CAMPING PREGNANT
My Joshua Tree camping experience at 22 weeks Pregnant
As of this writing, LA is over 2 and a half months into stay at home orders. So when the news came of Joshua Tree National Park reopening, it felt like the heavens parted and we were given a miracle!
I pretty much heard the news as it was breaking, so we pondered a rush to the park. After almost 3 months with out going anywhere but the grocery store, hitting the road to Joshua Tree felt like the reprieve we needed.
With everything still going on with Covid, we knew even more than usual we would need a plan to do this safely. The coming weekend would include Memorial Day, which didn’t seem like a smart option for us. So we packed our bags, crossed our fingers, and planned to spend 2 days during the week in the desert.
The initial adrenaline of going anywhere but around the block absolutely fueled the planning for this trip! When I found out I was pregnant I planned to maintain some sort of consistency with hiking and camping, but Covid-19 threw that all out the window! In other circumstances I may not have seized this opportunity so quickly. Surprisingly, I had a really good time camping pregnant, so I wanted to recap this experience in hopes that it helps out another pregnant friend! If you feel good enough to go I hope this gives you the extra boost of confidence to give it a try!
Deciding to Camp & Recreating Responsibly
Despite our rush to go we actually considered a lot when deciding to camp here! We liked the idea of Joshua Tree, because we knew the sites at one of the larger campgrounds, Jumbo Rocks, were well spaced, and there was enough of the park to enjoy with out overcrowding. We could avoid the popular parts if need be and control how much we would choose to interact with others.
A lot of information in the weeks prior had also circulated about recreating responsibly while parks and lands reopened. States like Utah are well ahead of California in reopening their public lands, so I took this info to heart while we planned. Some other things we considered are below:
Weather - its the desert, right? So, we know it’s going to be hot, but the big wild card for me was if it wold be super cold at night. I knew sleep would be very important to making sure I had an enjoyable time, so doing so comfortably was a high priority. Checking the weather, the stars continued to align because it was 80s during the day and mid fifties at night! We have plenty of camping gear to accommodate this type of weather.
Being Prepared to Turn around or leave early - Because we were leaving only days after reopening there wasn’t a ton of information regarding how busy the park was. All the family campgrounds are first come, first served, so we were prepared to be met with a full campground and need to turn around. (Luckily that didn’t happen)!
Bringing everything we needed - this meant no stops in town, we would bring all the necessary supplies from LA. The only exception was fire wood on our way in and gas on the way out.
Social Distancing & Face Coverings - we brought our buffs and scarves. These are items we would have brought anyway, so having them around our necks, we simply pulled them over our face when passing other hikers on the trail.
My Pregnancy Symptoms & How I Prepared
The second trimester seems like the perfect time to camp. I think for most women there is the relief from the first trimester and not as much uncomfortableness as the third trimester. My main symptom from the first semester was fatigue, so with that gone I was pretty good to go! I focused my attention on staying hydrated and how I would get the best sleep. Mostly this meant bringing two pillows and pajamas that not only made sense for the climate but could guarantee a good night’s sleep!
We still managed to sleep in our REI Passage 2 tent. My stomach is not huge yet, so sleeping close the ground was not an issue for me. We have these Sea to Summit sleeping pads which were still perfect for me. I swear by these sleeping pads. I’ve had better sleep on this pad then I have an air mattress. I know it wont stay this way forever, but at 22 weeks all good!
Best Pregnant Activities at Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree actually has a lot going for it and the pregnant lady! Here are some of the finer points:
lots of walkable trails & doable hiking
plenty of (decently kept) bathrooms at campgrounds and at popular attractions
attractions that are pregnant women friendly
Here is some of what we did on our trip that I enjoyed:
Skull Rock
You have undoubtably heard about this famous rock if you’re on your way to JTree! Staying at Jumbo Rocks you can take about a 10-15 min hike to it right from camp! You’ll pass through some boulders along with other desert foliage accompanied by educational placards on the way. Fair warning that this is a very popular attraction so go early if you want to take pictures with out other peeps in them.
If you are not staying at Jumbo, or don’t want to do the walk from camp, this attraction is visible from the main road. You can catch it driving by, or carefully park and walk over to for a close up view. Skull Rock will be just east of the Jumbo Rocks entrance.
Key’s View
This was another approx 20 min drive from Jumbo. This isn’t much of a hike as it is a paved sidewalk that takes you in a half circle to enjoy the view. Once you arrive you have panoramic views down into the Coachella Valley. If its not to hot out or crowded this is the perfect spot to grab a bench and eat a snack or your lunch.
Cholla Cactus Garden
Cholla Cactus Garden offered a lovely Nature Trail through multiple acres of teddybear cholla as far as the eye could see! This trail took us about 10-15 minutes to complete while taking a few pictures and looks along the way. From Jumbo Rocks, it was a 15-20 minute drive towards the south side of the park to get to the garden. There was a parking lot and signage directing us where to start. There were also educational placards all along the way for the cactus and other flowers we would encounter along the way. This Garden was great because it offered a different type of plant than the Joshua Trees that dominate the park. Some of the loop is paved with wooden walkway, but the rest is well established trail, making it easy to enjoy.
Tips for Future Trips
extra pillows
Easy meal options and lots of snacks!
More Water!
Take it easy
Joshua Tree is hot! I took all the time I needed in the air conditioning of our car in between stops
cleansing wipes
noting the relation of campsites to bathrooms