How Crowded Is Joshua Tree in January?
January is an average month at Joshua Tree National Park, running about 1.0× the park's average month — roughly 8% of the year's visitors come in January. That puts it between the March peak and the July low. Overall our best-time score rates January as "Fair" for a visit. Typical January weather averages a high near 63°F and a low around 42°F, with about 0.5" of precipitation. You'll get about 10.0 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
January is average at Joshua Tree National Park (about 1.0× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Fair". The single best month overall is September.
The busiest month is March and the quietest is July. January sits at about 1.0× the park's average, or 8% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.