Keys View — Attraction in Indio

1st time visit to this location

I had read up on my visit to Desert Hot Springs in June 2023 when I stayed at Kampgrounds of America.

But didn't drive up that time

Drove out to Desert Hot Springs this month and decided to visit this time

For starters Keys View is located in Joshua Tree National Park

There is also a fee to enter Park

As of October 2023 the cost for an automobile is $30.00

Debit Cards are accepted

I entered through the western entrance of the park

Note:

There maybe a line to enter Park However, it moves rather quickly

I also learned Joshua Tree National Park is also open 24 hours a day

It is about a 30 minute drive from the park entrance to Keys View

There are signs along the way

Parking is ample

However, you may need to wait for a spot to open since there are a lot of visitors

There is a public restroom on the right side before the parking lot

But there are a lot of bees inside and outside of the bathroom

Use caution ⚠️ if you need to use it

The views of the Coachella Valley are spectacular from Keys View

There are also exhibits along the pathway with information about the area

It is worth visiting Keys View day or night

I...

The park ranger was extremely helpful with pointing out hard to find animals on the mountain top even with binoculars. Another tourist was nice enough to allow me to view and see them through his wife's and his binoculars.

The ranger also enjoyed sharing and showing about the different areas of the spectacular views and the history behind them.

Parking is spacious. The handicap spaces have to be super sized for RVs with the disabled plates, cause my little service dog and I felt like we could picnic from the trunk of our wagon.

Bathrooms? I am pretty sure there is a bathroom or two there, but I'm not 100% sure at this point. Either way, bring hand sanitizer and napkins for just in case. Better safe than sorry.

There is a great little trail up the hill that has a cement sidewalk. At this point, most people are ready for an easy break yet still want to see the spectacular views from a bit higher altitude.

The weather at this section was perfect, especially after dealing with simply too hot and humid for a large chunk of the desert so extremely early in the morning.

We can't wait to...

Absolutely beautiful views from this easy to access and enjoy viewpoint.

I visited Joshua National Park in early March. There were not a lot of people and the weather was perfect. If you have only one day to visit, this is what we did, and it took about 7 hours without being hurried or worried.

We arrived about 11 am and left the park at about 5 pm. The trip started from the cottonwood visitor center. Then to the Cholla Gardens. We stopped at a few exhibit stop on the way and climbed on the rocks. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Parked off the main road (Pinto Basin, I think) and did a short hike to Arch Rock. Beautiful and a must. Then we went to Skull Rock. Great photo op. Stopped at Hall of Horrors for a short hike and bouldering. From there, we went to Keys View.

The views were amazing and unforgettable. There were many other stops I would have liked to make, but this was great for just one day. The adults were happy and tired and the kids (under 10 yrs old) were tired but not too tired, if that...