Joshua Tree NP at Night

Joshua Tree National Park at night can feel like the desert has decided to put on its own slightly spooky stage production. The moon hangs over the granite hills like an oversized porch light, clouds drift past as if they are trying to steal the spotlight, and the boulders suddenly start looking suspiciously like giant creatures waiting for everyone to go to sleep. The Joshua trees don’t help—they stand around in the darkness with their arms twisted in every direction, looking as though they know something you don’t. It’s beautiful, quiet, and just mysterious enough to make you wonder whether that noise outside the tent was the wind, a coyote, or a rock that has finally decided to move.