| January→ |
Busy
64% of peak · 265K visits
|
Ideal
63°F / 42°F (17°C / 5°C) · 0.50″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Cool, quiet shoulder. Possible early-season wildflowers in low-rain years. Climbers at full schedule. Long, cold nights for stargazing.Read January → |
| February→ |
Busy
72% of peak · 295K visits
|
Ideal
67°F / 44°F (20°C / 7°C) · 0.56″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Pleasant mid-60s days, frosty nights. Wildflowers begin if late-fall rain hit the desert. Climber-prime; Presidents' Day pulls a small spike.Read February → |
| March→ |
Packed
100% of peak · 411K visits
|
Ideal
74°F / 49°F (23°C / 10°C) · 0.35″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Peak month. Wildflower window if it rained; warm clear days; Pinto Basin Road and Joshua Tree silhouettes at full color. Hardest week to book lodging.Read March → |
| April→ |
Packed
89% of peak · 364K visits
|
Ideal
81°F / 55°F (27°C / 13°C) · 0.12″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Second-peak month. Spring break + lingering bloom drive sustained crowd. Hot afternoons begin late month; sunrise hikes are the rule.Read April → |
| May→ |
Busy
62% of peak · 254K visits
|
Mixed
90°F / 63°F (32°C / 17°C) · 0.05″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 90/100
|
Heat begins. Mornings still workable; afternoons push into the 90s°F. Climbers shift to early morning. Visits drop sharply.Read May → |
| June→ |
Moderate
43% of peak · 176K visits
|
Rough
99°F / 71°F (37°C / 22°C) · 0.0″ snow
|
Mostly open
Composite access score · 75/100
|
Hostile heat. Avoid hiking 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. per NPS. Dark-sky and Milky Way windows are the practical case for the park.Read June → |
| July→ |
Quiet
33% of peak · 137K visits
|
Rough
104°F / 77°F (40°C / 25°C) · 0.40″ precip
|
Mostly open
Composite access score · 70/100
|
Quietest month of the year. NOAA July high 104°F at Twentynine Palms. Strenuous trails closed by NPS advisory. Monsoon storms possible.Read July → |
| August→ |
Quiet
34% of peak · 140K visits
|
Rough
103°F / 76°F (39°C / 25°C) · 0.65″ precip
|
Mostly open
Composite access score · 70/100
|
Hot and quiet. Perseids peak mid-month under desert skies but heat-safety rules apply day and night. Late-month brings monsoon humidity.Read August → |
| September→ |
Quiet
39% of peak · 162K visits
|
Rough
97°F / 69°F (36°C / 21°C) · 0.34″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 80/100
|
Heat begins easing. Mornings comfortable, afternoons still in the mid-90s°F. Climbing season ramps back up.Read September → |
| October→ |
Moderate
51% of peak · 209K visits
|
Good
85°F / 58°F (29°C / 14°C) · 0.15″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 95/100
|
Shoulder transition. Daytime highs into the 80s°F; campgrounds reopen and Ryan returns to the calendar. Visits begin climbing.Read October → |
| November→ |
Busy
76% of peak · 313K visits
|
Ideal
72°F / 47°F (22°C / 8°C) · 0.19″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Second-peak month again. Thanksgiving week is the densest weekend. Cottonwood and Indian Cove book solid; climber-prime conditions.Read November → |
| December→ |
Packed
83% of peak · 340K visits
|
Ideal
62°F / 40°F (17°C / 4°C) · 0.56″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Strong shoulder paired with November. Christmas-to-New-Year window is the year's other density spike. Geminids meteor shower mid-month.Read December → |