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AutoCamp Joshua Tree
4-star hotel classJoshua Tree · Joshua Tree · $$$
Best for: Couples, park trips, design lovers
Day trips
Beyond Palm Springs
These towns are not part of Greater Palm Springs. They sit outside the Coachella Valley — high desert, mountain, or lakebed — and they change the character of a trip completely. Everything here is a drive from a valley base, or a night or two on its own.
Staying in the valley? Start with hotels in Greater Palm Springs and things to do in the valley. The nine core cities are listed on our cities page.
Where to go
The four day trips we cover
Joshua Tree
National park day trip an hour north
Drive from Palm Springs: about 45–60 min
Pioneertown
Old film-set street and Pappy & Harriet's
Drive from Palm Springs: about 1 hr 10 min
Idyllwild
Pine forest an hour up the mountain
Drive from Palm Springs: about 1 hr 15 min
Salton Sea
Strange, stark shoreline south of the valley
Drive from Palm Springs: about 1 hr
Where to stay
Stays outside the valley
Desert cabins, motels and campgrounds in the gateway towns — separate from our Greater Palm Springs hotel list.
Harmony Motel
3-star hotel classTwentynine Palms · Joshua Tree · $
Best for: Budget stays, music history
Idyllwild Inn
3.5-star hotel classIdyllwild · Idyllwild · $$
Best for: Cool-weather escapes, couples, families
Joshua Tree Inn
3-star hotel classJoshua Tree · Joshua Tree · $$
Best for: Music history, park trips, couples
Pioneertown Motel
3.5-star hotel classPioneertown · Pioneertown · $$
Best for: Live music, couples, high desert
What to see
Things to do beyond the valley
National park stops, art sites and lakebed landmarks that need a dedicated day, not an afternoon.
Attractions
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree · $30 per vehicle, 7 days
Photo unavailable
Hiking
Barker Dam Trail
Joshua Tree · Joshua Tree National Park entrance fee
Arts
Bombay Beach
Salton Sea · Free
Hiking
Devil's Slide Trail
Idyllwild · Free
Photo unavailable
Hiking
Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail
Idyllwild · Free
Photo unavailable
Hiking
Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail
Joshua Tree · Joshua Tree National Park entrance fee
Outdoors
Idyllwild Nature Center
Idyllwild · Around $3
Outdoors
Keys View
Joshua Tree · Included with park entry
Photo unavailable
Hiking
Lost Palms Oasis Trail
Joshua Tree · Joshua Tree National Park entrance fee
Arts
Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum
Joshua Tree · Free
Historic
Pioneertown Mane Street
Pioneertown · Free
Hiking
Pipes Canyon Preserve
Pioneertown · Free
Photo unavailable
Hiking
Ryan Mountain Trail
Joshua Tree · Joshua Tree National Park entrance fee
Outdoors
Salton Sea State Recreation Area
Salton Sea · Day use around $7
Arts
Salvation Mountain
Salton Sea · Free
Hiking
Suicide Rock Trail
Idyllwild · Adventure Pass required
Arts
The Integratron
Joshua Tree · Sound baths from around $45
Where to eat
Food on the way out there
Small-town kitchens and roadhouses. Hours change with the season, so call before a long drive.
Cafe Aroma
Italian · Idyllwild · $$
Art-covered cafe with live jazz, wine and a shaded garden patio under the pines. Cafe Aroma is an Italian spot in Idyllwild. Prices sit in the mid range. Served here: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. There is a patio. Kids are comfortable here. Best for lunch, live music.
PatioBrunch
Crossroads Cafe
American · Joshua Tree · $$
The climbers' canteen: big breakfasts, veggie-heavy plates and a permanent queue on weekends. Crossroads Cafe is an American spot in Joshua Tree. Prices sit in the mid range. Served here: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. There is a patio. Kids are comfortable here. Best for breakfast before the park.
