Driving approx. 75 miles round trip; about 1.5 hours. Hiking between 4.5 and 6.8 miles on established trails. Prepare for sections of sandy wash walking, rocky trail sections and uphill elevation gain. Depending on terrain, route, group ability, and interest; approximately 6 hours in the field. Participants will be required to carry a minimum of 3 liter of water in their day pack for each hike.
In the resort meeting room, we’ll enjoy a buffet including a daily egg dish, breakfast potatoes and meats, oatmeal, toast, and a selection of fresh fruit, plus juices, coffee, milk, tea, water. After breakfast each day, we will pre-order sandwiches for the following day and assemble our own lunches from the available fruit, chips, cookies, and other snacks as desired.
After boarding our vans, we’ll travel into Joshua Tree National Park. There are numerous hiking trails and destinations in the park and beyond. All of the hikes offer scenic landscapes with interesting natural history features. Trail selection and length of each hike for the day will be dependent on the weather, in particular unseasonably hot temperatures and/or windy conditions. Our group will begin the week with a hike on one or more trails in the national park and adjacent areas. Maze - Window - North View Trail combination loop hike: 6.8 miles, 853 ft. elevation gain. Established park trails with sandy wash walking, rocky and sustained uphill trail sections. This hike offers a great cross-section of desert terrain, land forms, vegetation and far reaching view! Note: midway through this hike the Group Leaders will offer a shorter return to the trailhead on an extension of the Maze Loop Trail for those that choose. This shorter hike option totals 4.7 miles and 360 ft. elevation gain for the day. 49 Palms Oasis Trail: 3.1 mile out and back trail on established park trail. 300 ft, elevation gain. Rocky conditions and sustained uphill hiking in sections.Tucked in the "corner" of a boulder lined basin - the 49 Palms Oasis is a picturesque native California Fan Palm grove that offers a cool sanctuary for numerous bird, animal, and reptile species. Big Morongo Canyon Preserve Trail system: variable distances 1 - 4 miles. 200 ft. elevation change. Riparian and foothill terrain on established trails. Spring wildflowers on display in wet years! The Group Leaders will provide natural history commentary during today's hike at rest breaks as an introduction to the park and the Mojave Desert ecosystem.
Along the trail, we’ll stop at a pleasant spot to enjoy the sack lunches we prepared after breakfast.
We’ll continue our hike through incredible scenery, Upon the completion of our hike in the mid-afternoon, we’ll return to our accommodations.
Resort plated meal.
In the hotel meeting room, enjoy a presentation on a topic of regional significance by a local expert.