Yabedabedoo time in Joshua Tree National Park

Do you still need to visit Joshua Tree National Park if you've just crossed the most dense joshua tree forrest in the Mojave National Reserve?  That was the question we were pondering on the evening before.  The idea of sneaking in a simple pool relax day into our planning of the California tour we did in the first half of May was tempting. 

But I'm glad we went as in some way I found this the most fun National Park we've visited.  Probably because I couldn't get the feeling out of my head that I was walking around in Bedrock and anticipated to see the Flinstone's car on one of the parking lots.  The park is named after the Joshua Trees that grow in the Mojave desert, but I found the rock piles just as outstanding.  Additionally the park seems so accessible as you can do a loop in and out from Joshua through the park to 29PalmTrees back to Joshua in probably 2 hours if you don't stop anywhere.  So when you are in the park and you gt hungry, you just think that in an hour you can be at your hotel pool outside the park.  In between that ride there are many smaller and bigger hikes available so no need to drive long distances in between.

(ok I am omitting here the road to Cottonwoods Springs south but there were construction works there, so we did not even consider going there).

First we drove to the furthest point with the viewpoint up the mountain across the next valley with Palm Springs. Then we took some easy hikes along some huge boulders and up to a tiny dammed water pool (read puddle). 

To answer back the first question: yes the Joshua Tree population is much smaller here but the trees are much more fully grown and way more beautiful.