Joshua Tree National Park - Hidden Valley Nature Trail

Our February 2015 trip to southern California continued with a short hike around the Hidden Valley Nature Trail loop. The parking area is located on the south side of Park Boulevard about 8.8 miles from the West Entrance Station. The park service states the trail is a one mile loop, but we walked 1.35 miles including the walk from the car to the trailhead and back to the car. While we expected crowds due to free admission on President's Day weekend, the parking area seems to be sized so that parking is unavailable about the same time the trail seems to be full of people. If you are looking for solitude, this is not the hike for you. Rock climbers also enjoy the valley and arrive early and stay late to get in as much climbing as possible. The trail has an elevation rise of about 45 feet from the parking lot to the gap leading into the valley. Walking the loop in a clockwise direction as suggested by the trail signs descends the 45 feet to the far end of the valley. The return side of the loop climbs about 100 feet, including some stone steps, before dropping back down to the entrance gap. Due to the elevation being over 4,000 feet and the lack of shade, the park service rates this trail as moderate in difficulty.

Trail map

Beginning of trail

Climbing up to the gap

Looking at the return side of the loop trail

The trail wanders among Joshua trees and cactus

Rock climber atop the rock formation

Another rock climber in the shade

Stone cats?

Looking back up the valley, the rock climber is barely visible atop the rocks

Even with the crowds of people, the valley looks empty

A young climber

A short side trail leads to more stacked stones

Prickly pear cactus beside the trail

Another few yards along the side trail leads to this beautiful view of Flatbush
with Quail Mountain in the distant background

Life is tenacious

View along the trail

The trail is hard packed sand

Jumbled boulders

Rock climbers paradise

Rock climbers call this monolith the Great Burrito

The path climbs through the boulder field

Plants thrive where water collects in the cracks of the rocks

Natural sculptures

The rocks seem to grow out of the ground

Cholla cactus beside the trail

Looking through the entrance gap at Ryan Mountain

A Joshua tree forest stretches beyond the parking area to the horizon

An entrance fee of $15 admits all the passengers of a single vehicle for seven days. Other options include an annual Joshua Tree National Park Pass for $30, an Interagency Annual Pass for $80 and a lifetime Interagency Senior Pass for those age 62 and older for $10.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm.