Joshua Tree National Park
One of my favorite national parks to visit is Joshua Tree. Mostly because it is only two hours away from where I live and it is designated as an International Dark Sky Park which makes for unforgettable stargazing and a perfect environment for astrophotography.
Hidden Valley is a popular destination in the park with a day use picnic area on one side of Park Boulevard and a first-come, first-serve campground on the other side. The black and white photo below was taken at Hidden Valley. Here you will find an easy 1-mile loop trail.
One of my favorite places to hike in the park is Barker Dam which is not far from Hidden Valley. The trail is a 1.1-mile loop. There are plenty of rocks to climb during this hike which is one of the reasons why my kids love to come here. Towards the end of this trail, you can find the Ancient Cahuilla petroglyphs. Unfortunately, in 1961, a Walt Disney crew, while filming “Chico, the Misunderstood Coyote,” painted over some of them so they would appear brighter. They are sometimes referred to as the “Disney petroglyphs.”
Lost Horse Mine Trail is a moderate 6.5-mile loop trail with a historic gold mine about two miles in from the trailhead. The area around the mine shaft is unstable and has been fenced for safety reasons. The mine produced over 10,000 ounces of gold while in operation from 1894 to 1931. I chose to hike to the mine and turn back towards the trailhead and parking lot for a four mile hike. If I were to hike it again, I might continue on the trail loop to complete the 6.5-mile hike.
Cap Rock is one of my favorite locations in the park for stargazing and Astrophotography. It is a popular location for rock climbing as well.
