JOSHUA TREE
NATIONAL PARK
Menlo Park → Joshua Tree, CA · 4 days / 3 nights · Presidents' Day Weekend · Feb 12–15, 2027
Duration
4 Days · 3 Nights
Drive
~470 mi · ~8.5 hrs one way
⚠ departure day/time TBD — see Day 1
Camp
Black Rock Canyon Campground
Weather (Feb)
~60°F days / 35–40°F nights
Entrance Fee
$35/vehicle (7 days)
✅ Campsites booked. 4 tent sites reserved at Black Rock Canyon Campground, Feb 12–15, 2027 (3 nights) — sites 001 & 002 (order #0834087652, booked by Naveena Ganta) and sites 014 & 016 (order #0894403620, booked by Raj Yeruva). $105/site × 4 sites = $420 total.
Day 1: Getting There — Two Options, Decision Needed
Fri, Feb 12
The original plan assumed a 5:30am Friday departure — but scouts are in school Friday, so the troop realistically can't hit the road before ~4:00pm Friday at best. Straight through from Menlo Park at 4pm means arriving at Joshua Tree well after midnight (~470 mi, ~8.5 hrs drive + stops) — not workable for a carload of tired scouts on unfamiliar desert roads. Two real options below; the troop needs to pick one.
Option A — 4pm Friday departure + overnight stop at Calico Ghost Town
RECOMMENDED
4:00 PM Fri
Depart Menlo Park after school pickup
~10:30 PM Fri
Arrive Calico Ghost Town, quick camp, sleep
~9:30 AM Sat
Depart, arrive Black Rock Canyon by ~11am
Drive Menlo Park → Calico Ghost Town Regional Park (near Yermo/Barstow, right off I-15, ~400 mi / ~6.5 hrs) Friday night — an easy 30-min detour off the direct route, not a real backtrack. Calico is a restored 1880s silver-mining town with a bona fide campground: reservable group tent sites (20+ people, ~$200/20 people/2 nights), hot showers, restrooms, fire rings — a real facility, not a random rest stop, and a fun novelty for the scouts (they can wander the ghost town a bit in the morning before pushing on). Saturday morning, finish the last ~70 mi / 1.5 hrs to Black Rock Canyon, arriving late morning — still get essentially all of Saturday and Sunday at the park.
Trade-off: loses Friday night at Joshua Tree itself (no Day 1 orientation walk/campfire in the park — that experience moves to Calico instead) and needs a second group-site reservation. Net trip length is basically the same as originally planned, just one of the three nights is spent at Calico instead of in the park.
Book: Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, San Bernardino County — parks.sbcounty.gov · reservations (800) 862-2542. First-come campgrounds along this route (e.g. Red Rock Canyon State Park near Mojave) exist too but don't take reservations — risky for a scheduled troop arrival, so Calico's bookable group site is the safer call.
Option B — Shift departure to Saturday, 4am, drive straight through
4:00 AM Sat
Depart Menlo Park (carpool, well before dawn)
~12:30 PM Sat
Lunch + resupply, Yucca Valley
~2:00 PM Sat
Check in, set up camp, Black Rock Canyon
No Friday driving at all — the whole trip shifts a day later. Meet for a 4am Saturday carpool departure, drive the full ~470 mi straight through (same route: US-101 S → I-5 S → CA-14 S → CA-138 E → I-15 S → CA-62 E), with the same Kettleman City / Mojave gas stops and Yucca Valley resupply as the original plan, arriving Black Rock Canyon early-to-mid afternoon Saturday.
Trade-off: simpler logistics (one campsite, no second booking, no waypoint stop to coordinate) — but the troop only gets 2 nights in the park (Sat, Sun) instead of 3, since the return drive still needs to happen Monday for Tuesday school. A genuinely early 4am departure with a car full of half-asleep scouts is its own risk — plan for a strong lead driver and a real coffee/breakfast stop.
