Fees are applicable to enter the park and for the campground. It’s a common detour for visitors traveling on the California Riding and Hiking Trail. There’s a large carpark but no toilets or any other facilities. It’s 33 miles (53km) from the southern entrance to the park, or 23 miles (37km) from the western entrance. Pitches are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.Īrch Rock is about a 15-minute drive from the Joshua Tree National Park North Entrance. The trailhead for the Arch Rock trail is located on Pinto Road, which is the main road running through Joshua Tree National Park.

This is one of the best places in the park to observe the Milky Way. The trailhead for this is in the Twin Tanks. After sunset, billions of stars turn the sky into a magical light show. The Arch Rock Nature Trail is an easy route through the boulder fields found in the White Tank area. The trail is narrow and usually congested, so.

Spot different species of cacti in addition to cottontail rabbits.īring a tent and camp overnight at White Tank Campground, located at the start of the trail and in the park’s darkest section. The Arch Rock Nature Trail is an easy route through the boulder fields found in the White Tank area. You could spend hours here climbing through crevices and jumping between rounded boulders. Once you reach the arch, have fun exploring the rocky landscape and. Climb to the summit to have your photo taken and then linger a while to enjoy the far-reaching views.Ī short walk away is a heart-shaped rock and at certain times of the day the sun’s rays create a massive heart-shaped shadow. The trail leading up to the Arch Rock is scenic and fairly easy even for novice hikers. If you stand beneath the arch you’ll get a true sense of its enormity. Rub your hand on the side to feel its smooth and coarse surfaces. The 30-feet (9-meter) wide arch evokes the image of a prehistoric animal. Learn about the formation of overlying rocks and dikes, which are sheets of rock that appear in the fracture of an already existing rock. Information panels along the route provide interesting facts about this area of the national park’s ecosystem and otherworldly landscape. The trail cuts through arid countryside framed by granite boulders of varying shapes and sizes.

The short and easy 0.5-mile (0.8-kilometer) long Arch Rock Nature Trail leads to the main attraction. Arch Rock is a popular attraction at Joshua Tree NP, so you might choose to visit early in the day to avoid crowds. Arch Rock is a great place to appreciate the natural beauty of California, to sit surrounded by an eery silence and enjoy superb stargazing opportunities. It stands amid an area of striking mineral boulders, which have been created gradually over time by wind and water erosion. Snap photos of a huge and curious rock formation and camp beneath a sky illuminated by the Milky Way.Īrch Rock is a dramatic geological landmark located in the Joshua Tree National Park.

Arch rock trail joshua tree