Best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Joshua Tree National Park: April–May and October–November. Daily highs run about 65–80°F, with about 70% of March's visitors.
Hardest months: June–August, mostly because of heat.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Joshua Tree National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 7 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Fair | 58° / 42°F | 0.8 in | – | Busy | – |
| February | Good | 62° / 44°F | 0.6 in | – | Busy | – |
| March | Good | 67° / 47°F | 0.5 in | – | Peak | – |
| April | Best | 76° / 54°F | 0.3 in | – | Peak | – |
| May | Best | 82° / 60°F | 0.1 in | – | Busy | – |
| June | Poor | 94° / 70°F | 0.1 in | – | Moderate | – |
| July | Poor | 98° / 77°F | 0.4 in | – | Quiet | – |
| August | Poor | 96° / 76°F | 0.6 in | – | Quiet | – |
| September | Fair | 90° / 70°F | 0.3 in | – | Moderate | – |
| October | Best | 79° / 59°F | 0.2 in | – | Moderate | – |
| November | Best | 67° / 49°F | 0.2 in | – | Busy | – |
| December | Fair | 57° / 42°F | 0.8 in | 0.6 in | Busy | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63°F | 45°F | 0.6 in |
| February | 68°F | 48°F | 0.4 in |
| March | 73°F | 52°F | 0.4 in |
| April | 82°F | 59°F | 0.2 in |
| May | 88°F | 64°F | 0.1 in |
| June | 100°F | 75°F | 0 in |
| July | 103°F | 81°F | 0.3 in |
| August | 102°F | 80°F | 0.3 in |
| September | 95°F | 73°F | 0.2 in |
| October | 84°F | 63°F | 0.1 in |
| November | 71°F | 52°F | 0.2 in |
| December | 61°F | 45°F | 0.6 in |
Black Rock Canyon
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54°F | 39°F | 1.1 in | 1.0 in |
| February | 57°F | 40°F | 0.8 in | 0.7 in |
| March | 61°F | 43°F | 0.5 in | 0.9 in |
| April | 70°F | 50°F | 0.3 in | – |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 0.2 in | – |
| June | 88°F | 66°F | 0.1 in | – |
| July | 92°F | 72°F | 0.6 in | – |
| August | 90°F | 71°F | 0.8 in | – |
| September | 84°F | 66°F | 0.4 in | – |
| October | 73°F | 56°F | 0.2 in | – |
| November | 62°F | 46°F | 0.2 in | 0.6 in |
| December | 53°F | 39°F | 0.9 in | 1.6 in |
Cottonwood Springs
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59°F | 43°F | 0.8 in |
| February | 62°F | 45°F | 0.5 in |
| March | 67°F | 49°F | 0.4 in |
| April | 76°F | 56°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 81°F | 61°F | 0.1 in |
| June | 93°F | 72°F | 0.1 in |
| July | 96°F | 78°F | 0.5 in |
| August | 95°F | 78°F | 0.8 in |
| September | 88°F | 72°F | 0.5 in |
| October | 78°F | 61°F | 0.4 in |
| November | 67°F | 51°F | 0.2 in |
| December | 58°F | 43°F | 0.7 in |
Hidden Valley
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54°F | 40°F | 1.1 in | 0.9 in |
| February | 57°F | 40°F | 0.8 in | 0.7 in |
| March | 61°F | 43°F | 0.6 in | 1.2 in |
| April | 70°F | 50°F | 0.3 in | – |
| May | 75°F | 55°F | 0.1 in | – |
| June | 87°F | 66°F | 0.1 in | – |
| July | 91°F | 72°F | 0.5 in | – |
| August | 90°F | 71°F | 0.8 in | – |
| September | 83°F | 66°F | 0.4 in | – |
| October | 73°F | 56°F | 0.2 in | – |
| November | 62°F | 47°F | 0.2 in | – |
| December | 53°F | 40°F | 0.9 in | 1.4 in |
Indian Cove
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56°F | 41°F | 1.1 in | – |
| February | 60°F | 42°F | 0.7 in | – |
| March | 65°F | 45°F | 0.5 in | – |
| April | 74°F | 52°F | 0.3 in | – |
| May | 80°F | 57°F | 0.1 in | – |
| June | 92°F | 68°F | 0.1 in | – |
| July | 96°F | 75°F | 0.3 in | – |
| August | 94°F | 73°F | 0.5 in | – |
| September | 88°F | 68°F | 0.2 in | – |
| October | 77°F | 57°F | 0.1 in | – |
| November | 65°F | 48°F | 0.2 in | – |
| December | 56°F | 41°F | 1.0 in | 1.0 in |
Pinto Basin
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63°F | 45°F | 0.6 in |
| February | 67°F | 47°F | 0.4 in |
| March | 73°F | 52°F | 0.4 in |
| April | 82°F | 59°F | 0.2 in |
| May | 88°F | 64°F | 0 in |
| June | 100°F | 75°F | 0 in |
| July | 103°F | 81°F | 0.3 in |
| August | 102°F | 80°F | 0.5 in |
| September | 95°F | 73°F | 0.3 in |
| October | 84°F | 63°F | 0.3 in |
| November | 71°F | 52°F | 0.2 in |
| December | 61°F | 45°F | 0.6 in |
Twentynine Palms
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61°F | 43°F | 0.6 in |
| February | 66°F | 45°F | 0.5 in |
| March | 72°F | 49°F | 0.4 in |
| April | 81°F | 56°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 87°F | 62°F | 0 in |
| June | 99°F | 72°F | 0.1 in |
| July | 103°F | 79°F | 0.2 in |
| August | 101°F | 77°F | 0.5 in |
| September | 94°F | 70°F | 0.2 in |
| October | 82°F | 59°F | 0.2 in |
| November | 70°F | 48°F | 0.1 in |
| December | 60°F | 42°F | 0.6 in |
Joshua Tree National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a good time to visit Joshua Tree National Park. Daily highs average 67–82°F and lows 47–60°F. Expect about 0.3 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 63–100% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a difficult time to visit Joshua Tree National Park. Daily highs average 94–98°F and lows 70–77°F. Expect about 0.3 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 33–44% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a good time to visit Joshua Tree National Park. Daily highs average 67–90°F and lows 49–70°F. Expect about 0.2 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 40–77% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a good time to visit Joshua Tree National Park. Daily highs average 57–62°F and lows 42–44°F. Expect about 0.7 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 64–84% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Days are typically clear with less than 25% humidity. Temperatures are most comfortable in the spring and fall, with an average highs around 85°F (29°C) and average lows around 50°F (10°C) respectively. Winter brings cooler days, around 60°F (15°C), and freezing nights. It occasionally snows at higher elevations. Summers are hot, over 100°F (38°C) during the day and not cooling much below 75°F (24°C) at night.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 7 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
