Joshua Tree, beaten by the heat

Made our way to JTree and camped at Hidden Valley, attempted BLM land, but the heat was too much.

If you go

Hidden Valley is the classic central campground in Joshua Tree, tucked in the boulders (reserve ahead in season). When the park campgrounds fill, the free BLM land just outside is the overflow. But September is the catch: this is when the desert is still running hot, and as we found, the heat can simply win. Spring and fall are the real seasons here.