By In January, I made my annual desert trip to La Quinta which is 2 hours from L.A. Rainstorm was in the forecast for my entire trip but I didn’t care. I looked forward to this trip all winter and I wasn’t going to cancel it. I was ready for a break from the daily routines.
I was especially excited about the trip this year because I was going to visit Joshua Tree National Park for the first time! It supposed to rain on and off so I changed my hiking plans around the forecast.
Sadly, dogs are not allowed on hiking trails in Joshua Tree so on the morning of the 2nd day of our trip, my sister and I went to the park ourselves to hike Ryan Mountain – there will be a separate post for this hike – and left Xena at the resort.
The next day, the last day of the trip, we went to La Quinta Cove Trails for a little hike before we headed back to Joshua Tree. The surrounding Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto Mountains make this short walk (less than 2 miles) so memorable. There wasn’t much snow on the top of the mountains like last year – we need more rain! – but the scenery was still beautiful as I remembered from last year’s trip. I was delighted to share it with my girls.
Next stop: Joshua Tree National Park
While pets are allowed in the park, their activities are restricted. They must be on a leash at all times and cannot be more than 100 feet from a road, picnic area, or campground; they are prohibited from trails, and they must never be left unattended—not even in a vehicle.
As I drove further into the park, the temperature kept dropping. As we got close to Keys View (elevation: 5185ft/1581m), I noticed white stuff on the ground. SNOW!!! I screamed. What a nice surprise! It must have been the rainstorm that came through yesterday after we left the park because we didn’t see snow at the summit of Ryan Mountain (elevation: 5458ft/1664m). When we reached Keys View, it was 36 degrees and windy but absolutely gorgeous!
Two desert ecosystems, the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert come together in Joshua Tree National Park. The landscape is something you have to see yourselves.
What an amazing fun trip we had in the desert this winter with rainstorms and all! I already look forward to the next year’s trip. Until then, we will explore other places throughout 2016 and be awed by the beauty of nature.
Good to Know:
- Plan your visit to Joshua Tree
- Do you plan to visit other National Parks this year with your dog? Please check out this link before you go.
Get Our Latest Comprehensive Dog-friendly Trail List Here. Enjoy!
Happy Hiking!
Hiking Girl with Dog 
Looks beautiful! Love her little pink coat btw 🙂 So sweet!
Thank you, Abi! Desert is beautiful to me in winter. Hence my annual trip.. Xena’s black fur makes her look good in every color. Black goes with everything. It’s true. 😊
Awww yeh she always looks like she’s having a blast! She’s a very lucky dog!
Joshua Tree National Park is amazing! I’d love to hike there and to see snow in that kind of terrain (with cacti etc), well that’s awesome! I had no idea it could get snow. I love the pic of you and Xena too, both because of the landscape behind and the natural affection between you. I never had a sister and neither has my daughter so even though we are mother and daughter, we enjoy a certain level of sisterhood when we go on walks. I treasure those times. Thanks for sharing these great walks and pics. 🙂
I have two sisters. When I was young, I wished I had brothers instead. We want things we don’t have. Lol. Now that we’ve grown up, I feel blessed to have them in my life. I am glad you get to experience sisterhood with your daughter because it’s such a special relationship. All women should have it in their lives. 🙂
Yes, Joshua Tree was amazing! I loved every minute of it! I will share my hike at the park in the next post with more pictures. Please stay tuned. 🙂