Cool rock formation. Fun to look at. I love looking at things. Especially if they are worth looking at. Joshua would be proud. I have been here twice now. Kind of tricky to hike around this area. read more

Skull Rock - Fluting Around - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

Another site to see at Joshua tree. Good for kids. You can see skull rock formation from the side of the road. It's a short walk up from the side of the road. It wasn't crowded when I arrived. The area itself is amazing to explored. Plenty of boulders and rocks to climb over and under. Lots of valleys and places to explore. I'm actually surprised that more people didn't explore the area and they just came to visit the face. read more

See all

+ Marvelous rock formation. Erosion formed the eye and nose sockets of this eponymous skull. . You have the option of hiking the Skull Rock Trail, or you can park at the lot very close to the skull and admire it right there. . Despite the moderate crowd, I was able to have a bit of time to myself to admire the Skull Rock. Fascinating creation by mother nature. read more

See all

This is a must visit site whenever in Joshua Tree National Park. This was definitely a more packed area of the park because these rock formations are just incredible to see. Amazing experience exploring this area with my brother. read more

See all

Well Coming to Joshua Tree National Park and this is one of the more popular Hikes here and a great place to take pictures !! Lots of Visitors and Travelers here . It's fun climbing rocks here and access the street is a hiking trail for all and its great views of the more popular rocks there also .You park along the side street and climb a couple rocks to get a great picture of Skull Rock . We got here and enjoyed the views and the view from the top of the Rocks . . I suggest you give Skull Rock a try and enjoy the amazing views and Rock Climbing !! Overall I enjoyed it and can see myself coming back again !! read more

See all

Skull Rock is a roadside attraction at Joshua Tree National Park. Over many many years raindrops began to erode the granite, eventually hollowing out the eye socks and resembling a skull. You'll see tons of cars parked along the side of the road and depending on the time of the day you'll see a line to take pictures. It's a short walk to the skull but you'll have to wait to take pictures. Of course, as its name suggests it definitely looks like a skull. Otherwise it's just a quick stop to snap some pictures. If you're looking for a hike there's a short one from the skull to and from the Jumbo Rocks Campground. read more

See all

This is another l must-see right along the main road with no hiking required. It's exactly what it sounds like and a popular photo spot. read more

Skull Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

Skull Rock is aptly named - This massive abstract skull monolith rises sharply out of the surrounding mounds of granite. It's not easily missed - even from the road - partly due to its size and distinct ominous shape but also due to the crowds of families and parked cars. It's easily accessible right off the road via wide, sandy trails. There are several other trails spreading out from the main attraction as well and I found a few other interesting, albeit smaller, rock formations that made it a fun little jaunt. And very nearby you'll find the Jumbo Rocks trail that's 1.7 miles long if you want to hike even further. This giant skull formed over thousands of years as a result of water erosion. I spent about 15-20 minutes here exploring. I would've stayed longer but the unruly crowds were a deterrent for me lol. A short but fun little walk and definitely worth adding to your Joshua Tree itinerary. Entry to the national park has a fee but there's lots to see and do. They have plenty of visitors centers, bathrooms, and picnic spots. Cell and WiFi signal is very lacking in the park - plan ahead and download and offline maps you may need. read more

See all

A short hike around 1.5miles cool rock to see expect a lot of people during these moments because of Halloween. There is a line to take a picture with the rock. You can park by the sign and don't walk much to get it it. Also Split Rock is another mile from it. No bathroom around there or water. Enjoy the trails and please leave no trace read more

See all

You can access the skull rock from multiple sides. You can access from North Joshua tree national park entrance for a trail experience or if you just want a pic you can ho the south entrance. Plenty of parking and the rock it self is visible right from parking spot. We went on Saturday noon, parking was a little challenging and we needed to wait few minutes for pic. read more

See all

Do you really need to stop at Skull Rock when you are at Joshua Tree National Park? Cars stop along the east-west road to take photos of this rock formation. We had to park about 400 yards away because so many vehicles had stopped but we took a picture from about 100 yards away and went back to the car. Sure, it's interesting, but unless you want to wait in line until everyone stops crawling all over it, this was good enough for us. If your kiddos need a break, take them on the short loop hike. read more

Skull Rock - Skull Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

See all

This formation looks slightly less like a skull than I anticipated, but it was still a good photo opportunity. Where else can you sit inside an eye socket or pick a big, stone nose? It's also right off the road, so there is no hiking involved. Though, you will have to stand in a line for some time with the rock. read more

This is one of the formations in Joshua Tree National Park . While driving on Park Boulevard it's beautiful winding road thru large boulders with people climbing to the top. Lots of Joshua trees. And then you come up on Skull Rock. You're excited to get out of the car to get a closer look. You have to do a little climbing to get up there but it was easy. In that area there are a lot of large boulders but you have to walk and climb and I had on flip-flops so I didn't get to see it. This is definitely a Park I would love to see again. read more

