After the Storm, Stay Close: A Big Morongo Canyon and Yucca Valley Day Trip

The weekend storm cut off the long drives out of Joshua Tree this week: Amboy Road to Route 66 is closed with no reopening date, a stretch of Route 66 itself is shut, and Joshua Tree National Park has closed Geology Tour Road because of flooding. The easy, free day close to home is about 17 miles west in Morongo Valley. Walk the boardwalks at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve (open daily, 7:30 AM to sunset) during the fall bird migration, then stop at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum in Yucca Valley on the way back (free, Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 AM–5:30 PM).

What's closed around Joshua Tree after the storm?

This is what official sources reported this morning:

• Amboy Road: closed from Bullion Mountain Road to National Trails Highway (Route 66) due to flooding and debris, per San Bernardino County Public Works. Closures began Sunday, Oct. 11, and the county lists no reopening date. Residents and emergency vehicles don't have access either, so there's no way through to Amboy, Roy's, or Amboy Crater from Twentynine Palms right now.
• National Trails Highway (Route 66): closed from the Amboy Cutoff to Ludlow Road for flooding and debris, also with no reopening date. Older closures east of Kelbaker Road remain in place.
• Highway 62 east of Twentynine Palms: Caltrans reports SR 62 closed from 2.4 miles east of Twentynine Palms, at Godwin Road, to the SR 177 junction because of flooding. Highway 62 west toward Yucca Valley and Morongo Valley had no restrictions listed.
• Joshua Tree National Park: the park's alerts say Geology Tour Road is temporarily closed after "a significant amount of rain," and ask drivers to use caution on all other park roads. Part of the West Side Loop in the Black Rock area is also closed for trail repairs.
• Mojave National Preserve: the preserve's alerts warn that widespread storms flooded, damaged, and left debris on roads throughout the preserve, and recommend 4WD only on Black Canyon Road. The Kelso Depot visitor center is still closed for heating and cooling repairs, though the restrooms beside it are open.

None of that touches Highway 62 between Joshua Tree and Morongo Valley, which is why we'd point a day trip west this week.

Why Big Morongo Canyon Preserve right now?

Big Morongo Canyon is a 31,000-acre preserve in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, and it's one of California's most important cottonwood and willow stream habitats, according to the Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. Groundwater rises along a fault line there, so you get a real creek, a marsh, and deep shade in the middle of the desert.

It's also one of the best birding spots in Southern California. The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the preserve, calls it internationally recognized, and says many species are abundant during the spring and fall migrations. The Friends say 263 bird species have been recorded there. Mid-October falls right in that fall window, and the Friends call fall, winter, and spring the ideal seasons to visit.

How far is Big Morongo from Joshua Tree, and what does it cost?

From our shop on 29 Palms Highway in Joshua Tree, it's about 17 miles west on Highway 62, or roughly 27 minutes. In Morongo Valley, turn onto East Drive and drive about a quarter mile to the main parking area on your left. (Mileage and drive times here are routing estimates, not official figures.)

• Hours: daily, 7:30 AM to sunset. Sunset is 6:13 PM Wednesday and 6:09 PM Saturday, per the U.S. Naval Observatory.
• Cost: free. Donations are welcome.
• Dogs: not allowed, leashed or not.
• Not allowed: bikes on trails, smoking anywhere in the preserve, and collecting plants or animals.

Which trails should you walk at Big Morongo?

The preserve has six trails, all starting near the kiosk in the parking lot. These distances come from the Friends' trail guide:

• Marsh Trail: 0.65 miles, about 15 minutes, easy and all boardwalk. It runs over and along the creek under Fremont cottonwoods and red willows, with three viewing decks. It's wheelchair, stroller, and walker accessible, and it's the one the Friends call "a birder's paradise" during migration.
• Mesquite Trail: 0.51 miles, about 15 minutes, easy. A streamside walk on boardwalks and bridges, past a granite outcrop that marks the face of the Morongo Valley Fault.
• Desert Willow Trail: 0.75 miles, about 25 minutes, moderate. A loop off the Marsh Trail through fall-blooming alkali golden-bush and mesquite thickets.
• Yucca Ridge Trail: 0.72 miles, about 25 minutes, moderate. It climbs for views over the marsh, Morongo Valley, and the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto peaks.
• West Canyon Trail: 0.85 miles, about 35 minutes, moderate, along a ridge with a couple of steep switchbacks.
• Canyon Trail: 8.34 miles round trip (9.76 from the parking lot), 5–6 hours, with a strenuous uphill return.

