Twentynine Palms - city in San Bernardino County, California, United States

Twentynine Palms is a city of 26,000 (2021) in south central San Bernadino County in the California Desert located on the northern boundary of Joshua Tree National Park.

Understand

The City of Twentynine Palms (also known as 29 Palms) is home to the headquarters and main entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. Situated in the Morongo Basin in the Mojave Desert, the city is renowned for its beautiful natural surroundings, desert and mountain vistas and its world-class murals and artists.

Twentynine Palms is also home to the largest United States Marine Corps base, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.

Climate

At an elevation of more than above sea level, Twentynine Palms has a slightly cooler climate, especially during winter, than Palm Springs, but with essentially the same subtropical desert characteristics. On average, temperatures reach on 89 days, on 154 days, and the freezing mark on 17 nights annually. Extremes range from on December 23, 1990, to on July 11, 1961. Winters are moderately cool, with highs in the 60s °F and the lows in the 40s °F. Summers are hot, with high temperatures above . The wettest month is August with inches of rain, mostly from monsoon thunderstorms.

Get in

By car

Most visitors will arrive in Twentynine Palms on  California State Route 62 (CA 62, also known as Twentynine Palms Highway), which runs east-west through the Morongo Basin.

For visitors from the west, from the Palm Springs area and beyond, would take CA 62 from Palm Springs through Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree Village to Twentynine Palms.

From the east, CA 62 comes from the Arizona-California state line by Parker, AZ. Visitors from the Las Vegas area could travel south on US 95 to CA 62 just west of the AZ-CA state line. Visitors from central Arizona, such as from Phoenix, would take I-10 to Desert Center (at Jct I-10 and CA 177), north on CA 177 to CA 62, then west on CA 62 to Twentynine Palms.

By bus

There is a limited bus network, run by the Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA). There's an hourly service from Yucca Valley, where it is possible to connect with Palm Springs.

By plane

The closest passenger airport is:

• Palm Springs International Airport (IATA: PSP), about west.

Further afield are:

• Ontario International Airport (IATA: ONT), about west.
• Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX), about west.
• San Diego International Airport (IATA: SAN), about southwest.

Get around

Most visitors would travel around by car.

See

• 29 Palms Art Gallery, 74005 Cottonwood Dr (Cottonwood Dr at National Park Dr), 34.130°, -116.046°, +1 760-367-7819, 29artgallery@gmail.com. Th-Su 11AM-3PM.
• Murals. The town has series of 26 murals painted on the sides of buildings all around town that present the history and personalities of the town. There is a sign listing the location of all the murals on the north side of Highway 62 between Smoketree Ave and Yucca Ave. Free
• Old Schoolhouse Museum (Twentynine Palms Historical Society), 6760 National Park Dr, 34.131407°, -116.04738°, +1 760-367-2366. in Sep-May: W-Su 1-4PM; Jun-Aug: F-Su 1-4PM. Free admission — The Old Schoolhouse is the oldest public building in the Morongo Basin area having come into existence in 1927. The school began in the truest pioneering fashion. After being denied requested funds from San Bernardino County, the inhabitants of the surrounding area decided to take matters into their own hands. Working solely on the assistance and altruism of the community, the one-room schoolhouse was born, hosting eight students, hailing from different corners of the Morongo Basin. The Schoolhouse is now home to a museum and gift shop operated by the Twentynine Palms Historical Society. Exhibits center around the groups that were important to the history of the Twentynine Palms area: the Native Americans, miners, cattlemen, homesteaders, and military.

Do

• Smith's Ranch Drive In Theater, 5484 Adobe Road, 34.154°, -116.054°, +1 760-367-7713. Th-Su 7:45PM. $10 2022-08-01
• Theatre 29, 73637 Sullivan Rd (corner of Adobe Rd and Sullivan Rd), 34.128°, -116.055°, +1 760-361-4151. seasonal. Community theatre 2022-08-01
• Tortoise Rock Casino, 73829 Baseline Road, 34.11961°, -116.0516°, +1 760-367-9759. 2016-11-19

Buy

Eat

• Fuji Restaurant, 73603 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.135360°, -116.056564°, +1 760-367-1718. 2018-01-06
• Las Palmas Restaurant, 73741 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.135434°, -116.053348°, +1 760-367-9099. Mexican 2018-01-06
• Palm Kabob House, 6341 Adobe Rd, 2436 Armstrong Avenue, 34.138575°, -116.054138°, +1 760-367-2161. Middle-Eastern 2018-01-06

Drink

Sleep

There is a variety of lodging available in Twentynine Palms. For camping, see camping options in Joshua Tree National Park.

• 29 Palms Inn, 73950 Inn Ave, 34.129487°, -116.048869°, +1 760-367-3505. Located around the Oasis of Mara, at the Northern entrance to the park. Established in 1929, 29 Palms Inn is a historic collection of wood and adobe cabins with a restaurant/bar and swimming pool available on the grounds. The focus of the Inn is on the slow pace of the desert and the community of people who come to visit. Minimizing distractions of the outside world, the rooms do not come with telephones, radios, clocks, and only very small, black-and-white, televisions without cable.
• Best Western Gardens Motel, 71487 29 Palms Highway, 34.134411°, -116.103438°, +1 760-367-9141.
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, 6333 Encelia Ave, 34.1377°, -116.0977°, +1 760-361-5000. 2022-07-29
• Joshua Desert Retreats, 34.161158°, -115.933524°. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. 12 vacation rental homes in the Wonder Valley on the east side of town, minutes to the Northern entrance of Joshua Tree National Park and Twentynine Palms Marine Base. All of the houses are on 5-15 acres and are fully furnished to give guests a real desert experience without sacrificing modern comforts.
• Harmony Motel, 71161 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.134784°, -116.110049°, +1 760-367-3351.
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 71809 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.135001°, -116.079779°, +1 760-361-4009. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The rooms are large and the beds are comfortable. The hotel has a small, heated pool that is half in the sun and half in the shade allowing guests to cool off without getting sunburned. There is a small fitness center as well. Free breakfast consisting of both hot and cold food items is offered. The hotel is very handicapped-accessible with several rooms featuring roll-in showers and lifts for both the pool and the spa. $120-180
• Motel 6, 72562 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.136°, -116.079°, +1 760-367-2833.
• Oasis Inn & Suites, 71809 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.135°, -116.0959°, +1 760-361-4009. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 2022-07-29
• El Rancho Dolores Motel, 73352 Twentynine Palms Highway, 34.136157°, -116.061605°, +1 760-367-3528.

Go next

• Joshua Tree National Park, south — The large national park south of the town is home to two desert ecosystems and is a favorite for campers, hikers, and rock-climbers.

• Amboy and Route 66, north — The Mother Road routes through the California desert north of Twentynine Palms.

• Mojave National Preserve, north beyond Amboy — Sand dunes, mountain ranges, and mesas with three types of deserts: the Mojave, Great Basin, and Sonoran.