11 Cool Secret Spots in Joshua Tree (2024)

• About Joshua Tree National Park
• About the town of Joshua Tree
• Joshua Tree’s secret spots available to book through Peerspace

On the lookout for secret spots in Joshua Tree? Then Peerspace has you covered! Nestled at the confluence of Southern California’s Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree is a region that is collectively a national park and a small adjacent hamlet.

Referred to as “J-Tree” by locals and fans, the area has captivated visitors with its unusual rock formations and the namesake Joshua trees, twisted yucca plants stretching their gnarled branches toward the desert sky. Both the arty Joshua Tree township and the park brim with secret spots for intrepid explorers to seek out.

Along with an insider’s look at Joshua Tree itself, we’ll share a few hidden gem spaces in Joshua Tree available for you to book through Peerspace. Peerspace is the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals and makes it easy to discover and book unique spaces for all your personal and professional needs. And some of the coolest places in Joshua Tree are listed as event and production spaces that you can book on Peerspace!

Let’s get started with our explorative guide through one-of-a-kind Joshua Tree.

About Joshua Tree National Park

Spanning nearly 800,000 acres and sprinkled with hidden oases, what is now Joshua Tree National Park has provided food and shelter to indigenous peoples, historic settlers on the quest for gold, and contemporary adventurers, and served as a haven for countless endemic and introduced plant and animal species.

The park sees about 3 million visitors in an average year – relatively few compared to less off-the-beaten-path destinations, but those in the know return time and again.

About the town of Joshua Tree

J-Tree attracts artists and, it’s safe to say, eccentrics. Close enough to LA, the town started growing due to its status as a secret spot. In the 1960s, notable musicians and creatives including Donovan, Keith Richards, and Gram Parsons began to flock to the town.

Today, part- and full-time residents take advantage of the vast desert to generate an artistic reality. Visitors from all over the world feel a special connection to the austere landscape and wide-open sky. That’s not to mention the secret spots that have continued to add to the Joshua Tree legacy.

Check out our guide on throwing a mid-century modern wedding in case you need some stylish tips and tricks to plan your big day!

Joshua Tree’s secret spots available to book through Peerspace

The following cool secret spots in Joshua Tree are imbued with the magic of the high desert. You can visit all these sites, and pssst – you can even rent most of them for a couple of hours or longer to get your inspiration on.

How? Through Peerspace, the internet’s largest site for renting unique bookings by the hour. While Peerspace offers you access to countless venues in several countries around the world, some of the most amazing Peerspaces happen to be in the Joshua Tree region. Let’s check them out.

1. Not-so-secret invisible house

The desert is hot, but secret spots don’t get any cooler than this Invisible Mirrored House, set on 90 acres of natural desert abutting the national park. Ok, so this secret spot is admittedly well-known among architecture aficionados, but we couldn’t resist sharing the fact that you can rent it through Peerspace! The huge mirrors on the outside of the structural wonder are actually windows from the inside, so you have the feeling of being utterly immersed in the landscape. This incredibly cool space is amazing for a photoshoot or for an event of up to 100 people. It even contains a 100-foot indoor pool.

2. Relax at Sacred Sands 

Another architecturally amazing Peerspace you can book is named Sacred Sands. This jaw-dropping structure is the perfect tucked-away spot for a wedding or film or photo shoot. Its gorgeous views, luxurious amenities, and Moroccan decor are social media gold. Make use of the amazing areas included in this space like the ceremony circle, courtyard, gardens, ballroom, and sunset patio. That is if you can pull yourself out of the outdoor tub with its viewing window of the mountains on the private patio.

3. Go chic and minimal at Villa Kuro

This one-of-a-kind secret spot in Joshua Tree will simply wow you with its style and natural vistas. Villa Kuro is a mid-century modern dwelling with a minimalist and earthy quality indoor. Outdoors, enjoy 270-degree views of desert and mountain views, a private 600-square-foot rock and cactus garden, a salt water hot tub, and a covered lounge area. If you’re looking for a serene escape, look no further.

4. Party outdoors at this relaxed Joshua Tree home

This unique and thoughtful Joshua Tree home provides you with beautiful indoor and outdoor space. While the interior boasts an airy and serene ambiance, the outdoors is rustic and wild, with hammocks, murals, cacti, and lounge seating. Take in the mountain views, make use of the kitchen, and find shelter from the elements in the tri-roomed Casita the host uses for yoga and meditation.

5. Check out the historic vandalism at Samuelson’s Rocks

John Samuelson, a Swedish immigrant who landed in Joshua Tree in the 1920s after a series of adventures and mishaps, chiseled his philosophy into seven different boulders in a secret spot in Joshua Tree. You can find these boulders in the park near where Quail Springs Trail enters a wash, about three miles in. Peek around for this obscure Joshua Tree secret spot on a hill just north of the trail.

6. Kick back and relax at this modern home

This luxury Peerspace home located just near the national park is a great spot to unwind and wonder at the desert views. The interior of the home has high ceilings and clean, comfortable, contemporary decor. You and your guests can lie back in one of the three bedrooms in the main house, grill something tasty in he outdoor pavilion, relax in the pool and spa, or gather in one of the many lounge areas. It’s a sensational option for a party or corporate off-site.

7. Book an unusual Geodesic Dome House

This round – yet geometric – home Peerspace has indoor and outdoor space for the whole crew to hang out. Unfiltered desert light pours into the structure – making an ideal secret spot for your commercial photo shoot, music video, wedding – whatever you want to host. 

8. Get off the grid at Desert Way Ranch

Through Peerspace, you can host your event at this desert oasis on 2.5 acres. The booking comes with the use of two mid-mod RVs. Relax in the lounge areas outside, hang out around the fire pits, and gape at the desert stars. Or swim in the cowboy pool which is heated in the winter and chilled in the heat of summer.

Our desert photoshoot ideas will help you capture that gorgeous Joshua Tree landscape.

9. Hike to a secret water source

Joshua Tree National Park is full of hidden oases, many of which take a lot of effort to get to. Getting to the Lost Palms Oasis requires a strenuous desert hike under the hot sun. But if you’re up for the challenge, it’s well worth checking out to marvel at the desert’s complexity and to understand why people settled in this strange landscape in the first place. Surrounded by palm trees, people often call Lost Palms the most beautiful oasis in the park.

10. Visit Lost Horse Mine

Another semi-hidden gem in J-Tree National Park, Lost Horse Mine generated what now maths out to $5 million worth of gold over about 40 years of relentless extraction. This legendary secret spot wat home to some seriously rough-and-tumble outlaw characters protecting the gold in “dem dere hills.” You can also take the moderate hike to Lost Horse Mills, one of the best-preserved mills in the National Park System. 

11. Bring your creative vision to life at a fabled junkyard

If you’re looking for an unexpected spot to film a production, check out this Joshua Tree junkyard brimming with vintage vehicles and desert vistas. It’s a popular spot for music video shoots and film productions looking for a retro and apocalyptic-like space that’s readymade to tell your unique story. It’s another reminder of all of the creativity coming to life in J-Tree.

Secret spots in Joshua Tree: conclusion

As you can see, the amazing spirit of Joshua Tree is always evolving, thanks to the artists who live there and create its most amazing secret spots. And as always, Peerspace is your passport to these incredible spaces. Simply browse our listings in Joshua Tree (or basically anywhere else in the world!) and find your new favorite space to gather, reflect, and create.

Find unique secret spots in Joshua Tree on Peerspace