Day 2: Main Adventure Day
Sat, Feb 13 · Ryan Mtn ~3 mi RT, +1,000 ft
Morning
Skull Rock → Jumbo Rocks → Cap Rock
Afternoon
Ryan Mountain hike (best view in the park)
Late Day
Hidden Valley Nature Trail
The full-park sampler day. Start at Skull Rock Nature Trail (2.7 mi loop, easy) for a desert-ecosystem intro, then let scouts scramble and boulder around Jumbo Rocks. Cap Rock Nature Trail is a quick, flat, iconic stop. After a picnic lunch at Ryan Campground, tackle the day's centerpiece — Ryan Mountain (3.0 mi RT, 1,000 ft gain, moderate/strenuous) for the best 360° panoramic view in the park, including the Little San Bernardino Mountains and, on clear days, the Salton Sea. Close the day at Hidden Valley Nature Trail (1 mi loop) — classic JTNP boulder-ring scenery. Second bouldering session back at camp before dinner and a campfire program.
💧
Water: 3L minimum per scout for the day. Desert air is dry even in February.
🥾
Ryan Mountain: Rocky scramble near the summit — closed-toe shoes mandatory.
📸
Photo ops: Jumbo Rocks and Hidden Valley are the park's most iconic boulder formations.
Day 3: Exploration & Service Day
Sun, Feb 14 · Flexible, patrol-led
Morning
Cholla Cactus Garden + Ocotillo Patch
Midday
Split Rock hike + map-and-compass · lunch in Twentynine Palms
Afternoon
Oasis of Mara · optional Indian Cove climbing
A lighter, patrol-led day. Start at Cholla Cactus Garden (0.25 mi, unforgettable — do NOT touch the "jumping cholla") and the nearby Ocotillo Patch, a good spot for a natural-history discussion on the Mojave/Colorado Desert transition zone. Split Rock offers less-crowded hiking and bouldering, plus a good 1st Class map-and-compass opportunity. Drive into Twentynine Palms for lunch, showers, and ice cream, then visit the Oasis Visitor Center and Oasis of Mara Trail for desert cultural history. Optional afternoon trip to Indian Cove for the park's best rock climbing access. Valentine's Day campfire back at camp — hot chocolate and s'mores.
🌵
Cholla caution: Jumping cholla spines are no joke — carry needle-nose pliers in the first aid kit.
🧭
Advancement: Split Rock is a solid spot for 1st Class map-and-compass requirements.
🚿
Twentynine Palms: Showers and ice cream available in town — good mid-trip reset.
Day 4: Pack Up & Drive Home
Mon, Feb 15 · Presidents' Day
6:00 AM
Wake, pack camp, Leave No Trace check
8:30 AM
Depart park (checkout by 12pm)
4:30 PM
Estimated arrival, Menlo Park
Early wake-up, full Leave No Trace sweep, and grab-and-go breakfast for one last sunrise. Depart the park via the West Entrance toward I-10 W or CA-138 N → I-5 N, aiming to be well clear before Presidents' Day Monday traffic builds. Rest stop near Cabazon/Banning (outlet shopping optional), lunch stop in Gorman or Buttonwillow, then the long push home — watch for backups near the I-5/I-10 interchange and the Bay Area approach near Gilroy.
🚦
Traffic warning: Presidents' Day Monday — I-5/I-10 interchange and Bay Area approach notoriously slow. Add 1–1.5 hrs buffer.
🏕️
Checkout: Aim for early departure — checkout is by noon, and leaving camp by 8:30am beats the worst of the traffic.
