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Joshua Tree National Park

Sunday, November 2, 2025 - Sunday, November 9, 2025 -- $1900 ★★


Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California features a desert landscape whose signature plant is the rare and beautiful Joshua Tree. The park boasts unique geological formations such as granite monoliths and rugged canyons. Barren but beautiful, it is a destination that particularly appeals to those who enjoy desert landscapes, rock scrambling and mild weather with little precipitation. The park features a variety of elusive wildlife including bighorn sheep, jackrabbits and coyotes. November is a great time to explore the arid and rocky Mojave desert because the oppressive summer heat is ostensibly gone and freezing night temperatures have not completely moved in yet.


Our route will begin near the Oasis entrance on the North part of the Park. We'll hike on the California Riding & Hiking Trail for a few days hiking over 2/3 of the trail. We'll then hike over to beautiful Covington Crest for a view of Palm Springs at night. Finally, we'll head down Smith Water Canyon a true highlight of the trip, eventually ending our hike at Quail Springs Picnic area.


The California Riding & Hiking Trail is established but the high desert is exposed to the sun. On the last few days of the trip, the trails become routes that require dead-reckoning, GPS, map and/or compass. At many of our campsites, there will be bouldering opportunities for you to climb up various rock formations. There are rocks to climb for every ability level or you may opt to skip climbing any rocks at all.



Topographical Map of Proposed Route

See CalTopo map


Weather

Weather is always an important concern when backpacking. Expect warm, sometimes hot days of hiking. Historical weather averages 60s and 70s during the day, which is perfect for hiking, although we might also experience blazing heat during the day or freezing temperatures at night. Expect 40s at night although freezing weather is not at all unheard of this time of year.



Probable Trip Leaders

Julie Quibodeaux
Beau Devlin
Any Other Guide(s) TBD

Difficulty


Some of the trails will be rugged and much of them are exposed to the sun. On some of the trails, there may be bouldering opportunities for you to climb up or down various rock formations or canyon walls. There are rocks to climb for every ability level or you may not want to climb any rocks at all ... no judgment. Note: You will have to navigate a 30 foot rock scramble downclimb during our hike in Smith Water Canyon which some find rugged and difficult.



Cost

$1900 per person pre-trip single occupancy, post trip double occupancy. Here, double occupancy means that you will share a hotel room with another trip participant. You will also be responsible for transportation to and from Palm Springs, CA (PSP) as well as personal equipment, restaurant meals (typically 2 dinners) and any gratuities for guides.


Covered expenses include 2 hotel nights, 2 nights in a frontcountry campground, storage fees, 6 days of trail meals, airport transfers, ground transportation to/from/within the National Park, park permits, park entrance fees and awesome guides.


Tipping: In order to keep our prices competitive with (and hopefully favorable to) other outfitters, we shamefully can’t pay our guides as much as we think they deserve. Like most other guiding services, we rely on the generosity of our participants to make up this shortfall by tipping the guides. Gratuity can comprise a significant and important part of a guide’s compensation. The industry recommended gratuity amount is 10-20% of the trip cost. Gratuities are always optional and based on level of satisfaction but generally account for 30-60% of a their income through gratuities. Fitpacking supports tipping to the greatest extent possible while remaining tactful and professional. Guides are not permitted to solicit tips in any way other than doing an exceptional job supporting and providing exceptional customer service to our participants. If your guides have served you well, please support them with gratuities so they can continue living their extravagant lifestyles of eating powdered meals, sleeping in the dirt and pooping in smelly outhouses and small holes they've dug.



Notes

Joshua Tree can be extremely windy at times


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Itinerary


Sunday, November 2, 2025

Fly or drive into Palm Springs, CA (PSP)

We will pick you at the airport and shuttle you to our local meeting place / hotel (TBD). Since people are flying in from all over the country, you may have to wait around an hour or so for other participants to arrive to minimize number of airport trips. You are welcome to cab or Uber to our local hotel if you'd prefer not to wait.

We will assemble at: TBD, To Be Determined

As you arrive, we will perform a quick oral equipment shakedown. We expect to have done this online prior to the trip and will only be looking for obvious last minute omissions such as water containers, backpack, hiking shoes etc.

Make-your-own trail mix from our cornucopia of ingredients

At around 3PM, shuttle to campsite: TBD, To Be Determined Site(s) TBD

Shuttling will take about 1 hours

Guides prepare dinner in camp. On some trips with longer shuttle times, we may opt to go out for an opening dinner at a local restaurant. (Cost of restaurant dinner not included in trip price)

Camp at TBD, To Be Determined Site(s) TBD


Monday, November 3, 2025

Tonight we will be staying at Belle Frontcountry Campground within the park

We will spend time this morning obtaining a campsite at Belle, which has arcane and unfortunate rules regarding staying there.

