3 Best Hotels in Joshua Tree National Park, California

Amid serene desert on a far corner of the 152-acre Joshua Tree Retreat Center, this adults-only property has three painstakingly restored mid-century-modern buildings containing suites that offer the architectural panache of Palm Springs (patterned masonry, breeze blocks, angular lines, slanted roofs, giant windows) and mod-cons like keyless entry, Parachute linens, and water filtered by reverse osmosis. Each unit has its own kitchen, patio, books, games, and binoculars, but outdoor communal spaces with bistro light–lit long tables, propane grills, and fire pits give groups places to gather. We recommend starting your day by making French-press coffee to take with you on a walk through the vast grounds, which contain ponds, pools, art installations, a café, a bookstore, energy vortices, and the world's largest assemblage of Frank Lloyd Wright's son's organic architecture. For an extra fee, you can also join official retreat workshops.

In the late 1980s, while working on and taking photos for the now legendary album, The Joshua Tree, the rock band U2 found itself holed up at this circa-1952 roadside motel atop a hill overlooking town and beneath the national park’s jagged peaks. If you want luxury, look elsewhere; though some rooms offer kitchenettes, all have a hodgepodge of furnishings and basic bathrooms and amenities. But if you seek a storied stay, this fits the bill. You can even recreate one of the photos that made the final liner notes: the hotel sign that serendipitously features musical notes is still standing.

Like the Harmony Motel in Twentynine Palms, this rustic roadside refuge will forever be a part of rock music lore, though, admittedly, it's tied to a darker moment—singer/guitarist and member of The Byrds Gram Parsons died in Room 8, which, despite its sad history and reports of paranormal activity, is still the most requested room. The inn, also a favorite of John Wayne and Donovan, wears this backstory like a badge of honor, usually playing tunes from Parsons' Grievous Angel album in the lobby, maintaining a memorabilia room, and sometimes hosting tribute concerts. Also like the Harmony, the single-story property seems stuck in time despite periodic updates (including a solar-power conversion). It's far from fancy, with dark cream-and-brown rooms with wood-paneled ceilings and mismatched furniture, so it's better suited to those making a purposeful pilgrimage than to those who seek pampering.