Check out these quiet Joshua Tree NP trails

Snow-capped San Gorgonio Mountain - Southern California's highest point -
rises in the distance, as seen from Keys View in Joshua Tree National Park.

Sometimes the best trails in a park are the ones few people know about. Those hikes don’t always attract crowds because of their length, remoteness or the feature there isn’t usually associated with the park.

Such is the case with three trails at Joshua Tree National Park:
• California Riding and Hiking Trail – Though the trail runs 35 miles through the park, hikers can enjoy it in several short segments. One interesting section is a 1.25-mile stretch (2.5-miles round trip) heading from south/east from Ryan Campground through a canyon in an arm of the Little San Bernardino Mountains.
• Crown Prince Lookout Trail – During World War II, the military maintained an observation post for airplanes atop a granite formation. While the route is not maintained, the jeep trail that once led to the warning station still is visible. The 3.25-mile round trip hike leaves from Park Boulevard about a quarter mile west of the Jumbo Rocks Day Use parking lot and crosses a desert plateau en route to the outlook.
• Keys View Trail – The 0.25-miles paved loop path is short and steep but offers what probably are the park’s most breathtaking views – the Coachella Valley, San Jacinto Peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, and the Salton Sea all can be seen from here. The trailhead is at the end of Keys View Road, which runs south from Park Boulevard.