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    Hidden Valley Loop Trail

    4.9 (28 reviews)

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    Conclusion of the hike
    Courtney L.

    A perfect example of a short hike that yields high reward! This is not a flat trail by any means, but it is classified as "easy" compared to other hikes around Joshua Tree National Park. There are areas with some short inclines, uneven sandy pathways and boulders to step over, but nothing super strenuous. I will note that some of the steps are on the taller side, so I could see it being considered closer to "moderate" difficulty for some. Once inside the valley, the views are especially stunning as you look up to the surrounding rock formations that have a "crumbly" appearance. I was captivated by the layers and how much they contrasted with the smoother type of rock from the other formations we saw (e.g. Cap Rock). This one-mile loop is estimated to take an hour to complete, but I stopped for photos along the way so it took me about 1.5 hours to walk through. Some of the trails are not marked super clearly, but with so many people hiking it around midday, we were able to find our way without issues. As for parking, there is a large lot, given that this is one of the most popular trails in the park. Plus, visitors were constantly coming and going, so there were spots available when we arrived and by the time we left.

    Karyn M.

    Hidden Valley is a one mile loop off Park Boulevard after entering the west entrance at Joshua Tree National Park. This area with rocks and enormous boulders was popular with cattle rustlers back in the day to hide their stolen livestock. It's still a very popular spot today. There is a 4 percent to 19 percent grade and climbing steps and over rocks. There are many unique rocks and formations. "It encapsulates what the park is all about," says the park's staff. Hidden Valley is no longer a secret but a nice intro to all that Joshua Tree National Park has to offer.

    Anna L.

    After researching several trails to hike in Joshua Tree National Park, we landed on Hidden Valley Nature Trail and it ended up being the perfect sightseeing adventure for our amateur group. We're Floridians so we don't see many mountains/massive boulders like you find here. It was all very breathtaking for us. This trail is a 1-mile self-guided loop with lots of great places to stop and take photos along the way. Since I was with family, we definitely wanted to capture some memories together. My mother-in-law was with us and this trail was very doable for her and not too strenuous. The rocks were easy to climb and there was a clear cut path to follow. We spent about 1.5 hours on the trail which included frequent stops to take in the scenery. I highly recommend visiting just before golden hour to catch some incredible lighting. It's an easy drive and you can park directly in front of the trailhead which was very convenient. This trail is great for kids, the elderly, or any beginner hiker like myself.

    Lanha T.

    Hidden Valley Loop Trail is an easy to moderate mile hike. The trail itself took about 30 minutes to walk including the time it took to stop and take pictures. The views are amazing. If you go in the summer, hike early in the morning. It was already pretty hot at 9am. We appreciate the Search and Rescue volunteer at the beginning of the trail. He had a clicker to count people going in the trail and offered a spritz of water near the end of our hike. Loved seeing the chipmunks scurry along the path. Hidden Valley has an easy path to follow with arrows guiding you along the way.

    Hidden Valley Trail
    Travis T.

    I mapped out several trails to do in Joshua Tree National Park and this might have been my favorite scenic hike. Hidden Valley Loop Trail is a self-guiding, one-mile loop trail through a rock-enclosed valley. It is popular for both scenic walks and for rock climbing. There are so many massive boulders along and a variety of plants in this area. The trail itself is relatively flat with little elevation gain unless you decide to climb some rocks. Nearby is a picnic area and a campground. Access through Hidden Valley's entry point is a result of a rancher blasting a notch through the rocks walls back in the 30's so he could have access for his cattle.

    Shirley B.

    This is my favorite trail in Joshua Tree National Park! Came here with my best friend, and we are both not very athletic types, but had no trouble hiking the whole course, while enjoying the great view along the way. I think it shows the desert scenery and landscape so well, the joshua tress with dry native plants, beige orange rock formations, and a clear blue sky to top it all off. There were some massive boulders that we could easily climb up and take pictures. I had so much fun, would love to come back again later with my special someone!

    Keith A.

    If you are going to visit Joshua Tree national park then you should plan a stop here. There is a large parking lot, but there are also plenty of people stopping here so you may have to park out on the street if overcrowded. There is an easy 1.1 mile hike through the amazing landscape, boulders, diverse desert terrain. Plenty of pics posted for you to see the amazing views and surrounding area. The trail is just 1 part of hidden valley and there is so much more to explore. Hidden Valley is a great place for easy hiking, nice views, photo opportunities. Definitely worth a stop here on you visit to the park.

    Alisa B.

    Such a nice and easy one-mile hike! It's an easy loop with views of the various rock structures. Perfect for kids, elderly, and those who aren't looking for a strenuous outing. The views are simply beautiful, especially during golden hour. Definitely come during the winter to avoid high temperatures. Not too many Joshua trees on the hike, but tons in the parking lot.

