Day 4 - Joshua Tree National Park

On day four of our desert getaway, we were up early and heading to Joshua Tree National Park. We took lots of snacks and water in preparation for a very full day of seeing sights and hiking around the park. It was a rather cloudy day as we headed out, so we were not sure what to expect. After about an hour, it turned out to be a really beautiful day....absolutely perfect with a high in the low sixties! We could not have asked for anything more. What a truly magical place this is!!

Entering the park from the south entrance.

Our first stop was at Cholla Cactus Garden...these were so cool when the sun was shining through them!

Our second stop was at the Arch Rock area. We took a 1/2 mile hike here. Here I am pictured below after climbing up some of the rocks.

I don't know why no one has named the rock on the right (picture below), Manatee Rock. It looked just like one, complete with the front flipper! Duh!

Arch Rock. We tried to find our way around the other side, but somehow we missed it. I guess that means I will need to come back soon to do that!

Me under a hanging rock.

The sky was big and amazing!

We almost had the road to ourselves. We probably saw 10 other people the whole time we were in the park. Perfect!

The view from Keys View. The dark line running through this valley is the San Andreas fault! Luckily, there were no earthquakes during our visit.

Skull Rock.

A beautiful view on the way to Hidden Valley.

Cap Rock. We took another 1/2 mile hike around this area.

The sign below was actually at the end of our hike to Hidden Valley. I loved this quote! Hidden Valley is magical! You enter into a lush valley that is completely surrounded by enormous rock formations. We did a 1 mile hike here. This was my favorite spot in the whole park.

Entering Hidden Valley.

A Joshua Tree against a very blue sky.

A climber who posed for our cameras.

A really cool purple starfish-like cactus.

Rock formations on one side of Hidden Valley.

A really interesting tree. It looked almost petrified, but who knows?

Our last stop was at Barker Dam. We did a 1-1/2 mile hike here. The ranger had told us that we would probably see big-horned sheep here, but the dam was not very full of water...and no sheep were spotted. The best part of this hike, in my humble opinion, was at the end when the moon was visible over the rock formations. It was very other-worldly looking.

Well, that is the end of our visit to Joshua Tree National Park. It was a wonderful day, and all the better because I spent it with a very good friend. I will definitely be back here again soon!