Stirrup Rock Afternoon - Joshua Tree National Park — Abandoned Places, Gold Rush & Route 66 Travel Photography

The Stirrup Rock area out at JT is somewhat of a lesser known, dare I say, “secret” area in the park that doesn’t get a lot of visitors. Thinking back, I don’t believe the dirt road that leads to it is signed, which helps the spot keep its anonymity. If you enjoy desert hiking amidst and amongst enormous, oddly disquieting-shaped granite boulders (and who doesn't), then set aside a half day the next time you're in the park to visit the Stirrup Tank area. A little online research will show you how to get there 😉.

The area gets its name from that large, overhanging rock at the upper right of the image above. Someone must have thought it looked like a stirrup, probably an old cowboy from the days when cattle roamed the range. Besides all the cool rocks, there are multiple sites of Native American habitation in the area, grinding rocks, pictographs and petroglyphs. They require some searching and a good eye to find.

I really enjoy bringing family and friends to this spot to explore. This time, my aunt and uncle, who were visiting from Washington state. Pack a lunch and some drinks, wander about and enjoy the scenery.

Click on any of the photos to see them bigger. All were taken with my new toy, an iPhone 13 pro. Still experimenting with it and so far am quite happy with the results. Most of the pictures are square, experimenting with that format as well.

Closer to Stirrup Rock, a pointy closeup of Cylindropuntia ramosissima (Pencil Cholla) and a single trunk Joshua Tree with a bloom atop.

A fish head, some yellow wildflowers and another Pencil Cholla with a bit of lens flare thrown in at no extra cost.

If you’ve ever been to JT, you know all about the strange rocks with the funny names and shapes. Those familiar with White Tank campground and Jumbo Rocks will know what I’m talking about. However, I will wager that the Stirrup Rock area has a higher weird-rock-per-acre-ratio than just about anywhere in the park (I think there’s a scientific formula somewhere that proves this). Just check out some of these boulders in the following pictures.

There were some awesome clouds throughout most of the day, which really makes my pictures happy.

Many of the Mojave Yucca in the area had blooms in varying stages of bloom-ness, with their pretty blossoms.

All of the pictures in this post were taken within a five-minute-walk of the small parking area for Stirrup Rock. In fact, you can see the restroom building in the photo right above. There are no trails, but if you pay attention to where you’re going and make sure to spot landmarks to guide you back, you can have a great adventure here. This is one of my favorite spots to recommend to folks who like to see places and things that most visitors in the park will miss. And chances are you’ll have the area all to yourself, or it will seem that way. There’s always something watching…..

Please feel free to leave a comment below, I enjoy hearing from one and all.

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