    David G.

    Great trail(s) that meanders in the desert and amongst the cliffs to get views. You can actually backpack here and campout ( guidelines are pretty rigid so check before you go). The views down are stunning. Great varied terrain. Highly recommended

    On the Hidden Valley Loop Trail - Freakin' GORGEOUS!!!
    Shayla B.

    Hiking through the Hidden Valley Trail loop was easily my favorite stop while visiting Joshua Tree National Park! To say that this hike was absolutely stunning would truly be an understatement. Who would have thought that rummaging through the desert could be so therapeutic?! The Hidden Valley Trail is a super short one mile hike through some of Joshua Tree's most gorgeous sights and prominent landmarks. Being from the Bay Area, I'm so used to hiking through Redwoods, hillsides, and along the coast. This was honestly my first real taste of hiking in the desert. One mile really wasn't enough for me, but I enjoyed every minute and second of it. The hike starts off on a flat sandy path that's surrounded by dessert vegetation and moderately stacked rocks formations. It meanders throw large boulders and gorgeous Joshua Trees. The rock formations are absolutely insane! There are several spots where you can essentially do some light rock climbing and exploring. You can walk in between a caverns that are located off trail. What I loved about hiking here is that you can veer off and explore and easily find your way back onto the trail because it's a shorter loop. I mean, the views are seriously priceless. It's crazy how you can see parts of the erosion of earth right before your eyes. And when the sun hits those rocks with that perfectly blue sky in the background. Damn. Just numbing. But, don't underestimate the sun one bit! This hike is short and easy but it gets HAWT!!! Bring lots of water and lather up on the sunscreen. It starts boiling mid to late morning during the summer and early fall, so be prepared. Along the trail you'll find informational placards detailing the different types of vegetation as well as information on the eroded rock formations and how they came to be. At some points during the hike, you'll be able to see the beautiful Coachella Valley in the background. Yes, the desert can be ravishingly and this Hidden Valley Trail proves that and then some. This trail is really close to the park entrance and should definitely be one of the first stops when visiting the park.

    Trail entrance
    Tony H.

    Out of the five short distance hikes I got to do during my first visit to Joshua Tree, Hidden Valley had to be my favorite. Right from the beginning of the trail there are people rock climbing different sections of the trails. We came here near the end of the day so it was nice to see the sun starting to set over the rock formations that make the trail loop a miniature valley. A plus for this spot is there's a bathroom at the start of hike near the parking lot.

    Strawberry Shortcake on nature trail inside Hidden Valley.
    Tom B.

    HIDDEN VALLEY and the loop trail inside of this "valley" should be the first place to visit for neophytes to the desert. The reasons for this are: (1) Hidden Valley and the loop trail are located right next to a large parking lot; (2) It is impossible to get lost if you are wandering around inside of Hidden Valley; (3) It is also nearly impossible (unless you try really hard) to get lost if you are wandering around the outside circumference of Hidden Valley; (4) There is a genuine nature trail inside with signs that provide information about the plants inside; (5) The yucca plants inside and some of the boulder formations inside are photogenic. PHOTOS FROM HIDDEN VALLEY. A distinguished rock formation inside Hidden Valley is Cliff Man Rock (see my 1st photo). Cliff Man is best photographed in the last afternoon when the illumination is perfect, and is best photographed with a 300 mm lens. Strawberry Shortcake is shown posing on the nature trail near one of the pretty yucca plants inside Hidden Valley (see my 2nd photo). If you wander around the entire circumference just outside Hidden Valley, you will encounter three or four photogenic monoliths (see my 3rd photo). The photogenic monolith in my picture is on the west side of this circumference, and very easy to find from the parking lot. WHAT COMES AFTER HIDDEN VALLEY. After a a couple of visits to JTNP, visitors will have acquired the understanding that JTNP is not swarming with venomous snakes, gila monsters (a poisonous lizard), tarantulas, or mountain lions and, as a result, the tourist will have confidence enough to venture out alone, for example, into the back country of LOST HORSE VALLEY or into the back country to the east of LIVE OAK PICNIC AREA and to the east of JUMBO ROCKS. However, no matter how many times you've explored JTNP, one must not put one's hand inside the shaded area under any rocks (animals could be there).

    Terri H.

    The Hidden Valley trail is like being transported straight to Bedrock. The beautiful rock formations feel other-worldly. There's truly something for everyone here. The trail is an easy 1 mile loop that takes you through these rock formations on a nature trail. There are plenty of opportunities for photos, rock climbing, scrambling, you name it. It's not like your traditional hike where you feel like you're stuck to the rigidity of a trail. There's plenty of room to explore here. In fact, it's kind of hard to know if you're still on the "trail" at some points. After the second half of the loop trail, we didn't see a single person, so I think most because just go in and back after they've accomplished whatever they came there for. There were some serious rock climbers there as well as children and people just wanting to take photos. This was our last hike of the day. We were dehydrated, out of water, and my legs had the shakes from doing some of the more strenuous hikes earlier in the day before the heat started kicking in. Otherwise, I would've loved to explore more and climb up some of the larger rock formations. Love love love this trail. Parking was pretty slammed so be prepared for that.

