Escape from the city life and experience the solitude, stars and endless blue skies in our desert vacation rentals. Just 120 miles from L.A. and 30 miles from Palm Springs, Joshua Tree is a short drive to an oasis of discovery. Its nearly perfect year-around weather and smog free air attract people from all over looking for a place to get a way from it all.
All homes are located in the town of Joshua Tree just minutes away from Joshua Tree National Park. It is important to us that all of our guests have a comfortable, clean and relaxing visit while staying in one of our rentals. For this reason, all of our homes are individually owned and professionally maintained.
Joshua Tree National Park welcomes over a million visitors every year. The park offers rock climbing, hiking, sight seeing, biking, camping, bird watching, star gazing, and exploring. This amazing park looks simple at first glance but its surreal geologic features will have a lasting impression. Want something different? Within a few minutes are hot springs, horse back riding, gambling, outlet stores, tram rides, atv riding, and more. Joshua Tree, CA continues to grow every year as a vacation hot spot with people searching out the Joshua Tree Music Festival, BhaktiFest, Pappy & Harriets, the Integratron and more.
The Mojave Desert
Rock Climbing:
Rock Climbing is a sport that people from all age groups can enjoy (we climb with our nieces and nephews ages 5 to 18) and I have heard countless stories from people that have used climbing to overcome addictions, build self confidence, get in shape and to be in touch with nature. Most people who climb feel the natural “high” that can be so addicting so prepare yourself!
If you have never rock climbed before, we highly suggest going with a professional guide to teach you the basics. You can do this in a group or one on one with the instructor. Remember, rock climbing can be dangerous so it is important to climb with a certified professional, we highly recommend Cliffhanger Guides. The Rio House is full of many rock climbing books as well as climbing pictures to inspire those who love the sport or are thinking of trying it!
Hiking:
Hiking in the desert can make you feel worlds away from the city life. With the wide open space and prehistoric looking geography you can’t help but feel a sense of wonder for this amazing place. There are so many places to explore from old mining camps, historic homes built into the rocks, hidden oasis where native people once settled, view points where you can see in every direction due to the smog free air and so much more. If you book one of our rentals, we give you a list of our favorite “insider” hikes that take you off the beaten path.
Star Gazing:
Anyone who has been to the desert knows what we are all saying when we brag about our desert night skies. There is nothing like lying in a hammock under a massive spread of stars blanketing the sky. Actually being able to still see the constellations and the Milky Way with the fight of the growing environmental problem of light pollution is amazing. According to the BBC, 99% of the continental United States (and two thirds of the world's population) never see a truly dark, starry sky. The Mojave Desert is one of the last places left in the United States where you can still see the Milky Way with the naked eye. At all of our rentals, there is plenty of outdoor seating and lounging to take in the night.
Photography:
I honestly remember first coming to the desert and seeing all of these people with cameras gingerly snapping pictures in every direction at every angle and thinking “what could they possibly be taking a picture of, there really isn’t anything here!” Hard to imagine I once felt that way. After all these years I still find myself grabbing my camera at sunset thinking it has to be the best sunset I have ever seen (and adding that to the 1,000 of other “best” sunset pictures taken here). The light here is always shifting, playing against the landscape in ways you don’t see in other places. The beauty of dawn on an ancient Joshua Tree or the shadows playing on the decaying wood of a homestead cabin make photography in Joshua Tree something that everyone can appreciate.
Birding:
Joshua Tree’s resident bird species: roadrunner, phainopepla, mockingbird, verdin, cactus wren, rock wren, mourning dove, Le Conte’s thrasher, and Gambel’s quail can be sighted in the park throughout the year.
Wild Flowers:
The extent and timing of spring wildflower blooms in Joshua Tree National Park may vary from one year to
the next.
Biking:
Bikes and four-wheel drive vehicles are welcome in the park. For your own safety and for the protection of the natural features of this park, please stay on established roads.
Rock Climbing is a sport that people from all age groups can enjoy (we climb with our nieces and nephews ages 5 to 18) and I have heard countless stories from people that have used climbing to overcome addictions, build self confidence, get in shape and to be in touch with nature. Most people who climb feel the natural “high” that can be so addicting so prepare yourself!
If you have never rock climbed before, we highly suggest going with a professional guide to teach you the basics. You can do this in a group or one on one with the instructor. Remember, rock climbing can be dangerous so it is important to climb with a certified professional, we highly recommend Cliffhanger Guides. The Rio House is full of many rock climbing books as well as climbing pictures to inspire those who love the sport or are thinking of trying it!
Hiking:
Hiking in the desert can make you feel worlds away from the city life. With the wide open space and prehistoric looking geography you can’t help but feel a sense of wonder for this amazing place. There are so many places to explore from old mining camps, historic homes built into the rocks, hidden oasis where native people once settled, view points where you can see in every direction due to the smog free air and so much more. If you book one of our rentals, we give you a list of our favorite “insider” hikes that take you off the beaten path.
