Hidden Valley Loop - 1.30.2019
From the west entrance pay station of Joshua Tree National Park... drive 8.8 miles on Park Blvd and turn right into the Hidden Valley Picnic area and you will find the trailhead.
|
Near the beginning there are some stone steps that take you up and then down into Hidden Valley.
|
Entering Hidden Valley.
|
Awesome rock formations in Hidden Valley.
|
Still hiking deeper into the valley on the main Hidden Valley Trail.
|
After hiking less than a half-mile we left the main trail and headed NW into a less traveled portion of Hidden Valley.
|
Climbers on the Lost Horse Wall... doing 'Bird on a Wire'... a 5.10 climb.
|
Some fairly easy scrambling in the less traveled section of Hidden Valley.
|
We are just beyond the Lost Horse Wall... and we can see the desert floor waiting for us at the end of the valley.
|
Did I mention that there was some fairly easy scrambling in the valley.
|
Exiting Hidden Valley and getting ready to loop back to our car.
|
Hiking south... back toward where our car is parked... there is an obvious path.
|
Looking at some of the rock formations on the west side of Hidden Valley.
|
Continuing south on the good path on the west side of Hidden Valley.
|
Now hiking SE back toward the parking area... Ryan Mountain is in the distance.
|
Taking a break for lunch... I decided to scramble a little higher to get a closer look at the rocks.
|
Rocks on the outside portion of Hidden Valley's west wall.
|
A closer look at some of those rock formations.
|
Passing by the 5.9 rated 'Loose Lady' rock climbing route.
|
The parking lot is in view... our loop hike was 2.9 miles, gaining 360 feet of elevation.
|
