Hidden Valley Nature Trail and Day Use Area

The Hidden Valley area of Joshua is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible areas of the park, and it’s perfect if you are looking to do a short hike or simply wander among the trees and rock formations. The Hidden Valley Nature Trail is an enjoyable one-mile loop trail that enters through an opening into what is otherwise a large bowl surrounded by rock walls. It’s thought that due to the geography, Hidden Valley was once used by cattle rustlers, who would herd the cattle into this area to conceal them. This is a relatively easy and scenic trail but it is somewhat barren and does not have many Joshua trees. Of note on this trail is the giant monolith known as the Great Burrito, a popular climbing area in the park.

The Hidden Valley picnic area, on the opposite side of the parking lot from the trailhead, is much more scenic, with an abundance of large Joshua trees scattered around huge boulders and rock piles. This is a wonderful place to enjoy a picnic and meander around. From the last picnic area at the west end, a very short rudimentary trail leads out and around to the back side of the stand of boulders, opening up into a wonderland of rocks and trees, perfect for photography.

Barker Dam Nature Trail

Another short walking path, Barker Dam is a 1.3-mile loop trail. If you are only looking to do one short trail in Joshua Tree, this is your best bet, with huge Joshua trees, rocks, and an area of water that often attracts birds. The remnants of a water tank left by cattle ranchers who once lived in the area can be seen at the far end of the loop. Many people walk in to this point and turn around, leaving by the same route, but this is a mistake. While this might be slightly shorter, it is well worth continuing on, with much of the best scenery and largest trees on the loop beyond the dam.

Ryan Mountain Hike

From Park Boulevard, the hike up Ryan Mountain looks a bit daunting and relatively unspectacular, but this hike is all about the reward from the top, where the views extend 360 degrees out over the park. This is a relatively strenuous, three-mile up-and-down hike, with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. The exposed trail offers little to no shade and is less than exciting as it follows a barren hillside up to the top, but from the summit, at 5,457 feet, the view is fantastic, making the effort worthwhile.

Guided Tour

In an area that few people would describe as hospitable are the remains of Keys Ranch, the former homestead and ranch of William F. Keys, who settled in this area in the 1910s. The property, which includes the house, schoolhouse, store, and workshop, is a National Historic Register Site and can only be visited on ranger-led guided tours, which are run seasonally throughout the winter and into spring. The tours are very informative and provide insight into Keys, who was quite a character, and the challenges faced by the family and ingenuity required to live out here. See the park website for information on tour dates and times. There is a fee, and reservations are required. Tours are 90 minutes and involve a half-mile of walking.

Rock Climbing and Bouldering

Climbing and bouldering are some of the most popular recreational activities in the park, and one look at the landscape will tell you why. Joshua Tree has somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 climbing routes and hundreds of climbing formations. Information pamphlets and maps are available at the visitor centers.

Climbers frequent Joshua Tree National Park, particularly during the winter months when the great climbing destinations further north, like Yosemite, are out of season. There are several areas in the park where climbers tend to congregate, but the Hidden Valley area and other nearby sites at the west end of the park are the main hot spots. As a result, campgrounds at this end of the park tend to be full on a regular basis throughout the winter, particularly in February and March, when climbers and recreational campers are vying for spots.