On May 23rd, I and three friends made the trek from Orange County to Joshua Tree once more. This time, though, we would be staying the night rather than driving there and back in a matter of hours.
We arrived at our Airbnb around 4:00, and set off into the park soon after to do some exploring. Joshua Tree really does have some stunning landscapes; it looks like you're on another planet! We explored around Skull Rock and watched the sunset from Key's View before heading out to get food and then rest until dark.
I am happy to say that, after three previous attempts, the skies were completely clear for Milky Way photography. The stars in Joshua Tree are truly incredible; you can see the Milky Way with your naked eye, which is pretty cool if you ask me.
Our first stop of the night was Arch Rock, a popular astrophotography location. So popular, in fact, that we had to wait around 30 minutes for other photographers to leave in order to get the right viewpoint. However, it was definitely worth it, and I'll be sure to come back to this location soon to try out new angles.
Next, we stopped at Skull Rock. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with these photos. The Milky Way wasn't aligned right for this location, and the foreground was difficult to light up. So, we moved on fairly quickly.
Lastly, we stopped at an area with a lot of big Joshua Trees to get the somewhat cliché but killer picture of the Milky Way over a field of Joshua Trees. These may be my favorite photos of the night. While there, we also took a few photos with the road as a foreground, which came out quite nicely, as well.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip to Joshua Tree. I am so lucky to live fairly close to this park for the majority of the year and look forward to exploring more of it as time goes on.