Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Distance: 1 Mile Out and Back Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 100 Feet
Season: Year Round (Summer can often be unbearably and dangerously hot)
Foot Traffic: Heavy
Overview
The Arch Rock Nature Trail is another example of the fabulous, short, family friendly day hikes that Joshua Tree National Park has to offer. The .5 mile hike out to the Arch is short, flat and typically suitable for almost any hiker. While Arch Rock is the focal point of this trail, I would suggest that it truly is not the biggest highlight. The wash and area immediately past Arch Rock is absolutely phenomenal and is unquestionably worth the extra time to explore. I’ve heard this area referred to by others as the “Arch Rock Narrows” or the “Spine” among other interpretations. Regardless of what you prefer to call this area, it is truly beautiful, with multiple caves and fantastic rock formations to explore.
For those wishing to explore a little more, the Heart Rock Trail takes visitors a short distance to a heart shaped rock. Visitors should make sure not to rush through this hike with the intention of making it to Arch Rock and Heart Rock as the main goal. Be sure to explore the surrounding areas and rock formations as they are truly exceptional and worth a visit in and of themselves. For those that are into photography, Arch Rock offers a great foreground for shooting the milky way in the summer months.
Trail Description and Scout’s Story
Almost exactly one year ago, my wife and I along with our almost 2 year old daughter Scout, were set to take a short trip to Joshua Tree to hike a few trails that we had in mind. Scout had been undergoing chemotherapy and cancer treatment for nearly 9 months at this point and we had just been informed that Scout’s tumors had shrunk to the point where she was now a candidate for surgery and that we would be moving forward with tumor resection in the coming weeks. We decided to take a trip to Joshua Tree to get outside for a few days knowing that we would be retreating to the confines of our house for the following weeks to ensure that Scout wouldn’t get sick or have any setbacks, delaying her surgery.
As we made the drive into the park entrance at Joshua Tree we noticed that we had left our “America the Beautiful” pass at home. Funds have been a little tight recently and we elected not to pay another 30 dollars to enter the park. We were super bummed out but decided to visit The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Whitewater Preserve instead. While I was upset that we weren’t going into the park, I knew we would be back again.
Fast forward almost exactly a year later and we would be back in Joshua Tree with plans to hike the trails that we had planned on doing a year prior. After an exciting first day of hiking in the park and camping at the dry lake bed (are usual camping spot when visiting the park), we started off our second day in the park by heading to the Arch Rock Nature Trail.
Starting off on the Arch Rock Nature Trail
Arch Rock is a trail that my wife and I have visited numerous times, including multiple trips at night to observe the milky way over it. Those night trips, specifically, will forever be ingrained in my memory. I was incredibly excited to get back to Arch Rock on this day as this would be our first time hiking here with our daughter, Scout, who was now nearly 3 years old. After parking along Pinto Road, we made our way to the cross walk and onto the signed Arch Rock Trail. The trail immediately crosses a little footbridge and heads along a flat, well maintained trail lined with rocks on each side of the trail.
Scout took off running ahead of us, while urging us to “hurry up”, as has become her favorite hiking phrase. I couldn’t help but wonder where all this energy was coming from, as Scout had pulled her typical toddler routine of barely eating anything for breakfast. We continued along the trail chasing after Scout. At about .25 mile into the hike we reached a signed junction showing that the Arch Rock Trail goes both right and left. Hikers can head either right or left here, but we decided and I highly recommend going right.
Exploring the Backside of the “Arch Rock Narrows”- “The Spine”
Heading briefly up the small hill, we topped out at an area with massive, intriguing rock formations. Just on the other side of this is “Arch Rock” and the main area of the “Arch Rock Narrows”. The backside (where we currently were) is more than worthy of exploring as well. We climbed down into one of the more narrow sections of the boulders and then made our way to a small cave just ahead. The key to exploring this area is to just really take your time and take it in. The more you look around, the more you will find and the more you will be surprised. Scout had an absolute blast climbing on the rocks here and exploring a few of the little crevices.
