Hike West Side Loop

Starting from the Black Rock Campground area, you'll immediately notice this isn't the Joshua Tree most people photograph. The trail winds through some of the densest, tallest Joshua tree groves in the park — real old-growth specimens that make the ones along Park Boulevard look like saplings. As you gain elevation through pinyon-juniper woodland, the desert opens up behind you with views stretching to San Gorgonio's snow-dusted summit, the highest point in Southern California. The climbing is steady but never punishing — think pleasant burn, not death march. The loop format means you're never retracing your steps, and each quarter-mile brings a slightly different desert ecosystem. This is the hike for people who want a real workout without committing to an all-day suffer-fest, and for anyone who's tired of fighting crowds at Skull Rock.