7 Best Sights in Joshua Tree National Park, California

Set among Joshua trees, pinyon pines, and junipers, this popular picnic area has barbecue grills and drinking water. It's one of the few with flush toilets.

Shady trees make this a pleasant place to picnic. It has drinking water and restrooms with flush toilets.

Set among huge rock formations, with picnic tables shaded by dense trees, this is one of the most pleasant places in the park to stop to eat.

More often than not, California's, and specifically the high desert's, reputation for being wacky and weird is blown out of proportion. But in the case of this woo-woo wellness offering—namely, a 60-minute sonic healing session/sound bath during which someone plays 20 quartz singing bowls keyed to each body chakra while you lie on the floor of a white, domed structure in the middle of nowhere—believe the hype. If you go in with an open mind, you might just find inner peace, a clear mind, and deep relaxation. Even if you don't, think of the tale you'll be able to share with relatives at the next holiday get-together. 

This picnic area tucked in the middle of interesting rock formations is near a stand of Joshua trees.

Run by a dedicated, local nonprofit, this volunteer-staffed 15-acre park near the northern entrance to Joshua Tree National Park educates visitors on the region's celestial and terrestrial attributes. It has an observatory dome with a 14-inch telescope, nature trails that feature desert plants, a meditation garden, numerous sculptures, and an orrery (a 20 billion–to-1 scaled model of the solar system). The campus is always open for walks or stargazing with your own equipment, but the big dome and telescope are only available during the free Night Sky Programs, which are held once a month on the Saturday night nearest the new moon. Programs usually start an hour after sunset and last two hours. The observatory also hosts an annual Night Sky Festival.

Another only-in-Joshua Tree spot not to be missed, this museum displays all kinds of crocheted creations inside a reimagined drive-through photo stand. Tucked off the street in Art Queen's courtyard, it earned global recognition when it appeared in an international advertising campaign. Before you get back in the car, detour around the front to see another eclectic collection at the Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum ( beautybubble.net). The working salon displays more than 3,000 pieces of vintage equipment, toys, products, and advertising related to the hair/beauty industry.