If you are comfortable scrambling, you can use your good judgement to find the easiest route over the boulders and you will pop out directly at Arch Rock after scrambling down to it. For those who aren’t comfortable scrambling, simply head back to the main trail and follow the main trail a few minutes to Arch Rock.
Arriving at Arch Rock
After we finished exploring the back side of the “Spine”, we made our way back to the top of it and proceeded to scramble and find our way around the path of least resistance until we had reached the other side of the “spine” and realized that Arch Rock was now directly in front and below us.
My wife climbed down first, as I then handed Scout to her and followed behind. Arch Rock is only about 30 feet tall but is really aesthetically pleasing. We spent some time sitting and appreciating the work that nature had done in creating this fantastic structure.
Exploring the “Arch Rock Narrows”
As we looked directly past Arch Rock, we became extremely excited. We could see the phenomenal rock structures and impressive formations of the area awaiting us ahead. A wash immediately begins just beyond Arch Rock.
Although we had visited this area numerous times before, we had rushed through, not devoting enough time to truly exploring this area. Boy, was that a mistake. This area is the highlight of the hike, in my opinion. Again, it is important to take your time here. Following the wash in both directions will provide visitors with multiple areas worth exploring. At the beginning of the wash is an extremely neat formation with a hole in it and spectacular sections of narrows that lead through the rock formation.
Following further down a couple small caves present themselves, followed by an old concrete dam.
You can venture further down the wash past the dam, but this is where we chose to turn around. We decided to follow the trail back up the wash towards the Arch. This section of the wash is exceptional.
Scout once again led the way as we came to a small cave. We thought this was a dead end but as we explored we noticed it was fairly easy to navigate through it and up the wash.
A few more caves presented themselves, that again, at first looked as if we would have to turn back but ended up being easy to squeeze through and proceed further. As the wash ended, we found ourselves on the backside of the arch, looking up at it. Kids will absolutely love this section of the wash. Scout’s face lit up with joy at each turn as she climbed on the rocks and attempted to figure out which way would lead us forward.
This area is very manageable but will also give hikers a sense of adventure.
Finishing The Arch Rock Trail
After finishing exploring the wash, we headed back up to spend some time at the Arch. We surprisingly arrived to find only one other couple there. Scout followed her mom and I to the base of the Arch and again enjoyed exploring around it. It was finally time to head back and Scout’s lack of breakfast seemed to finally be catching up to her.
My wife and I took turns carrying Scout on the final leg of the hike, as she was pooped.
It was such a delight to be back in Joshua Tree and exploring and to see how far Scout had come from one year ago. Her energy and passion for the outdoors has always been so evident and we are excited to fully get back to the outdoor life that was once so common for us. As Scout nears almost one year of being in remission, we are continuously inspired and touched by her presence and attitude. While short, this was a fabulous two day trip to Joshua Tree and we can’t wait to get back.
Getting to the Arch Rock Trailhead
The Arch Rock Trail parking lot is just before the White Tank Campground, off of Pinto Basin Rd. There is a huge parking lot and street parking as well. The trail starts at the crosswalk just in front of the parking lot.
Is the Arch Rock Nature Trail a fee area? America the Beautiful Pass (Allows entry into all National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas for 1 year from month of purchase. Joshua Tree Annual Entrance Pass = $55 Joshua Tree 7 Day Entrance Pass = $30 (Per Vehicle and covers everyone in the vehicle) $25 (Motorcycle) $15 (Pedestrian/Cyclist) Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers, and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others. Hiking in Joshua Tree can be absolutely brutal in the summer months due to extreme heat. Be prepared if you are deciding to do so and preferably start early.Notes, Quetions and Thoughts
Are there restrooms at the trailhead?
Are dogs allowed on the Arch Rock trail?
What is the closest campground to the Arch Rock trail?
