Yucca Valley is a hi-desert community of about 22,000 residents located at the northwestern end of Joshua Tree National Park on Route 62.

The town’s commercial corridor along the highway is the retail hub of the Joshua Tree Gateway Communities and offers amenities for visitors including lodging, dining, camping supplies, pharmaceuticals, sporting goods, groceries, equestrian supplies, and hiking gear.

At a 3,300 foot elevation, Yucca Valley offers a cool alternative to nearby Palm Springs, making it a good base for exploring the desert or just relaxing, and is known as an affordable place to retire (Yucca Valley was listed by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 10 most affordable places to retire).

Yucca Valley offers some access to Joshua Tree National Park, and the town offers fun opportunities to explore local culture and history.  Hunt for historic Warren’s Well, or see if you can spot Jimmy Van Heusen’s hilltop getaway where Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack used to play.

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Things to Do

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Antique Hunting & Shopping
Old Town Yucca Valley is filled with great opportunities to find unique one-of-a-kind antiques and original works of art at low prices unheard of in the big city.   The Sky Village Outdoor Marketplace (weekends) is a memorable and quirky swap meet shopping experience, the likes of which you’ll only ever find in the desert.  You'll even find the headquarters for High Desert Test Sites here.

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Hiking & Camping
Joshua Tree National Park’s Black Rock Camyon provides hiking opportunities, and serves as a base for horseback riding into the park and equestrian camping.  There are 253 miles of equestrian trails in the park.  Eureka Peak and Covington Flats are other great park locations (via dirt road).

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Desert Christ Park
Stroll among biblical sculptures created by one of the area’s early prolific artists, Antone Martin, who began his work here in 1951 with the support of the Desert Parson, Eddie Garver.  It was this park that first brought national attention to Yucca Valley, when LIFE magazine covered the delivery of Martin’s “unwanted” Christ statue from Los Angeles up Route 62.  Thousands attended Easter sunrise services at the park and visitors from around the world still wander between the sculptures and biblical scenes.  Dedicated to peace and ravaged by time, Desert Christ Park remains one of our favorites.

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Hi-Desert Nature Museum & Yucca Valley Community Center
A gem of a little museum, this is a great place to take the kids when you’re in town.  You’ll want to check out their website for family friendly programs, lectures, and events.  The Yucca Valley Community Center, where the museum is located, hosts many community events throughout the year.

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Local Art & History
Hike up to the Rhythms of Life earthworks sculpture by Andrew Rogers, north of town on Highway 247, or stop by the Warren’s Well historic landmark and ponder what life must have been like in 1881 when Chuck Warren settled here after driving cattle from Arizona.  The last cattle drive from here up into the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear took place in 1947, but if you poke around a bit, you’ll find a touch of the Old West—and the new— in Yucca Valley.