Cycling in Joshua Tree National Park

Pam, the boys and I left the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa early to grab some breakfast carbs at Starbucks and drive up towards the northern entrance to the Joshua Tree National Park. On the way we bought Subway sandwiches and drinks for a planned picnic, since after you enter this park there is a whole lot of nothing but desert and more desert.

The one thing that Pam and I had forgotten to do was to adequately plan on exactly where and when we were going to meet up as I rode my bike and she followed with the boys in the car. The only thing we agreed was that we would meet up at the Keys View turnaround and that the end of my ride would be at the Cholla Cactus Garden, about 70 km from the start.

The problem is that those who don’t ride have a hard time in estimating how fast a cyclist can move. I arrived at the first stop, up at the top of the overlook, in about an hour. Pam and the boys figured it would take a lot longer and so after waiting for twenty minutes (and getting chilled in the wind), I took off back down the road thinking that I would run into them on the way up. I figured that they had gone on ahead and continued riding. They showed up at the overlook a half hour later and waited for me for an hour. Since there was no mobile phone access in the National Park, so our usual communication channels were disrupted.

So, I rode all the way to Cholla Garden and after waiting another half hour, I rode from there back up the hill thinking that maybe something had happened to the rest of the family. However, we finally met up as Pam was driving south and I was riding back north. We were all relieved to find each other and I ended up getting in an extra 600 meter climb.

Here is the link to the GarminConnect version of the ride with all the GPS, heart-rate and wattage: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21260940 

The scenery was phenomenal. Here is a shot of a cactus at the Cholla Garden:

On the way across the divide between the Mohave and the Colorado deserts, here is a shot of a short stop beside the road:

Comments

[Drew Muldowney]

Great post. I'm a valley resident and I was thinking about riding through Joshua Tree, a route very similar to yours. I do have one question for you- what was traffic like through the park?

[Glen Godfrey84]

Interesting post. Joshua Tree National Park is a great place for enjoyment if you want to enjoy this place with the cycle its an a good idea, and you will got amazing view. The wayside exhibits are located along main roads leading into and through the park. These provide you with the opportunities to acquaint yourself with the park resources. Publications about the monument are sold by the Joshua Tree Natural History Association at the visitor centers and at Black Rock Canyon. Park rangers are available here to help you have an enjoyable and safe visit or tour.
http://www.wildlifeworld360.com/joshua-tree-national-park.html