Getting a campsite reservation in Joshua Tree National Park is fairly elusive, especially on weekends for this time of year. A few weeks ago, at the nudging of the kids, I started browsing for sites, and to my surprise, a single site was available in Jumbo Rocks, so I grabbed it. We decided on two nights, so the first night will be at easy-to-reserve Black Rock, just at the northern edge of the park.
Under starlight, Yan and I pitch camp while the kids sleep in the car. Then, we help all of them slither into their sleeping bags and drift deeper into sleep.
Saturday morning, we wake up to beautiful clear skies. After breakfast, we wander over to Pioneertown. I had heard about this place from a patient of mine. We hang out in the courtyard of the Pioneertown Motel, where the front desk guy supplies the kids with peanuts to feed the jays. After lunch at a local pizza place, we head into the park.
This is the first time using Daphney’s fourth grader national park pass. Unlike the old annual pass cards, this is a QR code in my Apple wallet. The ranger inspects the car to make sure there’s indeed a fourth grader inside. Our first stop is Hidden Valley, where we repeat the loop hike among boulders.
Campsite #1 is tucked among giant rocks, and Jayden uses some of the skills learned in bouldering camp. After dinner, the kids make a teepee of kindling, and we get a fire going.
The sun is a giant fireball this camping morning. It quickly warms up our campsite. All too soon, we pack up and leave this site we chanced upon.
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