Nicknamed ‘J-tree’ by locals, the Joshua Tree National Park is a bizarre mix of strange looking flora, gold mining ruins, mountains and boulders: all with an authentic wild west town thrown in for good measure!

The Joshua tree is a type of Yucca, the result of an ecological fusion between the high Mojave Desert and low Colorado Desert. This is a rock climber’s paradise, with more than 400 unique formations and 8,000 known climbs. Beginners can start at Echo Cove and all your equipment can be easily rented once here. Hiking and walking through the trails and cactus gardens, you will be transported back to nature, with the warm desert wind complementing the most amazing, star-studded sky.

Not to be missed is sunset at Keys View, where the desert sky becomes a stunning artwork of fiery oranges and reds. For wildlife lovers, there are over 200 species of bird in the park, including the golden eagle, whilst other wonderful, wild animals such as the road runner, coyotes, bighorn sheep, Californian tree frogs and black-tailed jackrabbits can also be found here.