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From Lazy Hiking: Joshua Tree: National Park

1. Hi-View Nature Loop

Marvel at the curious Joshua trees that make this national park famous and climb to a lovely overlook on this moderately difficult 1.3-mile (2.1 km) loop trail. Hi-View Nature Loop is one of the first trails explorers will encounter when approaching the park from the west (say, traveling from Los Angeles.) While the trail is inside the park boundary, one of High View’s main entry points sits outside the park gates, making it easy for excitable park trippers to overlook this delightful trail. Fortunately, this also makes Hi-View Nature Loop perfect for hikers who prefer a less-crowded experience. Common trail enjoyers include campers from nearby Black Rock Campground, as well as birding enthusiasts.

2. West Side Loop

Delve deep into a forest brimming with Joshua trees and uncover a mountainside full of big peak vistas on this difficult 4.5-mile (7.2 km) hike on Mojave Desert treasure West Side Loop! This weathered gem explores the hills above Black Rock Canyon on an outlying circuit that dodges park crowds while scoping out the park’s famous flora and cool wildlife. It’s a great way to get to know Joshua Tree’s northern desert-mountain wilderness, and is within convenient proximity of Black Rock Campground. Be aware, however, that the exposed trail has very little shade, and parts of the route midway through have been washed out, making route finding tricky at times. It’s extra important to bring sun protection, lots of water, and a map on this hike.

3. Panorama Loop

Panorama Loop hike rambles along a sandy tract full of Joshua trees in the park’s quiet Black Rock Canyon wilderness to fully embody its name via a mountainside loop with 360-degrees of shutter-worthy views of Joshua Tree National Park and beyond. At a respectable 6.6 miles (10.6 km), the hike through the park’s northwestern interior isn’t overly long, but the loop itself is very steep, gaining over 1,100 feet (335 m) in elevation, with over 600 feet (183 m) of that ascent occurring on the first part of the loop section. Expect steep, strenuous terrain with very little shade on a path that sometimes is not well defined but offers an abundance of beautiful views and extra-special sunsets. The Panorama Loop trail is not recommended for novice hikers.

4. Indian Cove Nature Trail

Indian Cove Nature Trail is a very easy .6-mile (1 km) loop in northern Joshua Tree National Park that explores a key hub of human history and an intriguing desert alcove brimming with life. Handy information placards along the trail give hikers an inside look into the region’s unique desert ecosystem, its surprisingly diverse biome, and how its hardy inhabitants thrive in this exceptional region. This short, relatively flat trail dips into a dry wash for an easy-going interpretive stroll that can also serve as a warm-up hike for later adventures.

5. North View, Maze, and Window Loop

See the best that northern Joshua Tree National Park has to offer on this high-desert circuit! North View, Maze Loop, and Window Loop are three loop hikes stacked on top of each other. North View is to the north, Maze Loop is in the middle, and Window Loop is to the south. The loops can be combined in a number of ways. The hike in this guide routes around the outer perimeter of all three loops to make one giant, challenging 7.4-mile (11.9 km) loop. The rugged circuit explores the higher-elevation Mojave Desert, with its mind-boggling landscape, astonishing rock piles, post-worthy desert flora, and phenomenal views.

6. Barker Dam Loop

Discover an old-timey dam flowing with western history, a birding paradise, a major bighorn sheep habitat, ancient petroglyphs, and Hollywood movie-making gone awry on this moderately easy 1.1-mile (1.8 km) loop hike to National Register of Historic Places standout Barker Dam. Although this popular trail has minimal elevation gain, it puts adventurers up close and personal with boulders as it scrambles through the Mojave Desert to the turn-of-the-century dam. Along the way, informative placards spotlight the area’s fascinating history, ecosystem, and inhabitants.

7. Hidden Valley Nature Trail

Rustle up a good time on the Hidden Valley Nature Trail! This moderately easy 1-mile (1.6 km) loop trail slips through a secret passageway between rocks to explore a fascinating valley once used as a hideaway by thieves and bandits to stash stolen livestock. Interpretive signs along the trail showcase the area’s cool flora and fauna, and Joshua Tree National Park’s famous monzogranite formations provide excellent challenges for rock climbers and boulderers. With plenty of interesting things to discover, Hidden Valley Nature Trail is a visitor favorite.

8. Hall of Horrors Loop

Don’t let the name scare you, this hike is nice and mild! Settle in and feel like a true Joshua Tree insider on this easy .7-mile (1.1 km) walk around the Hall of Horrors, one of the park’s popular climbing and bouldering areas. Along the way, pass by the eponymous secret entryway into a set of narrow slots hidden between two massive rock faces that gives this hike its name. The rock stacks in this area are a great place to check out Joshua Tree National Park’s robust climbing community in action, and the Hall of Horrors makes a very cool backdrop for action shots with an optional moderate .3-mile visit to the slots. Be advised, however, that the short slots are extremely narrow and require boulder scrambling, so hikers susceptible to claustrophobia, carrying extra heft or feeling unsteady should skip traversing the passages and stick to the pleasantly open and flat main trail. Hall of Horrors is a fun option for casual hikers wanting to explore some of the park’s lesser-publicized nooks and crannies.

9. Split Rock Loop Trail

Come face-to-face with some of the coolest, spookiest, funniest, cutest, and craziest rock formations in Joshua Tree on this moderate 2-mile (3.2 km) to 2.5-mile (4 km) hike around Split Rock Loop Trail! Along the way, visit an ancient alcove used by Indigenous people, check out the split that named Split Rock, navigate classic granite terrain, and visit a monolith with a distinctly human look. Informative signs along the trail highlight the notable features of this superlative slice of the Mojave famous for its rock “faces.”

