then curving around to the palm grove, gaining and losing about 300 feet/91 meters in elevation. At trail’s end, towering California fan palms form a canopy over a trickling spring and clear pools. Palm oases like this one require a constant water supply, so they occur along geologic fault lines where underground water is forced to the surface. This green, vibrant spot is critically important as a watering hole for native desert bighorn sheep and coyotes, as well as birds—look for orange-and-black hooded orioles, especially when palm berry-like fruit ripens.

Official Resources

Advertisement
California Winery

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get weekly travel inspiration, offers, contests, and more!

Plus, receive communications from California Grown and their exclusive ebook 'Iconic California Dishes to Celebrate California Wine Month' FREE.