Joshua Tree National Park Closed, what else to hike?

I did a nice hike near Pioneertown a few years ago in February. Drove out to the end of Pipes Canyon Road. There’s a parking area and trailhead. It’s a nice desert hike up a creek with an old homestead along the way. Pioneertown looked like a cute place to have a meal afterward, but I didn’t stop since I was already staying at a nearby resort.

I had hiked this trail to preview it as a possible way around the fire closure on the PCT. I think if you could go far enough you would end up back in the big trees on one of the dirt roads that the PCT encounters. I sort of lost the trail in the creek after several miles and also sort of ran out of time to explore further if I could make it all the way.

Joshua Tree has decided to stay open for now.

They’re cutting down Joshua trees and pooping everywhere. Can we force the nincompoops to roll in it? Who just squats out in the open and leaves a mess? Gawd. Need some vigilantes to protect the parks from utter destruction. Not sure I’d want to hike there right now even if it’s still open!

As someone who recently did 2x 30+ mile backpacking trips in Joshua Tree over 2 weekends at the end of December and early January, all the problems are at the campgrounds and by the roads as you would expect.  I saw less than 15 people actually hiking in the backcountry each trip.  The only issue I had was the lone bike rider being on a trail he shouldn’t have.

Who just squats out in the open and leaves a mess?

Here in Santa Barbara you can drive along East Camino Cielo Rd. until it turns into dirt and after several miles you’ll be down in the backcountry where there are a series of backcountry campgrounds. People will poop in the open next to the outhouses because they are too grossed out by outhouses to poop inside them. People are stupid and disgusting.

Here in SF people do that on the sidewalk.