Trail Reference
Hike Guide — Top Trails
| Trail | Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|
| Ryan Mountain | 3.0 mi RT | 1,000 ft gain | Moderate | Best panoramic view in the park. Allow 2 hrs. Rocky scramble near summit. |
| Skull Rock Nature Trail | 2.7 mi loop | Minimal | Easy | Desert flora + iconic skull formation. Family-friendly. |
| Hidden Valley Nature Trail | 1 mi loop | Minimal | Easy | Classic JTNP scenery. Rock ring enclosure. Bouldering adjacent. |
| Black Rock Canyon Trail | 4 mi RT | 500 ft gain | Easy–Mod | From camp — convenient warmup hike. Good summit views. |
| Cholla Cactus Garden | 0.25 mi loop | Flat | Easy | Jumping cholla cactus. Short but unique. DO NOT touch plants. |
| Cap Rock Nature Trail | 0.4 mi loop | Flat | Easy | Flat, paved. Gram Parsons memorial nearby. Accessible. |
| Barker Dam Nature Trail | 1.3 mi loop | Minimal | Easy | Historic cattle dam. Pictographs. Bighorn sheep sightings. |
| Boy Scout Trail | 8 mi one way | 1,200 ft gain | Strenuous | Shuttle hike — longest option. Remote wilderness feel. |
Campground Planning
Campground Options
| Campground | Water/Toilets | Capacity | Notes |
|---|
| Black Rock Canyon ⭐ Booked | Running water, flush toilets, dump station | Sites 001, 002, 014, 016 (4 booked) | $35/site/night. NW corner, road access, cell service, horse camp adjacent. Confirmed on recreation.gov — orders #0834087652 & #0894403620. |
| Indian Cove Group | No on-site water (2 mi to ranger stn), vault toilets | 13 group sites, 6–25 per site | $35–50/group site/night. Spectacular boulder setting, best for climbing. Need 2–3 group sites for 30 people. |
| Cottonwood (backup) | Running water, flush toilets | 62 sites | $35/site/night. South entrance — different ecosystem (no Joshua Trees), but good facilities. |
Booked: 4 sites (001, 002, 014, 016) at Black Rock Canyon, $105/site (3 nights) × 4 sites = $420 total, ≈$14/person for camping across ~30 people. Order confirmations: #0834087652 (Naveena Ganta) and #0894403620 (Raj Yeruva).
Budget Planning
Cost Estimate (Per Person, ~30 people)
⛺ Campsite fees (3 nights, 4 sites booked, split 30 ways)
$14.00
🚙 Park entrance fee ($35/vehicle, ~6/car)
$5.83
⛽ Gas contribution (carpool, ~$140/car)
~$25
🍳 Food (Fri dinner → Mon breakfast, patrol cooking)
~$30 – $40
🧊 Incidentals (ice, firewood, sunscreen)
~$5 – $10
Estimated Total Per Person
$82 – $97
Excludes personal gear and optional excursions. Much cheaper than the troop's international 50-milers — good budget-friendly Presidents' Day option.
Essential Trip Info
Logistics & Planning
🛣️
Route: US-101 S → I-5 S → CA-14 S → CA-138 E → I-15 S → CA-62 E → Joshua Tree NP West Entrance. ~470 mi, ~8.5 hrs without stops — budget 10–11 hrs total.
⛽
Gas stops: Outbound — Kettleman City, Mojave, Yucca Valley (fill up here, last before park). Return — Cabazon/Banning, Gorman, Kettleman City.
📋
Permits: No special wilderness permit required. Campsite reservation required — book 6 months out via recreation.gov.
💧
Water & supplies: No stores inside the park. Stock up in Yucca Valley (Jensen's Foods, Stater Bros) before entering. 2–3L/person/day minimum even in winter.
🧥
Gear: Sleeping bags rated 20–30°F (nights drop to 35–40°F). Desert wind can be intense — stake tents thoroughly. SPF 50+ even in February. Closed-toe shoes mandatory for boulder scrambling.
🔥
Firewood: No gathering firewood in the park — buy bundled at the camp store or bring your own.
📵
Cell service: Limited inside the park. Black Rock Canyon Campground has service. Download offline maps (Gaia GPS/CalTopo) before departing.
🏥
Nearest hospital: Hi-Desert Medical Center, 6601 White Feather Rd, Joshua Tree (~20 min from West Entrance).
Key Contacts & Reservation Links
Joshua Tree NP Info
Phone: (760) 343-0100
Website: nps.gov/jotr
Campsite reservations: ✅ Booked — sites 001, 002 (order #0834087652, Naveena Ganta) & 014, 016 (order #0894403620, Raj Yeruva), Black Rock Canyon Campground, Feb 12–15, 2027
Indian Cove Group (backup): recreation.gov, ID 10053779
Emergency (park): 9-1-1 or ranger station (760) 367-5500
Driving Coordinator: Mirela Savin —
[email protected]
Trip Lead / Outing Coordinator: Raj Yeruva —
[email protected] · (408) 548-7494