Each time I go for a hike in or near Joshua Tree the trails have been surprisingly vastly different. What all the trails do have in common are its cleansing properties: I’ve never finished a hike without feeling renewed, refreshed, and ever more in love with this beautiful place! In this post I feature a few of my favorite hiking trails in the area. I hope you’ll get to enjoy them too!
THE BOYSCOUT TRAIL
The Boy Scout Trail has no mountains to scale, no epic viewpoints, no boulders to scramble over, rather it’s a relaxing dirt stroll through a forest of Joshua Trees and views of beautiful rock formations on the horizon. At one point I came across an area of flat, smooth rocks surrounded by desert grass and sat down for a rest. If I could have made my home on that rock I would have. I’m so at peace here!
THE LOST HORSE MINE SITE
The Lost Horse Mine hike was 4 miles and one of my favorites! And if you’re wondering, yes! It does lead you to an actual lost mining site.
BIG MORONGO CANYON PRESERVE
While it doesn’t have Joshua Trees and rock formations, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve does have so much greenery, marsh land, and outrageous palm trees! It turned out to be a nice change from our usual desert landscape and reminded me a bit of home.
WEST SIDE LOOP TRAIL
Here are some shots from a recent 5-mile hike on the West Side Loop trail in Black Rock Canyon, also apart of Joshua Tree National Park but located a few miles outside of the park. This easily was one of my favorite hikes so far due to the views and the hilly terrain (I got a great workout ascending and descending while many trails in JT can be very flat).
WALL STREET MILL TRAIL
We had no idea what jewels we would discover when my friend and I headed out for a hike on the Wall Street Mill Trail in Joshua Tree National Park. The sign at the beginning of the trail mentioned we’d see a mill, which was obvious, but when we came across a cool headstone and then one deserted old car after the next, we became in complete awe of what history and fun was before us.
