Facing the Elements: Joshua Tree Backpacking in a Rain Storm

Join me for 3 days of Backpacking, Hiking & Desert Camping in the Rain while exploring California’s Joshua Tree National Park.

For this winter desert camping adventure, I decided to do a solo backpacking trip in Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park. I chose the Maze zone as my primary area of exploration, with the added possibility of hiking along the storied Boy Scout Trail as well.

Due to backcountry camping permit regulations, I chose to obtain a permit for camping within the Maze Zone, with the possibility of hiking into and exploring the Boy Scout Zone by day. This was mostly due to the fact that the Boy Scout Zone is the only JNP zone that requires you to specifically get a permit for 1 of 8 specific campsites, and I wanted to have some more flexibility to choose my campsites on the fly.

Getting a permit for the Maze zone allowed me to camp anywhere I wanted as long as I was at least 1 mile from an official trailhead, one half mile from any road, and 200 feet from any trail. Prefect – that sounded like exactly the solitude I was looking for.

Being February in the Mojave Desert, my expected temperature range would be from roughly 40 to 75 degrees or so. What about rain, you ask? Well, 336 days out of the year, the answer would be a solid – “No need for rain gear over here!”. I apparently arrived on one of those 29 other days. No worries though. I think it provided a pretty unique opportunity to see the Mojave Desert during one of it’s most vital times for survival of plants and animals in this arid environment – a desert rain storm curtesy of El Niño.

For sleep and shelter, I packed in my Outdoor Vitals Fortius trekking pole tent, a 3-season sleeping pad and my Hammock Gear 40° down quilt. Reliable drinking water is pretty much non-existent in Joshua Tree National Park regardless of the season, so I was tasked with packing in all of my drinking water for the entire 3 day trip. For this reason, I decided to skip the usual dehydrated backpacking meal choices in favor of some cheap and easy ready to eat food options.

I also opted to ditch the stove and just go the no-cook backpacking food route, because why not? Honestly, my pack was jammed to the hilt with water, and I just wasn’t in the mood to carry more fuel and cooking supplies.

For an easier read, downloadable GPS data, and more info, check out my full blog post:

Trailhead Used: Maze Loop Trailhead, 34°04’51.5″N 116°14’32.2″W
64227 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252

Trails Used, Day 1

Begin at Maze Loop Trailhead on Park Blvd
Leave trail and bushwhack north
Setup Camp between Maze Loop Trail and North View Trail.

Day 1 Mileage: 2.55 Miles
Day 1 Elevation Gross Gain: 308′
Day 1 Elevation Gross Descent: 105′

Trails Used, Day 2

Bushwhack to Maze Loop Trail (Northern Section)
Maze Loop Trail
North View Trail
Big Pine Trail
Big Pine Spur Trail
Backtrack to Maze Loop Trail South
Window Loop Trail
Setup camp off trail between Maze Loop and Boy Scout Trail

Day 2 Mileage: 10.64 Miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 750′
Day 2 Gross Descent: 783′

Trails Used, Day 3

Bushwhack to Boy Scout Trail
Boy Scout Trail North
End at Northern Boy Scout Trailhead by the Twentynine Palms Ranger Station

Day 3 Mileage: 7.11 Miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 217′
Day 3 Gross Descent: 1,638′

Grand Total 3 Day Mileage: 20.3 Miles
Grand Total 3 Day Elevation Gain: 1,275′
Grand Total 3 Day Elevation Descent: 2,526′

[gearhead]

I noticed you leave your shoes outside the tent so i figured I'd give you a tip I use, carry a couple pairs of disposable shoe covers like doctors and nurses use to put over the top to keep spiders and other bugs out or put them on the bottom if they are dirty so you can put them in the tent and keep your tent clean, some are waterproof and work great

[barbararobbins]

Yay! Finally a video from you, Shawn! I have been checking every day for at least 3 weeks. I know you are busy; just glad you are ok. These desert videos are interesting to me, because I've never been to the desert and am not too likely to go, so I am seeing areas I would never see without your vids. That's the first time I've ever seen a Joshua tree. Yes, guess you brought the rain, which is a good thing. Keep on hiking! You have quite a following! My family still can't believe I am watching hiking videos, but I really enjoy yours!

[lisajones]

Yaaaay !!! New video! We've seen all of your videos probably 50 times haha ! It's not really funny but it kind of is, too. Only you could go to the desert and get rained on 😂 They should hire you for drought stricken areas 😊 loved the scenery and that gorgeous sunrise. Thanks for taking us with you !!

[cherylpearson]

I used to live in the city of 29 Palms and on the base. The desert has a beauty to it and the sunsets there are truly amazing. One of the houses we lived in was a red house in town at the top of the hill. I was told that it was used as a hospital once upon a time. It was haunted and had some crazy noises and things that happened.

[garagebrewer]

I'm digging these free form off-trail videos you've done lately. Cheers!

[scottmartinjones]

My favorite YouTuber of all time. Keep it up. Love the content every time. Thank you.

[goodeshuz]

Enjoyed your trip. The best trip I had I forgot rainsuit, it poured rain as soon as I started and was soaking wet the first day. Found garbage bag 2nd day and was dry from then on. Thank God for extra set of clothes. It rained for 4 days and nights. Have never forgotten rainsuit since. Keep up the good videos. Beautiful scenery in Joshua Tree, love all the rocks.

[denali]

Another sensational Sintax adventure! We’ve been out to JT and I was like being on the surface of another planet. The Beef-aroni made me laugh out loud! “RUSTY!” (Have to be a Seinfeld fan . . . )

[alexpatyababa]

The light in your eyes when cheeseburger time was near 😂 In and Out is great Im hopin it was delicious as expected! This video was really special I have a lot of love for southern Cali. Thanks for takin us along!

[lomino]

Fantastic! A syntax 77 video 😊 it's worth waiting the two years between videos 😉 Best wishes from this side of the pond 👍

[ervinslens]

Wha a brilliant atmosphere bud, outstanding and such a atmospheric adventure!

[ronaldrose]

Hello 👋 my outdoors friend, it is good to see you again. Greetings from Northern California. Thank you for the guided tour of Joshua Tree. I've never been there before. Most of my outings have been on the Eastern slope of the Sierras, El Dorado county and the Lassen Park area. Stay safe out there. I look forward to your next exciting outdoor adventure. 😊

[caret_shell]

I'm no backpacker, but I highly recommend car camping in Joshua Tree, followed by chilling out in nearby Palm Springs, for an excellent two-part getaway. Even if you're not in the wilderness, those night skies are something else.

[jeffreyrichard]

Amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed watching your progress daily last year. It became part of my daily routine and inspiration. I hope to literally follow in your footsteps in the coming years. God bless you and I am sure He's got something great in store for you!

[jasonmucci]

My first backpacking trip was in Joshua Tree. It was about 6 years ago now. I haven’t looked back since that trip. Absolutely love going out in the woods. I was at least partially inspired by your early videos. Thanks!

[johnbevens]

It almost looks like it’s on fire super cool

[WayOffTheTrail]

Love the barren wilderness vibe out there....on my list.

[paulkick]

Heads up again for the jumping cholla cacti! "We've been through this before, right."

[toniwilson]

Been watching you since my very first backpacking trip as a wee lad. Glad you beat the rain and dodged el chupacabra to make it out yet again. Quite the change from your original trails

[maecarpenter]

Great to see this video of desert camping in Joshua Tree! You need to wear sunscreen even when it's grey and raining out. Hope you enjoyed your In n Out burger.