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    I mapped out several trails to do in Joshua Tree National Park and this might have been my favorite scenic hike.

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    Joshua Tree National Park - Joshua tree

    Joshua Tree National Park

    4.7(1.2k reviews)
    1.7 km

    We've been to this National Park before, but it was our first chance to try some of the hikes, and…read morethey were really beautiful. If you just do the drive, you might not really see everything this park has to offer, so it's worth doing the hikes, even if only the easier ones. We did the Hidden Valley hike, which is only around a 1 mile loop. It can get pretty crowded though and the parking gets filled fast, so it's better to go early. We also went on the Barker Dam hike, which is also just a bit over a mile. This one was my favorite of the two and you get to climb some nice rocks on this hike. We did the other typical stuff like see skull rock, but didn't do this hike, and saw keys view, which is also really nice, but if you do go, it's definitely worth to do some hiking since it makes the experience of this park so much better.

    Honestly, the park itself is a 5 star experience. The views are unreal -- the kind of place that…read moremakes you stop and just take it in. I went on a Monday thinking it would be calm, but it was still pretty busy. Parking was tough in a lot of spots, which definitely slowed things down. I did the Arch Rock Trail and checked out Heart Rock on the same route -- both were gorgeous and totally worth it. Then I tried heading to Skull Rock, but parking was basically impossible unless I parked far and walked close to 50 minutes. On top of that, there was a line of like 30 people just to take a picture. I skipped it, but even driving by, it was still impactful. Hidden Valley Trail ended up being another highlight -- super scenic and probably my favorite overall. Weather was "okay" -- around 90°, but going early in the morning made it manageable. Both trails are kid-friendly, probably 4 and up, but there are some slippery areas so you still have to be careful. I went with my wife and 4 yr old kid and did very well. I held his hand for some parts. We did everything in about 3.5 hours -- driving, hiking, finding parking, bathroom stops, and walking farther than expected because spots were full. The park itself is a 5 but the surrounding areas like Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree just don't offer much in terms of food options or social life. After an amazing nature experience, it kind of falls flat when you're looking for something to do or somewhere great to eat. If I could, I would give the surrounding area a 2 out of 5. So yeah -- the park is 5 stars, but the overall experience I would give it a 3.

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    Joshua tree shadows

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    Snow, March 13, 2025

    Joshua Tree National Park - Keys View vista

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    Keys View vista

    Barker Dam Trail

    Barker Dam Trail

    4.5(39 reviews)
    17.9 km

    Hiked Barker Dam Trail in January 2026 and it ended up being one of my favorite spots in Joshua…read moreTree National Park. The dam was filled with water (which apparently isn't always the case), and I had most of the trail completely to myself. Peaceful, scenic, and classic Joshua Tree views the entire way. Easy hike, big payoff, and felt like discovering a hidden gem. Loved it.

    Fun hike in Joshua Tree, the payoff is water in a desert. The dam was first built as a water…read morereservoir in 1900 and still works. When we went the lake toward the center of the hike was much more impressive than the dam itself. Along the path there are little signs that explain some of the sights you see on the way. It's an easy 1.1 mile hike out and back and you see many highlights of the Mojave desert including plant life, boulders, and lush greenery and birds near the water. It starts off flat but soon you'll be climbing through rocks and curving through exciting changes in the landscape. Some unique stops along the way are: -the lake/oasis, beautiful reflections in the water if you come at the right time. -theres a stone spiral at the dam that's not explained on the sign, if anyone knows what it is let me know, you can scramble to the left of the mountain here and make your way all the way to the spiral. -there is ancient cave art and petroglyphs that are much easier to see than some others ive been to, unfortunately someone in the past tried to make them easier to see by tracing paint on some of them.

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    Barker Dam Trail
    Barker Dam Trail - Such beauty and magnificence

    Such beauty and magnificence

    Barker Dam Trail

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    Arch Rock - Arch Rock

    Arch Rock

    4.9(28 reviews)
    17.7 km

    Seemingly short but a pretty far walk from the parking lot. Once you get to the Arch rock trail…read moreit's 1.4 miles and winds through some great rock formations, all of which you can scramble on. Our favorite parts were all the "off-trail" moments where you could get up and close with the desert. In summer it's recommended to do this trail before 10 am, it gets hot even in Spring! It was by far the hottest we were because of the long walk from parking with no shade at all. I believe the elevation is lower here so it felt warmer than the other Joshua Tree hikes. The iconic stops are whale rock, heart rock, and the large arch near the beginning of the trail. I'm not sure what it was but there is also a cliff you can walk to the edge of and there is some great rock formations in a canyon. It is popular also if you come too late there will be no parking, when we left we saw people walking from pretty far to get here since the parking lot was full.