Star Gazing:
Anyone who has been to the desert knows what we are all saying when we brag about our desert night skies. There is nothing like lying in a hammock under a massive spread of stars blanketing the sky. Actually being able to still see the constellations and the Milky Way with the fight of the growing environmental problem of light pollution is amazing. According to the BBC, 99% of the continental United States (and two thirds of the world's population) never see a truly dark, starry sky. The Mojave Desert is one of the last places left in the United States where you can still see the Milky Way with the naked eye. At all of our rentals, there is plenty of outdoor seating and lounging to take in the night.
Photography:
I honestly remember first coming to the desert and seeing all of these people with cameras gingerly snapping pictures in every direction at every angle and thinking “what could they possibly be taking a picture of, there really isn’t anything here!” Hard to imagine I once felt that way. After all these years I still find myself grabbing my camera at sunset thinking it has to be the best sunset I have ever seen (and adding that to the 1,000 of other “best” sunset pictures taken here). The light here is always shifting, playing against the landscape in ways you don’t see in other places. The beauty of dawn on an ancient Joshua Tree or the shadows playing on the decaying wood of a homestead cabin make photography in Joshua Tree something that everyone can appreciate.
Birding:
Joshua Tree’s resident bird species: roadrunner, phainopepla, mockingbird, verdin, cactus wren, rock wren, mourning dove, Le Conte’s thrasher, and Gambel’s quail can be sighted in the park throughout the year.
Wild Flowers:
The extent and timing of spring wildflower blooms in Joshua Tree National Park may vary from one year to
the next.
Biking:
Bikes and four-wheel drive vehicles are welcome in the park. For your own safety and for the protection of the natural features of this park, please stay on established roads.
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Vacation Rentals | Moonlight Mesa Retreats | Joshua Tree California
Joshua Tree National Park provides space for finding freedom from everyday routines for self- discovery, as well as a refuge for the human spirit. Joshua Tree is the gateway community to the West Entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, an 800,000 acre wilderness preserve, with groves of Joshua Trees, incredible multi-colored, granite boulders and some of the best rock climbing in the world. Joshua Tree National Park is located in Southern California's Mojave/Colorado deserts and is approximately two to three hours from Los Angeles, San Diego or Las Vegas and is only a half hour from the Palm Springs area.
The park encompasses some of the most interesting geologic displays found in the California's deserts. The Joshua Tree National Park marks the point where two large desert ecosystems come together. Below 3,000 feet, the Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features beautiful cacti, wild flowers and palm trees. The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the ancient Joshua Tree.
The Mojave Desert is home for more than 2000 species of birds, the endangered desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, bobcats and coyote. Protecting this sensitive ecosystem from urban sprawl and over development has become an important issue for many private citizens and organizations alike. Organizations like the Mojave Desert Land Trust and The Mojave National Preserve Conservancy are dedicated to the preservation of the regions natural and cultural resources.
Joshua Tree National Park
"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware" ~Martin Buber
About Us:
Mark and Christa Cranston
Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals
For reservations call (760) 366-8392
Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park
Looking for accommodations in Joshua Tree or alternatives to small hotels or bed and breakfasts?
Vacation rentals are an excellent alternative to small hotels which have limited amenities and minimal privacy. Vacation rental is a term in the travel industry meaning renting out a furnished apartment or house on a temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. Rental home rates start as low as $165 to $250 per home, per night. Travelers can find great deals and great amenities with vacation rentals, from New York to Joshua Tree.
Businesses like Moonlight Mesa Retreats contract with property owners to manage their properties and can manage numerous vacation homes within a region. With having a professional business managing the vacation rentals/lodgings, you are assured quality service on your vacation or holiday.
Our Southern California vacation rentals range from rustic cabins to spacious modern homes, located in close proximity to hiking areas, rock climbing, and the village. We are confident you will find the vacation home rental to make your trip both memorable and affordable. One family, on a recent trip, decided to do some bonding by hiking to the top of Ryan Mountain in Joshua Tree National Park located just minutes from any one of our vacation rentals. Visitors routinely choose Joshua Tree for the absence of glitz and glamour and the preponderance of tranquility.
Take your next vacation without spending a penny more than you have to on lodging. Professionally managed vacation home rentals are becoming one of North America's fastest-growing lodging categories. Many vacation rentals offer more space (multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, separate living areas), more amenities (fully equipped kitchens, fireplaces, private hot tubs), convenient locations (on the beach, ski-in/ski-out, in rural settings with no neighbors) and greater privacy than a hotel. Families and groups, in particular, are attracted to vacation rentals for the privacy, flexibility, and comfort they provide. By renting a house, it becomes as little as $60 per person and you get so many benefits that come with this price tag. Thinking of a vacation, come to Joshua Tree and experience the Mojave Desert and the Joshua Tree National Park.
We are full time residents of Joshua Tree, CA and this is our independently owned and operated business. Christa answers all of the e-mails and calls while Mark maintains the website and handles the maintenance of the properties. This is our livelihood and we love what we do- creating beautiful spaces for our guests to experience a relaxing getaway. Our reviews below are from previous guests...please feel free to read them and ask questions! If you wish to journey here on your next vacation, we welcome you. For those of you who keep coming back, we welcome you home!
Find Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals on FlipKey
Find Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals on FlipKey
Find Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals on FlipKey