Exploring Joshua Tree: Mojave Guides' Suggested Best Post-Climbing Hikes.
So you’ve finished an epic day of rock climbing with Mojave Guides and now you want to do something a little more chill. Joshua Tree National Park is full of world class hiking of all difficulties and levels of commitment. We’d love to take you out and show you some of the best places to hike in Joshua Tree, but here are a few of the more accessible options you can explore on your own. Of course, we could accompany you on these too if you’d like. Visit our Hiking page for details. If you are reading this pre-trip, consider booking our Choose Your Own Adventure program so we can climb all morning and finish the day with some of the best Joshua Tree hiking trails.
Cholla Cactus Garden
Post-climbing Serenity - Mojave Guides' Recommended Joshua Tree Hikes
People are always asking our guides for hike recommendations when we finish up a day of climbing. Here are a few low energy consumption, high reward easy hiking trails that you should be able to sneak in after a full or half day of rock climbing.
Reflection on a full Barker Dam
Barker Dam Trail
Difficulty: Pretty Easy
Highlights: A gentle 1.4 mile stroll around Barker Dam unveils serene landscapes and historical sites. Relatively flat and just perfect for winding down after a morning of climbing. This one will take most people about an hour.
After the short two-way entrance trail, continue straight (right) to begin the loop portion. You’ll see some exceptional desert foliage and great trail work (thank you JTNP!) as you enter the rock canyon. Keep an eye out for wildlife as you approach the historic Barker Dam. Big Horn Sheep are known to drink from the dam when it holds water, especially in the summer months. Please do not disturb them! Keeping a safe distance will ensure a safe encounter for you both. Take a minute to contemplate the construction of the dam in 1900. Continue to follow the trail as it bends to the left around the dam and down into an open valley. If you look to your left you may see climbers lined up on the mega classic Gunsmoke. Remember this is your rest day and continue along the path to the “Disney Boulder”. This is a huge piece of rock with a big concave face that’s full of petroglyphs, some legit and others that were painted by a movie crew. Turning left before this boulder keeps you on the loop and leads back to the trail you started on. Don’t be afraid to poke around a little, this area was popular with native tribes and they have left their mark. Please be considerate and don’t touch anything you find including rock art, tools, or matatas.
Ocotillo Patch with Wildflowers
Cholla Cactus Garden and Ocotillo Patch
Difficulty: Easy
Highlights: Prepare to be mesmerized as you step into the otherworldly landscape of the Cholla Cactus Garden, especially if you go during the golden hour before sunset. I swear they glow. When the Ocotillo Patch is in bloom it is both beautiful and surreal, which mean its fits in with the rest of the park just right.
These aren’t really even hikes. The Cholla Cactus Garden trail is a short boardwalk thats super fun and recommended, but basically these are just strange spots where the respective plants have proliferated. You’ll enjoy a nice drive (passing Skull Rock along the way) and then have a pleasant experience of leg stretching and just taking in one of the parks most unique environments. Watch out for the Cholla balls that have fallen off and landed on the boardwalk! I got a good one in my big toe once, closed toed shoes recommended. The Ocotillo Patch is just a little further down the road. Maybe start there and work your way back north to time things right? Enjoy the wide open vistas as you hang out in the Colorado Desert for awhile.
San Jacinto, San Gorgonio, and the San Andreas Fault as seen from Key’s View
Keys View Overlook
Difficulty: As easy as it gets.
Highlights: Incredible vista including the Salton Sea, the San Andreas Fault, all of the greater Palm Springs area, and the two largest mountains in Southern California.
So you’re all tuckered out and don’t even want to “hike” the .2 miles and 13’ of elevation gain at the Cholla Cactus Garden huh? This should do it. Enjoy a scenic drive of 5.4 miles and gain thousands of feet in elevation. You’ll drive through a great Joshua Tree forest, then notice the trees change to mostly Juniper, some pines, oaks and jojoba. At the end of the road, park and walk up the set of stairs (I believe in you) to get one of the best views in Joshua Tree National Park. Use the informational boards to figure out what’s what and take some pics. Now go home and go to bed, another big day of climbing tomorrow!
Wildflowers in Joshua Tree National Park
Final Thoughts…
Joshua Tree National Park is amazing. Lets keep it that way! Please practice Leave No Trace ethics as well as considering these park specific best practices:
PLEASE do not park off of the single lane width pullouts on the sides of the roads.
Pets are not allowed on any trails in JTNP. The most appropriate place to take them for a walk is the campground or any of the dirt roads.
Take care of yourself out there, it’s the desert! Drink plenty of water, use sunblock, and limit your time in the sun during the hotter months.
If you are looking for a longer hiking trail in Joshua Tree, our guided hiking tours provide the opportunity to explore more unique hidden gems!
If I only had time for one of these options, and I’d already had my exercise for the day, I’d drive down to check out the Cholla Cactus Garden and Ocotillo Patch. If you go in one of the spring months there is a good chance you will see some wildflowers blooming too!
Happy exploring!