See all

I feel like this is such a popular stopping point while exploring Joshua Tree National Park, but we were very underwhelmed here. Definitely a cool rock to see, but you can see it from the road without having to stop and get out of your car. Not too much to explore here. It's definitely worth it to drive by and look, though. Just nothing special to get out and explore. read more

Skull Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

Never a Skull Moment Granite Rock cluster (and not sandstone as others have stated) that just happens to resemble everyone's favorite He-Man® character. Located right off the side of the road, this is an easy find and def worth a stop to grab a few photos, parkour around the rocks or enjoy the 1.7-mile nature trail that surrounds it. As with everything here in Joshua Tree, there's always a bit of a schlep involved to get each thing. Skull Rock is 35min from Joshua Tree Visitor Center; 45min from Cottonwood Visitor Center; and 16min from Oasis Visitor Center. read more

See all

Skull rock is a must see in Joshua Tree National park but beware of the crowds and be patient for the right shot. 1 star off for the crowds, it is the busiest part of the park imo. read more

Skull Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

See all

It's kinda just a rock, from some angles it looks more like a skull than from others, but lovely area all the same. The rocks around it are nice for taking pictures tho read more

Cool rock formation located right off the main road in Joshua Tree National Park that is next to Jumbo Rocks Campground. There is a sign on the road that lets you know you are approaching Skull Rock. Rain drops accumulated in tiny depressions over time and started to erode the granite to form the eye sockets. The rock resembles a skull and is a popular spot for tourists. Parking is on the side of the road. There is a nature trail nearby if you want to hang around for a bit and do a little walking. The rocks around Jumbo Rock Campground are fun to climb and explore as well. read more

Skull Rock - Skull Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

pictures don't do this guy justice! it's so awesome to see in person. the trail was very short, and there was a little bunny hanging out in the shade, not scared of anything. right on the way, i highly recommend! "oh skull rock? skull rock was uh.. was uh... strangely spiritual.." - my dad read more

Skull Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

See all

Nice short pit stop. Super popular in Joshua tree. There was a short line in the daytime for photos in the skull but at night it was pretty empty. No restrooms available here and lots of parking! read more

See all

Skull Rock is a fun spot to look for while visiting Joshua Tree Park. It's very easy to find between signs on the road and the map you get from the Visitor Center. I wouldn't call it a hike. You follow the signs and park on the verge of the road, then walk a bit to it! Anyone can do it! The actual rock formation is very cool, it so looks like a skeleton head! It's different, haven't seen anything like it before and it made my husband's day! Fun break in the action of visiting the park, looking for all the "destinations" within and hiking! Great spot to take photos at, enjoy the view and rest! read more

See all

One of our favorite stops... This is a very popular spot for pictures and it can be seen right off of the main road when going through the park. Parking is along the roadside (limited) and walk some 20-ft to the Skull Rock. It was a nice and fun quick stop for us since we were short on time and just want a great experience. The impressive rock formation is shaped like a skull with lots of cool and interesting boulders around! There is a trail that loops around which, unfortunately, didn't do. Yep, while crowds visit Skull Rock, much fewer visitors venture on the nature trail. There was a crowd in front of the skull but we shooed them away so we can get a nice shot in front of the rock... Just Kidding! The rock is for all to enjoy! Actually, we asked a nice guy to take our photo just when most of the crowd had left and we were the only 3 people left at the scene. Quick! snap that photo before the next wave of visitors come... Cool Instagram spot on the roadside. Can't miss! Review #1536 read more

See all

I mean... it's a rock that looks like a skull. Nothing too extraordinary about it aside from the fact that it's different from the other rocks. It's really easy to get to and it's also viewable right from the road. If you're into rock climbing, you might get a kick out of stopping here and climbing up and down the rocks. I spotted some professional rock climbers on the higher rock elevations. Getting here doesn't require any hiking at all. If you're not looking to hike and are more interested in sight seeing, then this stop would be worth while. There are a few walking/hiking trails across the street from Skull Rock that seem to be pretty remote. You can definitely get some nice picture of the rock, but you'll have to wait your turn since this seems to be a popular stop. I wouldn't put Skull Rock at the top of the list, but if you have some extra time while you're in the park or if you're only interested in sight seeing and not hiking or walking, then it's worth a quick stop along the way. read more

See all

The Skull Rock is a cool pit stop along Joshua Tree! I've seen people climb into the eyes of the skull. Popular photo op with a short line and of course other visitors are happy to help you take photos. read more

