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Trip

Day Hike - Joshua Tree National Park

A week hiking in Joshua Tree National Park--Hike #5: (Three hikes, one long and two short) Wall St. Mill/Barker Area Loop--7.3 miles, 800' gain and HIdden Valley Natural Trail--1 mile, 100' gain and Inspiration Peak--1.8 miles, 700' gain. Total of 10.1 miles and 1,600' gain. The first two hikes explore the south portion of "The Wonderland of Rocks" which include outrageous rock formations, a pond, historic sights and possible Bighorn Sheep sightings. Inspiration Peak, located 7.5 south, is a great viewpoint out to the Coachella Valley. See the extended Leader's Notes. This is a "Special Leader's Permission Only" hike and extended trip.

  • Moderate
  • Moderate
  • Mileage: 10.1 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 1,600 ft
  • Pace: 2.0-2.5 mph, less for Peak hike

This trip is part of  six days of hikes in Joshua Tree National Park--March 9-14, 2025.  Wall St. Mill/Barker Dam Area Loop, Hidden Valley Natural Trail and Inspiration Peak are Trip #5.  Participants are welcome to do one, two or all three hikes as they wish.  These hikes are new to the leader and there may be some details that will need to be worked out in the field.  Note: the Wall St. Mill/Barker Dam Are Loop has a section that is off-trail that looks to be easy, but you never know.  If this section becomes too difficult, or too difficult for some participants we can adjust the trip and do a few in and out sections instead.  We will need to see what we encounter.

Here is the Gaia route for Wall St. Mill/Barker Dam:  https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.4/-116.1634/34.0234&pubLink=MWycM2LAvnNeqCyK8swUSBmA&trackId=32808dc0-49a6-4970-86cd-1a44d3e6cc61

Here is the Gaia route for Hidden Valley Nature Trail:  https://www.gaiagps.com/public/sp1QLOCDX7yuVf1Kp6Dmhf33/

Here is the Gaia route for Inspiration Peak:   https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.8/-116.1957/33.9415&pubLink=hMG7ZTfahfkLMREhTtJLRRqL&trackId=ea3e5fd8-7e7e-4687-aa45-08303e15cdb3

This extended trip to Joshua Tree NP is juxtaposed with the prior "Week of hiking in Palm Springs and Coachella Valley" extended trip.  I will be car camping five nights in Joshua Tree NP at Jumbo Rocks Campground (Sunday night to Friday morning March 9-14).  Others are welcome to join me with prior approval--as room allows.

This is a "Special Leader's Permission" hike and trip.  In requesting permission:

1)  Please telling me about your hiking experience

2) Where you are thinking of staying--your own accommodations and car or at the Mecca/Salton Sea camp-out (see option below) before the hike and/or the Jumbo Rocks Campground in JTNP (see also below)?

3)  Are you hoping to ride in my car to the TH, to/from the airport (see more info. below)?

3) How many of the six JTNP area hikes do you plan to do?  

4) If I haven't hiked with you before please provide a recommendation from a Mountaineers leader I know and respect.

Please request permission as soon as you are ready, have research the cost (airflight, car rental, hotel, meals, etc.) and are confident that you can and will do this trip if selected.  Please don't ask my permission in case you "may" want to go.  I will review all the applications and get back to folks no later than Jan. 12th. Note it will take me a couple of days to get all six day hikes posted.   I will pick the group that seems the most compatible.

Participants are responsible for getting to the Joshua Tree NP area and to the TH each day and all other necessary accommodations. Some folks on past similar trips have gone together on hotel/AirB&B  and a rental car.  Some prefer only solo accommodations and transportation.  There are two towns north of JTNP that may have accommodations--Joshua Tree and Twenty-nine Palms.  

I will be staying at car campground on the Salton Sea before this hike--Mecca Campground in the Salton Sea State Recreation Area.  Others are welcome to stay with me--Saturday night 3/8--one night if there is room.  You can also get you own site-adjacent or not.  Note:  The Salton Sea is known to have a negative smell in the summer months and sometimes other times of the year.  There could be a unpleasant smell at the camp area.  Please let me know if you want this option.

I have reserved two adjacent National Park Campground sites at Jumbo Rocks.  These sites, as with most in the park have picnic table, vault toilets, firepits, but no water.  There may be water at the park ranger station or we will need to bring it all in from town.  From NP website:  Water bottle fill stations are located at the Black Rock Nature Center, the West Entrance Station, and the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Water jugs can be filled at the West Entrance Station, Indian Cove Ranger Station, Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds, and at Park Headquarters (in the Northeast section of the parking lot).  These are all a 12+ miles drive away from our camp.  I anticipate room for at least 6 tents.  I will be bringing a two-burner camp stove and pots/pans and other camping stuff I can share.  Let me know if you have interest in staying here with me and how many nights.  Friday, March 14th, is our last hike, we will check out of campground that morning and proceed to the last hike in the northwest part of the park  (Black Rock).  I can drive those that choose to ride with me/share car to the Palm Springs area after this hike.  You would need to stay in a hotel overnight and likely fly out of Palm Springs airport the next day.  At the beginning of the trip, March 8th, I could pick up folks in the early morning (at Palm Springs Airport) before the March 8th --Palm Springs and Coachella Valley hike to Ladder Canyon/Painted Canyon. You would need to spend that night at the Salton Sea Campground the night prior to the six hikes in JTNP.  There would be a $10 per day charge to use my car (I will be the only driver), plus your share of the gas.  I can drive you to the THs and resupply trips to town.  There are limited spots in my car for this option.  If you desire to stay at Jumbo Rocks and are bringing your own car, there may be an additional charge or maybe not room for more than the one spot allocated for each camp spot.  This would need to be investigated.  Most information and clarification will follow.  I will be posting the remain JTNP hikes within the next couple of days.  Thanks.  Rob

Meet at Wall Street Mill TH for first hike (Wall St. Mill/Barker Dam Area Loop) about 9 AM.  The Hidden Valley Nature Loop (the second hike) TH is  about 2 miles to the west of Wall St. Mill TH.  Both of these trailheads are in the middle north part of the park off of Park Road and near HIdden Valley Campground.  The Inspiration Peak TH is at Keys View a very popular spot about 7.5 miles further south at the end of Keys View Road.  More details directions will be forthcoming.

Route/Place

Palm Springs and Coachella Valley


Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

The Ten Essentials

  • Navigation
  • Headlamp
  • Sun protection
  • First aid
  • Knife
  • Fire
  • Shelter
  • Extra food
  • Extra water
  • Extra clothes
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