A good post-storm plan is to link the Marsh, Mesquite, Desert Willow, and Yucca Ridge trails, which add up to about 2.6 miles of easy-to-moderate walking. The Friends' notice board listed no trail closures this morning. The Canyon Trail does follow the willow-lined bed of Big Morongo Creek down the canyon, though, so check conditions at the kiosk after this much rain, and skip it if there's running water or fresh debris.

What's the weather this week in Morongo Valley?

This morning's National Weather Service forecast for Morongo Valley:

• Wednesday: sunny, high near 74°F, north wind gusting to 25 mph
• Thursday: sunny, high near 76°F, but north wind 13–25 mph with gusts as high as 41 mph, and patchy blowing dust after 10 AM
• Friday: sunny, high near 78°F
• Saturday: sunny, high near 77°F

Joshua Tree itself runs from a high near 71°F Wednesday to 77°F Friday, with patchy blowing dust Thursday. Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday is the pick, since Thursday's gusts make for poor birding. No weather alerts were posted for either spot this morning.

What should you add in Yucca Valley on the way home?

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is about 11 miles (roughly 18 minutes) back east from the preserve, in the Yucca Valley Community Center complex at 57090 Twentynine Palms Highway. Turn north on Dumosa Avenue at the light. It reopened Oct. 7 after plumbing renovations, and it's run by the Town of Yucca Valley.

• Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 AM–5:30 PM. It's closed Sunday through Tuesday and on town holidays, so it's closed today.
• Cost: free, with free parking. Donations are appreciated.
• Inside: desert wildlife dioramas, a hands-on kids' corner, a mini-zoo of native animals, and a collection of Native American artifacts, according to the Town of Yucca Valley.

Aside, since Amboy is off the table: Route 66 comes to Yucca Valley this weekend. The museum's new exhibit, The Journey is the Destination: 100 Years of Route 66, runs Oct. 17 through Dec. 16. Its free opening reception is Saturday, Oct. 17, 4–6 PM, with a talk and Q&A by photographer Andy Romanoff and an introduction to the exhibit's use of scent by Sofia Collette Ehrich. More dates are on our Around Town calendar.

What does a good Big Morongo day look like?

• 7:00 AM: leave Joshua Tree with water, a hat, and binoculars if you have them.
• 7:30–10:00 AM: the preserve opens. Walk the Marsh Trail first, then the Mesquite, Desert Willow, and Yucca Ridge trails.
• 10:00 AM: drive back east on Highway 62 to Yucca Valley and the Hi-Desert Nature Museum (it opens at 9:30 AM).
• Late morning: lunch in Yucca Valley, then head home. On weekdays, JT Trading Post opens at noon. On Saturday, the museum's Route 66 reception starts at 4 PM.

Stop by on your way

If you're heading out Highway 62 this week, come see us at JT Trading Post, 61716 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree. More than 40 local vendors share the shop, and it's an easy place to pick up a desert-made souvenir on the way home. Hours are Mon–Fri 12–5 PM and Sat–Sun 8 AM–5 PM. You can also shop online at jttradingpost.com.

Frequently asked questions

Is Amboy Road open to Route 66?

Not right now. San Bernardino County Public Works lists Amboy Road closed from Bullion Mountain Road to National Trails Highway because of flooding and debris, starting Oct. 11, with no reopening date. Check the county's road closure map before you try.

Is Big Morongo Canyon Preserve free?

Yes. The preserve is free and open daily from 7:30 AM to sunset. Donations are welcome.

Can I bring my dog to Big Morongo Canyon Preserve?

No. Dogs aren't allowed in the preserve, even on a leash, and the trails are pedestrian only.

Is the Big Morongo boardwalk wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The 0.65-mile Marsh Trail is all boardwalk and accessible for wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers. Boardwalk sections elsewhere in the preserve are accessible too.

Is Geology Tour Road open in Joshua Tree National Park?

No. As of this morning, the park lists Geology Tour Road as temporarily closed because of flooding from the weekend rain.

Sources

• Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve: hours, admission, rules, habitat, bird count
• Go for a Hike, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve: trail distances and times
• Visiting the Preserve, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve: directions and accessibility
• Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Bureau of Land Management: management, birding status, migration
• San Bernardino County Public Works road closures: Amboy Road and National Trails Highway
• Caltrans highway conditions, SR 62
• Joshua Tree National Park alerts and conditions, NPS
• Mojave National Preserve alerts and conditions, NPS
• National Weather Service forecast, Morongo Valley and Joshua Tree
• U.S. Naval Observatory sun and moon data: sunset times
• Hi-Desert Nature Museum: plan your visit, home page, and Route 66 opening reception
• Hi-Desert Nature Museum, Town of Yucca Valley: exhibits

Hi-Desert Field Desk is JT Trading Post's events and guides desk in Joshua Tree. We check every date, price, and closure against official sources the morning we publish.