Hidden Valley Found! - Joshua Tree National Park
I pulled into a rather large parking area, where my research led me to believe an entrance to the famous “Hidden Valley” of Joshua Tree National Park was located. There were quite a few cars in the lot and I wondered, “are all these people looking for Hidden Valley, too?” I was determined to be the first to find the secret valley where desperado outlaws stashed their stolen cattle.
Wait a second, why is there a restroom at the beginning of what looks like a well-established trail heading into the rocks? And what’s with that big sign? I moved closer to examine and search for clues. Something was afoot.
Okay, so “Hidden Valley” hasn’t been hidden for a very, very long time. I was just having some fun 🙃 with my four constant readers. The Hidden Valley Trail is one of my top three JT hikes to take visitors on, especially if they’ve never been to the park (check out this report of one such trip).
It was late May and I was hoping to see a few wildflowers; I was also on nolinawatch. Let’s go see what we can find.
“Hidden Valley Trail is an easy one mile hike. The trail starts near the Hidden Valley Picnic Area and gains 100 feet of elevation as it makes a loop around Hidden Valley, which was rumored to have once been used by cattle rustlers. There are interpretive signs along the way providing information on the area and its plants and wildlife. This trail has little shade and no cell service.”
Your results may vary. My trip on this Monday morning (the blue path on the above map), charted in at 1.56 miles, in about an hour and forty-five minutes. There are quite a few spots along the trail where you’ll find shade, either from rock outcroppings, sheer walls, or pinyon pine trees. Why might your results vary? Because there are a LOT of side canyons to explore, rocks to climb, caves to poke into and vistas to see. I recommend traveling in a counter-clockwise direction, but you can’t go wrong however you explore the valley. Do take water and snacks, and don’t wander too far off-trail unless you’re comfortable with your sense of direction. There’s no place to “pull over and ask that guy how to get back, dear.”
Here’s my morning journey, mostly in pictures:
It would be extremely difficult to get lost on your way in.
The guardian of the trail.
There are directional signs somewhat randomly placed along the trail. This is the first one hikers will spot. I headed to the left.
The nolinawatch has begun.
Some pretty flowers here and there. The root on that desert scrub oak (my guess) is amazing how it follows that crack in the rock down to the ground below. And maybe a week or so later, that beaver tail cactus would have been on 🔥.
The interpretive signs along the trail are quite helpful. I caught this family of Joshua Trees and asked them to pose for this picture. The kids were so cute.
By this point, I had lost count of how many Nolina parryi I had seen, and in what stages of their life they were in. All the ingredients must have come together for there to be so many in bloom. And not just in this area, other spots in the park had their shows going on as well.
I’ve recently purchased a small, lightweight camp chair that folds into a nice, compact little bag. It’s going to be part of my day hiking kit from now on. That spot straight ahead in the above picture, in the shade of the pinyon pine, would have been a great place to sit for a spell, have a snack, read, doze, converse with passersby.
Another pinyon pine I met along the trail. Sometimes I like spelling their name, piñon pine.
Many pictures of this dead tree exist on various hard drives in my desk.
The Nolina Towers
Clicking on any of the pictures here will give you a larger version. Maybe you’ll be able to see what’s in that cave on the far right…..
So many rocks! So many passage ways to explore. So many nice, shady spots. That’s how this hike can turn into a five-mile trek, all day adventure.
And the final guardian of the trail. Making sure you’ve “packed it all out.”
If you have the chance, take this hike. It’s a great trail for kids, so many interesting things to see and learn about. Try naming the rocks, I do all the time 😃.
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