Skip to Content

Things to do in Twentynine Palms, from people who work here

Most guides to Twentynine Palms are written from a hotel pool or a travel desk. This one comes from the people who open a co-working space on Adobe Road every morning. It follows how the desert actually runs: early mornings, hot middays and long, dark evenings. Use it for a weekend or a working week.

Before work: catch the cool hours

  • Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail. A real palm oasis in a rocky canyon at the edge of town, inside Joshua Tree National Park. Start at sunrise. There is little shade, and you will be back before the heat.
  • Oasis of Mara. The palm oasis the town grew up around, beside the national park visitor center in Twentynine Palms. A short, easy walk.
  • The park's North Entrance. It is in Twentynine Palms, so you start inside the park instead of in the queue at the busier entrances. Skull Rock and the boulder country are a drive in.

Midday: stay out of the sun

  • The murals. Twentynine Palms is known for large outdoor murals of local history. Walk a few blocks of downtown, or make it a slow drive.
  • Old Schoolhouse Museum. Run by the Twentynine Palms Historical Society: homesteading, mining and the history of the town.
  • Twentynine Palms Art Gallery and the local studios. The desert has a big working artist community.
  • Get your work done. The middle of the day is when we are busiest: air conditioning, commercial internet and a door that closes. Day pass, $35.

After work: the desert's best hours

  • Sky's the Limit Observatory and Nature Center. Stargazing under a properly dark desert sky.
  • Smith's Ranch Drive-In. A classic drive-in movie under the desert sky.
  • Theatre 29. Community theater, in town.
  • Wonder Valley. East of town: open desert, scattered homestead cabins and a very particular kind of quiet. Go for the sunset.

Schedules for the observatory, drive-in and theater change with the season. Check before you go.

With a whole weekend

  • Mojave National Preserve and Mojave Trails. Twentynine Palms is a gateway to both. Carry water and leave with a full tank.
  • What's on in town: the city's visitor site, visit29.org, keeps the events calendar.

Bringing a team?

Twentynine Palms suits a small offsite: mornings outside, afternoons doing real work, evenings under the stars. We host groups in our conference room. Planning a high desert team offsite.

Practical notes

  • When to come: spring is the best and busiest, summer days run hot, autumn may be the sweet spot. Season-by-season guide.
  • Getting here from Los Angeles: about 140 miles. The drive, timed properly.
  • Need to work while you're here? Black Cactus Co-Working, 6259 Adobe Rd, Unit A, Twentynine Palms. Open Monday and Wednesday to Friday 7 to 3, Saturday 9 to 1, Sunday 10 to 3; Tuesday by appointment. Passes and rooms.