Hidden Valley, An Easy Walk and other Joshua Tree National Park, CA Things to Do Tips

Hidden Valley is an easy, pretty 1 mile loop trail. This is a rock-enclosed valley which legend tells us was once a hideout for cattle and horse rustlers in the late 1800’s. The tall rocky walls and huge boulders seem to form a natural corral here that is entered through a narrow gap in the rocks. There are signs along the walk that will give you information about the history of the area. The rock formations in the area are popular with rock climbers.

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Directions: Begin at the Hidden Valley Picnic area

This is a 3 mile walk if you take the side trips, although we walked more like 4 miles as we had trouble finding the trail head at first and followed the wrong trail for a time. This trail leads through huge piles of boulders that tower above your head. The dam is a natural water tank area that had been dammed by early ranchers in the area to create a small lake for their cattle. This lake has become an important water source for migrating birds as well as local wildlife.

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Directions: To reach the Barker Dam Parking area follow the dirt road that leads east out of Hidden Valley Campground. Turn right at the T intersection. Take the next road on the left and follow it to the parking log.

Follow the Barker Dam Trail. From the dam, travel through the rock-enclosed Piano Valley. Take a left at the first fork and travel a few hundred yards to a second trail junction. Continue about 100 feet past the junction to view some petroglyphs that are located in a rock overhang. A film crews unfortunately painted over some of the petroglyphs in an attempt to make the carvings more visible for their movie. A few of the carvings located on the base of the overhang, however, remain undamaged.

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Historically this is a very interesting area with a well preserved stamp mill. This mill was used to process ore from the Desert Queen Mine. Near the mill are several old cars, trucks, and pieces of other machinery. The trail is about 1.5 miles in length and very easy to hike.

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Directions: Start at the Wonderland Ranch Parking Area. To reach this follow the dirt road east of Hidden Valley Campground. Turn right at the T intersection. Travel one mile. Take the second left and follow the short road to the end.

A nice 2 mile walk through a beautiful area which has many unusual rock formations and takes you to Astro Domes. The Domes are a collection of giant, steep-faced boulders that offers rock climbers some of the highest and most difficult climbs in the park. Some of the boulder like formations rise 300 feet above the wash. This is an unmarked trail that sometimes followed a wash, then sometimes becomes a short trail that parallels the wash. You will have to do some easy scrambling to climb up and over boulders and low rock outcroppings. The wash will take you to the Astro Domes. Return the same way you came. Keep your eye out for rock climbers. We would see tall, flat, vertical rock faces that looked impossible to climb, yet there would be someone inching their way up, or standing on the top. These are the type of straight up climbs that require clinging to small crevices with your fingers tips and toes, and attaching ropes for descending.

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Directions: Begins at the Wonderland Ranch Parking Area. Follow the road-trail to the ruins of the house. Head SW from the front corner and enter the wash about 50 feet away.

This is a very easy loop trail, less than a mile in length. This trail follows the edge of large boulder piles and travels through low hills and a wide sandy wash. Signs along the way will help you to understand the plants and animals that live in the Mojave Desert, so it is a little like walking in a museum of nature.

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Directions: Begins at the west end of the Indian Cove campground.

The nature trail is an easy third of a mile walk that will take you past a 35 foot arch. Signs along the nature trail will explain the geology in the area. A side trip will lead you through narrow areas formed by rock monoliths to the White Tank. Cattlemen constructed the tank in the early 1900s. Like many tanks in the park it has filled with sand, although still moist it is an area that attracts birds and wildlife. This side trip leaves the trail at the Arch Exhibit and passes in front of the arch. Continue about 100 yards and then scramble down through some small boulders.

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Directions: The trail begins near the end of the White Tank Campground.

This is an easy 1 mile loop trail that travels past a large, rare hybrid oak tree. You will travel down a sandy, rock-enclosed wash to both the Live Oak tank and the Ivanpah Tanks. The Ivanpah Tank is one of the larger tanks in the area and was built for cattle raising in the early 1900s. This tank will hold water in the wet seasons. The Live Oak Tank is found behind the first low stonewall. The Ivanpah is farther down the wash. When you get to the Ivanpah climb the left bank to see the road-trail which you can follow to get back to the east end of the picnic area. Then follow the picnic area road back to the west end.

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Directions: Start at the west end of the Live Oak Picnic Area and follow the sandy wash south past the large oak.

This is an easy 1 mile loop trail that travels past a large, rare hybrid oak tree. You will travel down a sandy, rock-enclosed wash to both the Live Oak tank and the Ivanpah Tanks. The Ivanpah Tank is one of the larger tanks in the area and was built for cattle raising in the early 1900s. This tank will hold water in the wet seasons. The Live Oak Tank is found behind the first low stonewall. The Ivanpah is farther down the wash. When you get to the Ivanpah climb the left bank to see the road-trail which you can follow to get back to the east end of the picnic area. Then follow the picnic area road back to the west end.

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Directions: Start at the west end of the Live Oak Picnic Area and follow the sandy wash south past the large oak.

This moderately steep trail is 2.8 miles long and climbs 300 feet. It is a beautiful trail surrounded by the Mojave Desert environment that rivals my favorite desert, Organ Pipe in Arizona. You will pass through pinion pine trees, junipers, Joshua trees, beaver tail cactus, a few chollas, and many bushes and a variety of other trees. Surrounded by mountains with beautiful outcroppings of rocks and boulders, the area has a garden like quality. If it is not a cloudy day you will have a view of Mt. San Gorgonio, an 11,499 foot peak in the San Bernardina Mountains. A nature trail handout may be gotten from the Black Rock visitor center and will provide you with interesting information and plant identification that corresponds with numbered posts along the trail.

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Directions: This trail begins in the Black Rock campground area.