From the park website:
This small campground has 18 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water so bring plenty of your own. To secure a campsite, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show site occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If arriving after entrance stations close, payment may be delayed until morning.

Shuttle to Boy Scout Trail trailhead and spot a car here

Drive to Oasis North Entrance Station, park at Oasis Backcountry Board

Begin hiking at Oasis Backcountry Board, elevation 2900'

Hike 4.7 miles on the California Riding & Hiking Trail (CR&HT) to Park Blvd, elevation 3100'

Hike 1.3 uphill miles on the CR&HT to Belle Campsite, elevation 3800'

Camp at Belle Campsite, elevation 3800'. There will be water here for the next few days that we cached earlier

Mileage Today: 6.0. Total mileage: 6.0

Possible bailout: Park Rd.


Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Hike 1.1 miles on the CR&HT to Pinto Basin Rd, elevation 3900'

Hike 4.3 miles on the CR&HT to Geology Tour Rd., elevation 4493'

Hike about 3.4 miles on the CR&HT to an old mining camp, elevation 4300'

Camp at old mining camp, elevation 4300'. No water here.

Mileage Today: 8.8. Total mileage: 14.8

Possible bailout: Pinto Basin Road or Geology Tour Rd.


Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Hike 2.3 miles on the CR&HT to Ryan Campground, elevation 4300'

Pick up cached water here

Hike 0.7 miles on the CR&HT to Keys View Rd, elevation 4342'

Hike 1.5 miles on the CR&HT to Stubbe Springs Trail Intersection, elevation 4500'

Hike 2.2 miles on the CR&HT to Stubbe Springs Trail Intersection (different intersection), elevation 4500'

Optional: Day-Hike 4.2 miles to the summit of Quail Mountain, elevation 5816'

Mileage Today: 10.9. Total mileage: 25.7

Possible bailout: Keys View Road

Dispersed camp near the intersection of Stubbe Springs Trail, elevation 4400'


Thursday, November 6, 2025

Hike 5.4 miles on California Riding & Hiking Trail, elevation 4700'

Hike 1.4 miles to the Upper Covington Backcountry Board, elevation 4820'

Water is cached here

Hike 2.9 miles to Covington Crest, elevation 5000'

Dispersed camp at Covington Crest practicing Leave No Trace with sweeping views towards Palm Springs, elevation 5000'

Mileage Today: 9.7. Total mileage: 35.4

Possible bailout: Upper Covington Rd


Friday, November 7, 2025

Hike 2.9 miles to Covington Flat Backcountry Board, elevation 4820'

Hike 1.5 miles down a wash to Lower Covington Flat Road extension (dirt), elevation 4600'

Hike 3.0 scenic and time consuming miles through Smith Water Canyon, elevation 3700'

There is a steep 20' rocky dropoff where we may need to lower each other and/or our packs using a rope

Possible pools of water in Smith Water Canyon are not for our consumption

Hike 0.5 miles to West Entrance Wash, elevation 3700'

Hike 1.9 miles up Quail Wash to Johnnie Connector trail and dispersed camp there, elevation 3700'

A usually reliable water pump is here [ususally reliable is a meaningless phrase]

Mileage Today: 9.8. Total mileage: 45.2

Possible bailout: Lower Covington Rd., Park Boulevard


Saturday, November 8, 2025

Hike 2.2 miles up to Ryan Canyon, elevation 4200'

Hike 2.3 miles to Quail Springs Picnic Area, Park Boulevard, elevation 4000'

Mileage Today: 4.5. Total mileage: 49.7

Possible bailout: Park Road

End of hiking

Shuttle back to Oasis Entrance to pick up other vehicle

Shuttle back to Palm Springs

Shuttle back to local hotel: TBD, To Be Determined

Gather your off-trail items from storage

Dinner and awards ceremony at a local restaurant (Dinner cost not included in trip price)

Stay in our local hotel (included in trip cost)

This is the official end of the trip. You are welcome to spend the night at the hotel, however if you drove and would like to get on the road or if you flew and would like to schedule a late flight (or a red-eye if this is a West Coast trip) you can definitely do so.


Sunday, November 9, 2025

We would like to get everyone to the airport in a timely manner and not have people sit around all day waiting for their flights. We expect to shuttle everyone early in the morning in one shuttle to make sure those leaving earliest can catch their flights. We may also have a 2nd shuttle which will depend greatly upon how many participants we have and when their flights are. As we get closer, we'll have a better idea of how to proceed.


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