PatioBrunch
Ferro
Italian · Idyllwild · $$
Idyllwild's date-night Italian, pizza and pasta with a wine list. Ferro is an Italian spot in Idyllwild. Prices sit in the mid range. Worth knowing: wine list, patio. Served here: dinner. Hours: Wed-Sun 4pm-9pm. There is a patio. You get a view from the tables. Best for dinner in the mountains.
Patio
Gastrognome
American · Idyllwild · $$
Idyllwild's long-standing sit-down restaurant, with a fireplace and mountain-town portions. Gastrognome is an American spot in Idyllwild. Prices sit in the mid range. Served here: brunch, lunch, dinner. There is a patio. Kids are comfortable here. Best for dinner in the pines.
PatioBrunch
Idyllwild Brewpub
American · Idyllwild · $$
Mountain brewpub with house beers, burgers and a big deck under the pines. Idyllwild Brewpub is an American spot in Idyllwild. Prices sit in the mid range. Worth knowing: craft beer, deck, mountain views. Served here: lunch, dinner, happy hour. Hours: Daily 11:30am-9pm. There is a patio. You get a view from the tables. Kids are comfortable here. Dogs are welcome on the patio. Best for lunch in the pines.
PatioHappy hourDog friendly
Joshua Tree Coffee Company
Cafe · Joshua Tree · $
Small-batch roaster and walk-up coffee bar on the way to the park. Joshua Tree Coffee Company is a Cafe spot in Joshua Tree. Prices sit in the budget range — easy for a quick, cheap meal. Worth knowing: coffee, roaster, patio. Served here: breakfast. Hours: Daily 7am-4pm. There is a patio. Kids are comfortable here. Dogs are welcome on the patio. Best for coffee before the park.
PatioDog friendly
Joshua Tree Saloon
American · Joshua Tree · $$
Burgers, cold beer and live music a mile from the park entrance. Joshua Tree Saloon is an American spot in Joshua Tree. Prices sit in the mid range. Served here: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. There is a patio. Kids are comfortable here. Best for post-hike burger and beer.
PatioBrunch
La Copine
Californian · Flamingo Heights · $$$
A cult high-desert restaurant in a converted roadside building, with a short seasonal menu. La Copine is a Californian spot in Flamingo Heights, Joshua Tree. Prices sit in the upper-mid range. Served here: brunch, lunch, dinner. There is a patio. Best for destination lunch, date night.
PatioBrunch
Natural Sisters Cafe
Vegetarian · Joshua Tree · $
Vegetarian cafe for breakfast burritos, smoothies and trail-ready sandwiches. Natural Sisters Cafe is a Vegetarian spot in Joshua Tree. Prices sit in the budget range — easy for a quick, cheap meal. Served here: breakfast, brunch, lunch. There is a patio. Kids are comfortable here. Best for breakfast before the park.
PatioBrunch
Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace
Barbecue · Mane Street · $$
Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace is the desert's most famous roadhouse: a honky-tonk built on a 1940s Western movie set in Pioneertown, 45 minutes north of Palm Springs near Joshua Tree. Mesquite-grilled barbecue and Tex-Mex come out of the kitchen, but the reason people drive out is the stage — a lineup that mixes local bands with genuinely major acts who play the 300-capacity room, plus the outdoor stage for bigger shows. The bar is open late, the crowd is a mix of locals, bikers, festival-goers and tourists, and the parking lot under the stars is half the experience. Pair it with a Joshua Tree day trip.
PatioBrunch
Ski Inn
American · Bombay Beach · $
The lowest bar and grill in the western hemisphere, papered in dollar bills. Ski Inn is an American spot in Bombay Beach, Salton Sea. Prices sit in the budget range — easy for a quick, cheap meal. Worth knowing: dive bar, burgers. Served here: lunch, dinner, happy hour. Hours: Daily 11am-8pm. Dogs are welcome on the patio. Best for a salton sea landmark stop.
Happy hourDog friendly
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