This is a fun stop at Joshua Tree. The rock formation is pretty solid and it definitely resembles a skull. Its kinda in the middle o the park so its a bit of a drive. I saw some kids rock climbing so they seem to enjoy it. There is plenty of parking on the side, but it does get crowded. read more

See all

The coolest feature is seeing all the other rock formations, skull rock looks like a giant skull from certain angles and is cool to see. You park on the road and it's a short couple minute walk to it, it's labeled and very easy to find. I enjoyed seeing all the other rock formations and climbing them, very interesting Landscape. It gets hot, bring water! read more

Skull Rock - Cool rock formations - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

See all

The only real intriguing thing about this "skull" is that it's right off the road. Not really much of a skull, kinda looks like the skull of Sloth from the movie Goonies. Other than that rock, there are several boulder climbing opportunities around here, and if you walk across the street there are more great places to climb on. Tip - if you park just past the rock you might have better luck finding parking along the side of the road. read more

See all

I mean it's a cool little thing to see. It's hard to say it's worth it if it's super busy because the whole park is beautiful anyway.

Probably one of the most underwhelming things to see in the park. It's just a pull of to the side of the road and it's really how you take the picture for it to appear like a skull. Cool but not cooler than anything else in the park. read more

Getting to Skull Rock doesn't require any hiking, but there is a large expanse of rocks behind it that you can traverse/climb through. I would've liked to spend more time in this area and the area across the street just climbing the rocks. But not enough time that day, and it didn't seem safe to climb the rock area by myself. It's right next to the road read more

Skull Rock - Skull rock from farther - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

See all

My kids loved Skull Rock! This rock formation is located very close to the road so it's an easy must see while visiting Joshua Tree. There area around Skull Rock is great for the kids to explore and climb all the rocks. Trails from this area also lead to Jumbo Rocks and the day use area. If you cross the road there is a very easy nature trail you can hike to learn more about the area. There are placards along the trail so you can learn more about the area and how it came to be. Bring lots of water. Definitely stop by Skull Rock and then have a picnic at the day use area located about 1/2 mile east of here. read more

See all

You can see Skull Rock without doing the hike since it can be seen from the road (Park Blvd) and you can park on the side of the road and walk less than 50 ft to reach it. I used the All Trails app and did the loop hike which is 1.7 miles if you stay on the trail but it is hard to resist going off trail to explore the boulders and check out the views from the tops of the boulders you are comfortable climbing. Our hike ended up being about 2.1 miles RT. We then drove to the start of the Split Rock trail but that is so close that you could go do that loop without even driving since it is right next to Skull Rock. read more

See all

This place was super cute. Online says it's about a 1.7 mile trail, but the rock is right off the side of the road. The only way I see it being that long of a trail is if there's a lot of people visiting and the cars line to road pretty far for parking. This specific land mark did not have a parking lot like some of the other locations did. We stopped to see the rock and kept on exploring further into all the rock masses that surround that area. We had a lot of fun here. read more

See all

It's a weathered rock that looks like a skull. Ooh. What did you expect? Interesting roadside oddity within 50 yards of the pavement. Stop, peek and move along. read more

Skull Rock - Skully - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

See all

I really liked this place for a couple reasons. Obviously Skull Rock is pretty cool, but there's a ton of area around it to hike. All of these huge rocks to climb over and around and explore makes my inner child just so happy. read more

We came here on a weekday morning and there was no one else there. Took our pictures, but we got bitten by mosquitoes. I had 4 bites on my back when we left. Also, I had let my guard down when we were walking back to the car, and there was a rattlesnake right by the road! It rattled and then slithered away thankfully, but this is a high traffic area that I wouldn't expect a snake to be hanging out in. Anyways, I escaped with a few mosquito bites and some nice pictures. read more

Skull Rock Distance: 1.7 miles Difficulty: Easy One of the well-known features of Joshua Tree is its bizarre rock formations, and Skull Rock is a great place to get a look at them without too much work. The trail's namesake is a giant skull-shaped rock not too far from the beginning of the path. read more

So pretty. We went in December and it was gorgeous. Busy but not so much that you couldn't park and enjoy. Wear good shoes though as parts are slippery. Highly recommended. read more

after hiking the hidden valley loop trail, this is our second stop at joshua tree to check out a rock formation of a skull. there's a sign posted off the road to this location since cell service is spotty or none. it's a good idea to download a map prior to arriving into the park and dress warm if you're visiting during winter months. after parking off the side of the road, it's a short distance walk to the rock formation. i first didn't see the skull shape but after a different perspective second look, it did the trick. pretty neat experience. come prepared with hiking shoes and gloves for some light climbing if desired. sunset is upon us so the skull rock was a quick stop as we rush to get to our final destination, the arch rock. fyi, that was my favorite. read more

See all