The Wonders of Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree and its surrounding communities are located in the High Desert of California. The area is not only home to the vast and beautiful Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP), it also has wonders to share like the Noah Purifoy Art Museum of Assemblage Art.
One of Purifoy's first assemblage pieces was constructed out of the charred debris from the 1965 Watt's riot. From 1989 until his death in 2004, Purifoy filled 10 acres of his high desert studio and environment exhibiting sculptures and installations that synthesized the concerns of his life. Working freely with all kinds of materials and at every possible scale, he pushed himself and his work to create his outdoor museum that continues to attract visitors to this day.
The Noah Purifoy Foundation, established in 1999, is an all volunteer non-profit foundation with a mission to preserve and maintain the site Purifoy developed in Joshua Tree. The museum is open to the public every day of the year from sun up until sundown, is free of charge, and donations are accepted. Note: Well-behaved dogs are welcome to visit as long as they are leashed, monitored, and picked up after.
After enjoying the art museum we took the opportunity to explore the local Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land for future camping trips. With wide open spaces, there are plenty of locations to set up camp. BLM land allows you to camp for up to 14 days in the same location. We saw several tricked out skoolies, RV's, travel trailers, toy haulers, and other overlanding rigs enjoying the free camping.
With spring break upon us and COVID restrictions loosening in California, visiting JTNP was a popular destination. With temperates in the mid 70's, spring is a great time to visit. So following lunch, we entered JTNP from the West Entrance to explore areas of the park that we had not yet discovered. This included a short hike to see a very different "arch rock". We are not sure what the exact name is, so we decided to dub it as Peanut Arch. The rock formations at JTNP are truly a playground to explore. Just be mindful of your footwear, we highly recommend hiking boots and be sure to take your time as you climb/scramble.
Since we couldn't find parking to explore the Hall of Horrors, (check out or friends Magellan & Greyhounds video) due to no parking available, we decided to drive up to enjoy the magic of Keys View. This popular destination provides panoramic views of the Coachella Valley. It is no surprise why visitors return time-and-time again to this amazing place. It was wonderful taking in the expansive views in silence, up until the flock of sunset watchers arrived.
Crowds or not, Keys View is a popular location to view a magical desert sunset. However, we made the decision to head back down into the valley to chase down that golden glow. The orange, red, and yellow hues showered over the white tank granite boulders and silhouetted the Joshua trees with its magic. "Today was a good day!"
There really is some kind of desert magic, wonder, and a magnetic pull that draws visitors to Joshua Tree. If you haven't had the opportunity to explore this oasis, put it on your adventure list and experience the wonder for yourself.
To see our full Joshua Tree day trip, be sure to watch our video and subscribe to our YouTube channel for future Open Road 4Two adventures.
Who we are: We are OpenRoad4Two, a husband-and-wife adventure team, dedicated to hitting the OPN RD. and exploring this beautiful land we live in. We encourage you to follow along with us on our journeys, YouTube, and Instagram. We are dedicated to supporting and assisting our fellow adventurers along the way. We love hearing from you, so please connect with us! Send us a question, a suggestion, a tip, or just a simple hello! Until then, we’ll see you on the OPEN ROAD!!