Old trip: Soul searching in the expansive desert
New trick: A yin-yang combo of panting and pampering

Seekers of all sorts have long been drawn to the otherworldly landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park. But nowadays, particular rewards are in store for those in search of thrills. It’s too hot in the summer, but in cooler months, climbers gather at the northwestern end of the park to tackle the abrasive crystalline quartz monzonite rocks—they call them “cheese graters.” And there are thousands of routes, which means you’ll never have to do the same one twice. If you’re climbing for more than a day, you’ll want to camp out in the park. At the end of all that hard work, though, take a worthwhile detour to relax and degrime at the newly remodeled Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, about an hour away.

PLAY: The desert terrain is wild, vast, and not well mapped, so it’s best to hire a local guide from the American Alpine Institute. For a full-day excursion, your guide will arrive at your campsite around 8:30 each morning, and the climbs end just before sundown. Come nightfall, weary climbers usually gather around the campfire to toast marshmallows and talk about the epic day.

STAY: The Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, just east of Palm Springs, provides all the glorious flowing water, poolside lounging, and civilized pampering you could pos­sibly want after a few days of tackling the desert. Take your pick: the adults-only Tranquility Pool or kid-friendly Splashtopia, a mini–water park. After an exhausting day spent floating in a tube, let the attendants at Spa Las Palmas intervene with a facial, soothing your sun-kissed skin.

DINE: If you’re feeling ambitious, work up an appetite for dinner by strolling around the adjacent, impeccably manicured golf course, then wind your way back to bluEmber. Grab a seat on the patio by the restaurant’s namesake blue-flamed fire pit for pan-seared salmon steak and lobster and corn cakes, and be sure to save room for the menu’s signature finale: a cupcake.