Joshua Tree National Park (Superbloom?)

In 2019, I had the good fortune to backpack up the Boy Scout Trail in Joshua Tree National Park in the very midst of what many consider the greatest Super Bloom of this century.

The good news? This year may bring another spectacular Super Bloom and I want to camp within it all again!

After speaking with two park rangers at this late date, I HAVE A PLAN.

I have built a five (or four-day trip: your individual choice) beginning on a March 31st and continuing to our departure homeward on April 4th.

This trip will begin with our first day exploring a (potentially) extravagant Super Bloom at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve (with our first night's stay at Saddleback Butte State Park) and, then, we will set out to explore for three days within extraordinary and (potentially) bloom-full Joshua Tree National Park. Our last evening will be just outside and north of the park at Joshua Tree RV and Campground.

Please know that my great hope for this trip is we will be there in time for a Super Bloom. If so, this could be spectacular. However, no one can predict these events. Therefore, even without a Super Bloom, the journey into Joshua Tree National Park is always magical!
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Here is the our five-day itinerary:
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DAY ONE (3/31/26): Meet together at the Saddleback Butte State Park Family Campground to secure our evening's stay and to set up our equipment. Here's a BROCHURE of the park. Please arrive NO LATER THAN 1:00 pm. (Please know, too, that this campground is "first come - first serve" and, therefore, despite the park ranger's assurance it will NOT be full, the possibility exists. "Plan B," in this case, would be staying in a nearby hotel or campground.) Then, by 2:00, we will drive together 30 miles west to Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve to observe one of California's greatest wildflower shows. Set high in the Mojave Desert, the Reserve is located on California's most consistent poppy-bearing land. Each spring, the hills are covered with California Poppies and other wildflowers: Owl's Clover, Lupine, Goldfield, Cream Cups, and Coreopsis, to name a few, all sharing the desert grassland to produce "a mosaic of color and fragrance." We will begin by exploring the Visitor Center, then hike and drive through the park. (Please know: there is a $10/car fee to enter the park.) Here's a MAP of the park. Then, we will drive back to our night's stay in Saddleback Butte State Park for dinner and a possible campfire to spend a warm spring evening under starry desert skies.
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DAY TWO (4/1/26): Arise. Have breakfast. Pack up. Drive easterly two hours to the Joshua Tree Visitor Center in downtown Joshua Tree, CA. Visit and explore the visitor center. Shop for supplies and WATER in town (PLEASE BE AWARE: THERE IS NO WATER IN THE PARK!). Drive into spectacular Joshua Tree National Park via the West Entrance Station. (Please know that there is a $30/car fee to enter the park: bring your National Park Pass!). Then, travel eastward through the park toward our evening's stay at extraordinary Jumbo Rocks Campground. Stop as often as we like as we drive through the other-worldly landscape - home to world-famous rock formations, funky forests of delightful Joshua trees, and a rich diversity of plants, animals, and human history. Watch for desert bighorn sheep, black tailed jack rabbits, coyotes and kangaroo rats, as well as a multitude of migrating birds that use the park as part of their flyway. Arrive at our campground to set up our camp amidst towering rocky monoliths. Then, head out by car to explore the park (there is so much to do and see!). Rock climb, scramble, hike through bastions of blooming wildflowers, and enjoy our day surrounded by the convergence of two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado. Here is a list of possible hikes. Return to our campsite to settle in, prepare our dinner, and spend our evening in one of California's most unique campgrounds. Evening together under dramatic and seemingly endless starry canopy (and a full moon!).
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DAY THREE (4/2/26): Arise. Have breakfast. Pack up and set off for the Boy Scout Trail trailhead. From there, we’ll backpack 4.2 miles through the stunning landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park, journeying along its most famous and sought-after trail to arrive at campsite #7. Once at our site, we will set up and, then explore our surroundings within the spectacular Wonderland of Rocks. Returning, we will have dinner together, then watch the near-full moon rise over the rocky monoliths.

ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to protect your inflatable mattress from the sandy, spike-filled soil below. I lost my mattress overnight when I visited in 2019 to a prickly poke from below. I will bring my foam mattress, instead.
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DAY FOUR (4/3/26): Arise. Have breakfast. Enjoy our beautiful desert surroundings. Pack up for our morning's hike through the Wonderland of Rocks toward Willow Hole, stopping along the way for lunch atop a granite boulder. Return to our cars at the trailhead thankful for the opportunity to experience yet another National Park.

** NOTE: It is here that you may choose to head homeward and not spend the evening with us. **

Drive toward the North Entrance Station near the city of Twentynine Palms. Along the way, hike a few more trails and climb a few more boulders. Exit the park and visit the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Drive westward to our night's stay at Joshua Tree RV and Campground. Set up our tents. SHOWER!! Do laundry! Have dinner someplace in town. Return to start our campfire and enjoy our last night together. Evening in our tents in the desert edge of the Great American Southwest.

** For me, I did not want to drive another nine hours home desiring, instead, a hot shower and a restful night before driving back to NorCal. But, please let me know your plans for "Day Four."
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DAY FIVE (4/4/26): Arise. Have breakfast. Pack up. Say our "good-byes" to each other. Head home very thankful we are able to fully experience the very best our nation's National Parks.
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KEEP IN MIND:

1. TO PARTICIPATE, YOU MUST CALL ME BY 3/24/26 TO DISCUSS THIS TRIP!
2. KNOW that RSVP'ing DOES NOT GUARANTEE you a place on the trip. Only after speaking with me FIRST and, then, making full payment, may you participate.
3. Michelle Mozell reserves the sole/unilateral right to modify the trip itinerary as she deems necessary - INCLUDING canceling the trip - at any time.
4. NO food, WATER, equipment, or supplies are provided. Bring sufficient food, WATER, water storage, equipment, and supplies.
5. Be sure to protect your inflatable mattress from the sandy soil below. I lost my mattress overnight to a prickly poke from below. I will bring my foam mattress, instead.
6. You are responsible for all transportation TO, FROM, AND BETWEEN each stop each day. WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER, BUT NONE is provided.
7. There is a $10/car fee at Antelope Valley Reserve. You are responsible for the payment.
8. There is a $35/car fee at Joshua Tree National Park. You are responsible for the payment. Therefore, if you have one, bring your NP Pass to enter Joshua Tree National to cover that payment.
9. THERE IS NO WATER IN THE PARK. BRING SUFFICIENT WATER STORAGE CAPACITIES THAT YOU BELIEVE WILL BE NECESSARY FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP, especially for our overnight backpacking adventure up the Boy Scout Trail (estimated to be at least 24 continuous hours in the backcountry!).
10. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE WHATSOEVER THAT WE WILL EXPERIENCE A SUPER BLOOM. IN FACT, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE WE WILL SEE FLOWERS BLOOMING AT ANY SITE WE VISIT DURING OUR ENTIRE TRIP.
11. Total cost to you will be based upon your participation. I will collect the total required BEFORE the trip begins. REMEMBER: your participation is not guaranteed until we speak together and I receive full payment from you.
12. There are NO refunds provided for any reason whatsoever; however, a refund could be managed on a case-by-case basis.
13. Please know that the Saddleback Butte State Park Family Campground is "first come - first serve" and, therefore, despite the park ranger's assurance it will NOT be full, the possibility exists. "Plan B," in this case, would be staying in a nearby hotel or campground.
14. PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETUP AFFIRMS THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREED TO THE FULL LEGAL DISCLAIMER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY on Meetup’s Backpackers of the American West's website: (see: Meetup's Backpackers of the American West Rules and Regulations).