Sunrise at Cholla Cactus Garden
Joshua Tree National Park: March 2022
The Cholla Cactus Garden consistently ranks as the top place to watch sunrise in Joshua Tree National Park. As many times as I've visited the park, though, I just haven't managed to wake up early enough—or make the hour-long drive to get to the garden—to view the start of the day here.
After experiencing it in March, I can confidently say it's worth the 5am wakeup. The fuzzy spikes of the cacti catch the sunlight like tiny fireworks. The color palette changes from subtle desert pastels before the sun peeks over the horizon to pure fire, all heat and red and intensity.