10. Discovery Trail

Discovery Trail is a fun and easy .7-mile (1.1 km) loop hike designed especially for young explorers. Discovery Trail loops around the boulder fields opposite Skull Rock, sharing easy-to-understand details along the way about Joshua Tree’s unique and unusual features. Great for families, the trail was developed by local kids from the Morongo Unified School District under guidance from park rangers in 2012, and built by high school students from the Youth Conservation Corps in 2013. Discovery Trail gives visitors of all ages an opportunity to stretch their legs, have fun exploring, and learn about Joshua Tree’s best highlights.

11. Skull Rock Nature Loop

Ahoy, desert pirates! Prepare to come about and steal some great views on this moderately easy 1.7-mile (2.7 km) loop around Joshua Tree’s spookiest roadside attraction—Skull Rock! Skull Rock, the biggest “rock” icon in the park, guards a loop trail around a trove of natural wonders in the heart of Joshua Tree. Way signs along the nature trail reveal the park’s best surprises.

12. Cap Rock

Country meets rock-and-roll with very easy spins around desert rabblerouser Cap Rock! A .4-mile (.6 km) nature loop and optional .3-mile (.5 km) memorial loop visiting one of Joshua Tree’s most infamous “rock stars” transports visitors deep into the soul of the place that inspired a creative genius and spurred a whole lotta shenanigans in this life—and the next. Interpretive placards along Cap Rock Trail spotlight the area’s distinct features, while strategically placed benches around the nature loop encourage park enjoyers to take it easy. The informal memorial loop at the other end of the wayside stop explores the legendary rock formation that once presided over the burning casket of country-rock icon Gram Parsons.

13. Keys View Walk

A leisurely stroll along a mountain crest offers visitors stunning Southern California panoramas and an exceptional opportunity to experience the powerful forces of nature at work at long-standing park favorite, Keys View. A very easy .12-mile (.2 km) path gently loops around the beautiful vista point, making this much-lauded “Best View in the Park” a great place for travelers of all ages to stretch their legs while drinking in the sights. The picturesque overlook, with its glowing mountains at sundown, is also a spectacular place to savor the light and color of the desert. Informative signs along the loop spotlight Southern California’s incredible geography, modern enterprise, and environmental challenges.

14. Oasis of Mara Nature Walk

Discover the secrets of an ancient oasis on this short half-mile (.8 km) loop around a palm-lined spring bubbling with Joshua Tree history. An important part of the Joshua Tree National Park origin story, the Oasis of Mara has welcomed desert dwellers and visitors since before recorded history, and was at the center of a clash between worlds—one balanced in the refuge of an interconnected desert, and the other driven by dark and ambitious westward expansion. Placards along the trail spotlight the oasis’s human history and natural ecology, while benches along the scenic spot offer rest, relaxation, and opportunities for reflection on the area’s immersive past.

15. Bajada Nature Trail

Bajada Nature Trail is a short-and-sweet .3-mile (.5 km) loop through a magical low-desert garden. Interpretive plaques along the way highlight the extraordinary plants sprouting from this unusual swath of desert. This nature trail is particularly special in the springtime when much of the flora is in bloom, though dormant seasonal plants also hold many secrets for budding botanists. The dirt path is flat and easy, and the trail includes benches for relaxing. The path, however, is not shaded, and sits fully exposed to the powerful desert sun. The trail’s location near the park’s southern border makes it a great place for a quick leg-stretch while traveling in or out of the park, and an excellent sunset walk.

16. Cholla Cactus Garden

Walk on the wild side at the Cholla Cactus Garden! Treacherous “jumping teddy bears” wait to strike with spiky spines on this precariously easy (or easily precarious!) path through a precious garden of desert dangers. This flat quarter-mile (.4 km) loop takes thrill-seekers and curious passersby through a prickly stand of dangerously cute cacti and other vegetation fascinations on a short-and-spiky nature walk. The Cholla (pronounced choy-yah) Cactus Garden nature walk is perfectly safe… so long as you resist the urge to cuddle the adorable succulents!

17. Lost Horse Loop

This challenging 6.5-mile (10.5 km) loop hoofs it up and around Lost Horse Mountain to explore one of Joshua Tree’s biggest jackpots. Following Quail Wash into the park’s hot and dusty wilderness, Lost Horse Loop Trail climbs over 800 feet (243 m) up the rocky mountainside where 5,316-foot (1620 m) Lost Horse Mountain looks over Lost Horse Mine, the most successful gold and silver mine in Joshua Tree history. Flush with mining artifacts, including remnants of a ten-stamp processing mill, and thoroughly steeped in park history, this area of the park is definitely worth exploring. However, like the tall tales that rule the hills, so do the challenges; the steep mountain face turns this hike into a real leg buster. Consider, instead, the shorter and less intense—but equally riveting—Lost Horse Mine hike, which explores Lost Horse Loop’s northern arm.

18. Mastodon Mine Loop

Trek through the Colorado Desert and summit an elephant of a mountain on this expedition to Mastodon Peak and beyond! This moderately difficult 3-mile (4.8 km) hike travels a wild and beautiful low-desert loop to see some of the park’s greatest southern sights. Stop by a lush desert oasis, check out an old abandoned mine, explore a ghost town, and scramble to the top of a peak in this beautiful and rugged part of Joshua Tree. Interpretive plaques along the way spotlight the area’s treasures. This is a particularly nice trail to explore during spring wildflower blooms, and makes an excellent sunrise hike.