The 8 Best Hotels for a Getaway to Joshua Tree, CA

Field magazine

In a pocket of southern Californian desert, a vast and barren landscape is punctuated by prickly cacti and twisted trees that seem to have jumped off the page of a Dr. Seuss book. This otherworldly vegetation is iconic in Joshua Tree. The undeniably natural yet supernatural terrain has a long history of attracting artists, creatives, and contemplatives who, like many visitors today, come to experience the deep silence and solitude of the desert. With a number of welcoming and accommodating properties on the list of Joshua Tree hotels, you can too.

There, you’ll find the 1,235 square miles that comprise Joshua Tree National Park, which is also home to six different mountain ranges featuring craggy rockpiles, plunging valleys, metamorphic rock formations, and two distinctly different desert ecosystems sure to delight the nature lover and adventure seeker.

But although there’s ample space to escape the daily grind and get off-grid, Joshua Tree is surrounded by many different points of interest like the San Bernardino Mountains, Coachella Valley, and Yucca Valley. Nearby towns, Twentynine Palms, Pioneertown, and of course, the legendary Palm Springs, are popular destinations in their own right as cultural hubs with tons of design-forward Airbnbs, glamping, and vacation rentals.

Its ethereal beauty, abundance of camping, and world-famous stargazing is reason enough to visit Joshua Tree, but it’s also a 2.5-hour drive from Los Angeles’ city center making it easily accessible for urban dwellers looking for a peaceful escape that doesn’t involve sleeping on the ground. If a warm bed, heated pool, and room service with free breakfast is what you’re after, these boutique hotels, elevated roadside motels, and hacienda-inspired getaways are the perfect place to stay near Joshua Tree National Park.