I’m going to Joshua tree national park this weekend right now I plan on doing skull rock, heart rock, arch rock, split rock, hall of horrors, barker dam, hidden valley and cholla cactus garden. What are some other must see places and hikes to do I’ll be there 2 days.
Upvote for Wall Street
Lost horse mine is nice?
Ryan Mountain at sunset 🌅 is epic!
Or sunrise
I was about to post this! I brought my film camera and have the most epic shots of sunset on Ryan Mtn
Nobody has mentioned this yet but seeing as you’re going on a holiday weekend try to go early to hikes you want to do first. It will be busy! Parking lots fill up by 10am. Be patient with others and try not to let the crowded atmosphere ruin the vibe.
And consider entering at the North Entrance Station (the lines are generally longer at West Entrance than at North Entrance)
Agreed! Go in at/before sunrise (which is amazing) and you'll be done when everyone else is arriving and looking for parking.
Bring plenty of water!
do you have gps? There are a lot of off trail hikes that are amazing but I would not attempt without a gps and possibly an sos button
I only have my phone and all trails and my Garmin watch
I would be hesitant to go too far off trail with that, but samulesons rocks are a pretty cool folk art site after an open desert wander right off park road, you can see the road the whole time so getting lost it hard. Its a small hill where an old prospector wrote his rants in stone, kind of a cool human history aspect of the park. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/samuelsons-rocks-trail
Do you have a compass? A satellite GPS device would be ideal for emergencies but a paper map and compass can help you if you are in a pickle. Something like the Samuelson rocks would be straight forward. If you get lost, the road will be north of you. REI has a few map reading articles that help you grasp the basics. 99% of the time I use my phone for navigation but there’s always the chance it dies, breaks, or gets lost.
Cholla Garden sunrise was my favorite moment of my trip. Keyes View at sunset was amazing as well, but I was totally alone for the sunrise. That moment will stay with me for the rest of my life
it's HOT and DRY right now. Take lots of water with you. Watch out for rattlers and bees. pay attention to where you're stopping/sitting, the ants are foraging pretty hard right now and might mistake you for a log they need to crawl over.
None of those are hikes. Those are all “walks” with a combined distance of less than a mile. Download all trails.
All trails says that with all of those it’s 10 miles total
Don't forget the Joshua Tree Farmers Market (Saturday 8am-1pm) - In front of the Joshua Tree Healthfood store. And the Joshua Tree Trading Post has a street market on Saturday and Sunday.
that's plenty for 2 days. wall street mine is a fave.
it's HOT and DRY right now. Take lots of water with you. Watch out for rattlers and bees. pay attention to where you're stopping/sitting, the ants are foraging pretty hard right now and might mistake you for a log they need to crawl over.
Are you looking for hikes or spots to explore? Many of those you could see in about an hour with 5 minutes to look at each. There are bigger hikes on trails, but the main thing IMO to do is just wander around the rocks and climb and explore. Most spots aren’t trail oriented as you can walk/climb anywhere. If you want trail hikes to cool destinations, try one of the oasis trails. I also love the ocotillo patch near the cholla garden.
Not really a hike but Cholla Garden at golden hour is pretty sweet. They all “glow”
That's a busy agenda. For a first timer I'd suggest:
Hidden Valley Loop
Barker Dam + go off trail into the Wonderland of Rocks (it doesn't get any better than this!)
Key's View (at sunset)
Cholla Garden (at sunrise)
If you e got a 4x4 the geology tour road is fun
Notes on your itinerary:
Skull Rock is like 50 feet from the road, it's a quick stop
Same with Arch Rock, it's adjacent to White Tank campground
Heart Rock is cool but it's not in the most impressive area or on a trail that's a fun hike; it's a meander from the campground
FFS please do not tell a first timer to go off trail in the Wonderland of Rocks... especially with the heat. It is SO easy to get lost in that (or any) area going off trail.
You beat me to it! You are spot on.
If i could do my first joshua tree again i would do skull rock last
Ryan Mountain
If you’re able to I suggest exploring Geology Tour Rd and/or Queen Valley Rd. The hikes to Lost Horse mine and Wall Street mill are gorgeous as well.