Our February 2015 visit to Joshua Tree National Park continued with a two mile loop hike at the Split Rock picnic area. From the West Entrance Station, drive 18.6 miles on Park Boulevard to the signed intersection for Split Rock on the left. From the North Entrance Station, drive 6.7 miles on Park Boulevard to the signed intersection on the right. Then drive ½ mile on the maintained gravel road to the picnic area. To hike the trail in a counter-clockwise direction, begin in front of the large boulder at the end of the road. Since much of the trail is in the wilderness area of the park, trail signage is very minimal. However, in places where the trail is not marked it is fairly obvious where to go. Although the trail elevation profile looks very steep, the elevation range is only 160 feet with only one ascent of more than 40 feet. Plan to spend one to two hours on the trail depending on how often you stop to look at the unique rocks and plants. We chose not to take the short side trail to Face Rock. There is very little to no shade on the trail, so use lots of sunscreen and carry and drink plenty of water even on cooler days.
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| Trail map |
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| Trail elevation profile with 160 foot elevation change |
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| GPS track overlayed on a USGS aerial photograph |
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| Split Rock is at the beginning of the trail |
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| The right hand side of Split Rock |
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| Looking down on the trail from beside Split Rock |
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| Walking on the trail along the side of the large boulder that is Split Rock |
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| Shaded area under Split Rock |
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| More boulders along the trail |
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| Small rocks mark the trail across large rocks |
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| Natural rock sculpture |
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| View from the trail |
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| Following the trail across the valley |
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| Elephant Rock |
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| Tweezers Rock |
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| Old faults were filled with newer rock |
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| When will it roll? |
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| Jumble of rocks off the trail |
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| One of the short climbs out of the valley |
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| Looking northwest to the Pinto Mountains and Twentynine Palms Mountain |
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| Another view of the trail |
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| Plants along the trail |
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| Like a calving glacier, rocks have fallen off the wall |
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| Trail signage |
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| Yucca and creosote plants along another incline on the trail |
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| Stone steps on the trail |
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| Another view of the surrounding terrain |
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| Washing machine sized marbles |
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| Trail gradually descends back into the valley |
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| Another view of the distant hills |
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| California Barrel Cactus |
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| Lots of loose rock on this inclined section of the trail |
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| Another rock formation along the trail |
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| Cholla cactus |
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| Tulip Rock |
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| Another rock climbing location |
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| A rock face, but not THE Face Rock |
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| Another view of the trail |
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| Compare the size of this rock to the trail width |
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| One of the few shady locations along the trail |
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| A pair of rock climbers in action |
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| The trail heads back down to the parking area |
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.
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