Best Wedding & Elopement Location in Joshua Tree National Park

Best Wedding & Elopement Location in Joshua Tree National Park

Wedding Photographer: Mike Federis Photography

Hidden Valley Campground is our favorite location in Joshua Tree National Park for weddings and elopements. This location provides most of the variety that you would see within the 800,000 acres of Joshua Tree National Park. If you are planning to elope or host a small and intimate wedding, this is our go-to location due to it’s accessibility and picturesque backdrop.

Best Spots within the Hidden Valley Area:

• Hidden Valley Picnic Area

• Hidden Valley Nature Trail

• Small Boulders within the campgrounds

• Open area east of the Hidden Valley Picnic Area (best for sunset photos)

How to get to Hidden Valley?

We recommend entering from the West Entrance Station, which is located near Joshua Tree City. The drive from the west entrance to Hidden Valley is about 11 miles. However, you can also take the North Entrance, which is located in 29 Palms or the South Entrance which is the longest route (approximately 58 miles).

Entrance Fee?

The cost to enter the park is $30 for a 7-day pass for each vehicle. They only accept credit/debit card. You can also pre-purchase an Annual National Park Pass “America the Beautiful” which provides you annual access to all the National Parks in the United States.

Amenities?

There are pit-toilets throughout the National Park. Unfortunately, there are no vending machines and stores within the park. We recommend brining your own food and stopping by the Joshua Tree Visitor Center (6554 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252) which is located before the West Entrance. The Visitor Center has restrooms, small gift shop and restaurant with refreshments.

If you are really adventurous and want to spend the weekend in Joshua Tree, you can actually camp at one of the 44 site within the Hidden Valley Campground. Unfortunately, the camp sites are first-come, first served, but you can reserve a campsite from the following campgrounds: Blackrock, Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Jumbo Rocks, and Ryan. These campsite are very inexpensive and typically cost between $20-$25.

One of main reasons why we love this location is the large boulders and rock formations, these boulders don’t only make for photography backdrops but provides some needed shade from the sun if you are planning to elope during the harsh summer wedding in Joshua Tree National Park.

The second reason is parking, there area has ample parking within the lots compared to the other sites within Joshua Tree.

This site also has pit toilets which are also essential if you plan to change outfits.

The last reason why we love this location are the views! Our favorite spot to photograph during sunset is near the Hidden Valley Picnic Area. You can capture amazing sunset photos towards the west of the picnic area. We love capturing wide-angle photos of our couples to show of the majestic landscape of the Joshua trees.

Best Places for Engagement Photography Locations in Southern California | Mike Federis Wedding Photography

Best Places for Engagement Photography Locations in Southern California

Today we’re looking at the best places for engagement photography locations in Southern California. These are my top photo locations for couples who love to travel and don’t mind a bit of an adventure. Let’s get to my top picks!

1. Glamis Sand Dunes

   If you are up for an adventure, Glamis Sand Dunes also known as Algodones Dunes is one of the most epic locations on this list. The dunes is about a 3 hour drive from Los Angeles. This desert oasis will make you imagine that you are in the middle of the Sahara Desert due to its 40 mile stretch of soft sand. Be prepared to run around and slide down like a 10 year old.

2. Balboa Park, San Diego

Balboa Park in Sand Diego, California is one of my favorite locations to photograph couples! With over 1,200 acres, Balboa Park offers so much variety from museums, interesting architecture, and beautiful gardens. One of my favorite spots to photograph couples is in front of the Botanical Building. The Botanical Building provides an amazing backdrop while the lily pond provides leading lines and beautiful foreground to images.

3. Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake is my favorite lake among the numerous lakes in the San Bernardino Mountains. This place is beautiful all year round. The lake is about a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles, but well worth the drive. The most convenient spot at Big Bear Lake is at Juniper Point. You will need an Adventure Pass ($5 from Big 5 Sporting Goods for a day pass) to park here. Juniper Point is on the north shore of the lake and offers amazing views of the mountain range. Make sure you check out the Alpine Pedal Path which leads you all the way to the Stanfield Marsh Boardwalk.

4. Joshua Tree National Park

If you are looking for a desert theme, no look further than Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree National Park is about a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles. To enter the park, you will need to pay an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle. If you have a National Park Pass, that will get you in the park for free. Once you enter the park, you are greeted with hundreds and thousands of these cool looking Joshua Trees. There are so many great places to take pictures here, it’s hard to choose. Be prepared to drive since the park is massive; it takes about an hour to drive from the West Entrance to the South Entrance of Joshua Tree.

CONTACT US

Are you ready for an Adventure? Or maybe have some questions? Reach out and we’ll love to chat with y’all!

Camping Trip and Couples Portrait Photography at Joshua Tree National Park

NATHAN & MELISSA:

11-23-19

For the last couple years, it’s been a tradition for me to plan a camping trip with my cousins and closest friends. This year I decided to take them to Joshua Tree National Park in November, which I think is one of the best times of the year. The weather averages around 65-70 degrees during the day but does drop to 30 degrees at night.

Since we were going to spend a couple days at Joshua Tree, this would be a great opportunity for me to photograph a couple. My cousin Melissa and her boyfriend Nathan kindly agreed to be my couple for this trip. They were seriously more than happy to. This place is too gorgeous not to.

Our campsite was located towards the south entrance near the 10 freeway. Cottonwood Campgrounds was the only available site in November. Most of the hiking trails and beautiful spots are located closer to the north entrance.

So we decided to enter via the West Entrance Station from the 62 freeway. The entrance fee is $30 per vehicle https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/fees.htm However, if you purchase the $80 America The Beautiful Annual Park Pass https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm You will have unlimited access to all the National Park Pass for an entire year. Also, if you can use it as an Adventure Pass if you decide to park at certain areas such as National or State Wilderness Parks.

From here, we stopped by a few locations before we got to our camp sites. A few of my favorite spots are Skull Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, and Baker Dam.

Honestly, you can pretty much pull off the side off the road and every view is beautiful. Here’s a portrait shot of the couple in the middle of the road.

The Cottonwood Campgrounds were actually pretty nice. The restrooms were clean, which was a bonus. The campsite itself was large enough for tents and had a pit for fire.

The next day we decided to stop by the Hall of Horrors, recommended by my cousin Jan. This is actually a prime spot for rock climbers, but also a really cool place with a bunch of caves. So many perfect spots for wide angle shots.