    Well Coming to Joshua Tree National Park and trying to hit up all the beautiful spots in This park…read moreso Arch Rock is one of them and we had to see what this rock was all about !! It's a good hike to the rock and not hard at all !! It's all flat land with a lot of sand and Gravel but you will enjoy it !! We parked and walk about a mile and a half and you will reach this beautiful Rock . We got to the top of the rock and it makes beautiful pictures and under the Arch of the rock it looks cool and we of course took a lot of pictures here !! Just remember to bring a lot of water and some snacks you might need it . Because we did and you can sit on the rock and enjoy the amazing Views here . I highly recommend you check it out it is amazing and we had a lot of fun here .

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    Arch Rock - Arch rock

    Arch rock

    Arch Rock - Heart rock

    Heart rock

    Arch Rock - Arch rock

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    Arch rock

    Oasis of Mara

    Oasis of Mara

    3.5(14 reviews)
    1.7 km

    At the north edge of Joshua Tree National Park, the Oasis of Mara doesn't try to impress you. It…read morejust is. And somehow, that lands deeper. What makes it special isn't just the pocket of life in the middle of all that desert, it's how thoughtfully it's been preserved and shared. The paved loop trail is an open invitation, designed so almost anyone can experience it, which matters. Beauty shouldn't be gatekept by steep inclines and perfect knees. When we visited, most of the loop was closed for repairs. The kind of moment where you think, "well, that's that." But then, plot twist, kindness showed up. A staff member took the time to talk with my husband and, seeing his mobility challenges, gave him permission to walk the full trail. That small act? It meant everything. We didn't just see the oasis, we experienced it. And what an experience it was. A slow, easy walk, the kind your body thanks you for. Quiet learning along the way. A desert iguana making a cameo like it had somewhere important to be. The soft, unmistakable call of a quail echoing through the stillness. No big show, just little moments stacking up into something meaningful. It's peaceful, beautiful, and layered with history you can feel even if you don't read a single sign. The kind of place that doesn't demand your attention but earns it anyway. Go. Walk it slowly. Let it sink in. It's one of those places that leaves a quiet mark and somehow stays with you longer than the louder stops.

    Nothing very pretty. Plants looked burnt and neglected! One area was closed off for repair…read more Random info with history signs but not with cohesive storytelling. So sad that the Maaryam and other tribes were driven off this land. And worse that the water was depleted by 1940 so it had to be pumped in mechanically. Yuck- all around. The brush in the park looked much healthier than this. The only thing nice was that I could walk my dog in.

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    Oasis of Mara
    Oasis of Mara - Quartz

    Quartz

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    Joshua Tree National Park - Joshua tree

    Joshua Tree National Park

    4.8(115 reviews)
    24.1 km

    As an avid National Park experiencer - there is a lot to experience here…read more I always love a good tree and the Joshua tree looks so cool. Especially with the sun behind it. The rock formations feel like great secrets. The staff here are extra helpful. Tell em what you want and they can point you in the right direction. Get your national Park passport and get to more parks and take me with you. Try to eat more pizza if you want to be like me.

    We arrived at Joshua Tree National Park on a Friday around 12 PM. There was a line of about 20 cars…read moreat the entrance, but it moved quickly. We waited less than five minutes. They offer discounts for military members, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. You can also purchase an annual pass. If you're driving in, it's $30 per vehicle and the pass is valid for seven days. First stop, Hidden Valley Nature Trail: about a 10-minute drive from the entrance, and one of the most popular spots in the park. The loop is about one mile and takes you through incredible rock formations. There's a bit of climbing involved so definitely wear proper shoes. It took us around 30 minutes, but some people took closer to an hour, likely stopping for photos and to soak it all in. You'll also see rock climbers, which is fun to watch. * Cap Rock: an easy stop right off the road. You can drive by or pull over briefly to see this unique rock formation that looks like a hat perched on top of a boulder. * Skull Rock: another must-see right along the main road with no hiking required. It's exactly what it sounds like and a popular photo spot. * Keys View: a stunning panoramic viewpoint. From here you can see the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, the Salton Sea, and on a clear day, even parts of Mexico. It's especially beautiful around sunset. You can either exit the park the way you came or continue through to one of the other exits depending on your next stop.

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    Joshua Tree National Park - The views

    The views

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    Hidden Valley Loop Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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