• Sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden

    Joshua Tree

    National Park California

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • Pinto Basin Road Renovation

    Pinto Basin Road is being renovated. On weekdays you may encounter travel delays of up to 30 minutes. Cholla Cactus Garden is closed on weekdays. Cottonwood Visitor Center hours are 9 to 4 on weekdays, 8 to 4 weekends. More »

  • Rattlesnake Canyon Remains Closed

    To provide additional time to mitigate the vandalism, Rattlesnake Canyon will remain completely closed to the public until further notice. More »

Geology Motor Tour

An 18-mile motor tour leads through one of Joshua Tree National Park's most fascinating landscapes. There are 16 stops along a dirt road and it takes approximately two hours to make the round trip. A descriptive brochure that highlights each stop is available at the beginning of the road or online.

In good weather sedans and trucks may access the route as far as Squaw Tank, stop #9. After that a 4-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended. The road is not suitable for campers, trailers, and motor homes.

At Squaw Tank, which is 5.4 miles from the beginning, there is adequate turn-out space for returning to the main park road. Or you can proceed on the one-way portion (numbered stops 10 through 16) to continue exploring Pleasant Valley.

  • Geology Tour Map Geology Tour Map

    A map of Geology Tour Road (68k PDF) Read More

Did You Know?

Desert Queen Ranch branding iron

In the high desert country that was to become Joshua Tree National Park, rugged individuals tried their luck at cattle ranching, mining, and homesteading. William Keys and his family are particularly representative of the hard work and ingenuity it took to settle and prosper in the Mojave Desert. More...