Joshua Tree pools you can actually swim in come winter

The short answer:most “pool” listings near Joshua Tree are unheated, which in January means decorative. Infinite Horizon includes a heated swim-spa pool and hot tub in the rate all year. Boulder Horizons includes the hot tub and heats its glass-front pool on request for a nightly fee. Both are in Yucca Valley, 20 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park.

What desert winter is really like

December through February brings bright 60°F afternoons and nights at or below freezing, with the clearest skies of the year. It is the best season for hiking the park and the worst season for an unheated pool. Guests who come for the stars, the fire pit, and a hot soak love it; guests who expected a July swim do not. Pick the home that matches the plan.

Home by home

• Infinite Horizon (sleeps 4): swim-spa pool and hot tub built into the deck, heating included, no notice needed. Full solar, a wood-burning fireplace inside, and a panoramic sunrise from the water. The winter pick for couples.
• Boulder Horizons (sleeps 8):hot tub included; the glass-front pool heats to 87°F from 8 AM to 5 PM for $250 per night, every night of the stay, with 24 hours' notice before check-in. Pool and spa cannot be heated at the same time, so winter groups usually run the spa and treat the pool as a cold plunge next to the real cold plunge. Gas fireplace inside; sunken fire pit outside.

Winter rituals that work here

• Park hike in the morning while the air is cold and the light is low.
• Hot tub at golden hour, which arrives around 4:30 PM in December.
• Pizza oven or fireplace dinner, then the Geminids in mid-December from the daybed.

See the compare page for everything else, or check dates on Infinite Horizon and Boulder Horizons.