Name: Arch Rock Nature Trail
Rating: 4.2

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Family Friendly The arch and boulders that are found around the trail offer great scrambling opportunities for the kids. It's an easy trail, and the placards provide information about the geology of the area.

Overview

The Arch Rock Nature Trail is an easy route through the boulder fields found in the White Tank area.

Description

The trailhead for this is in the Twin Tanks Parking Lot. The trail looks like a lollipop, the trail takes you on a relatively straight line to a loop, you'll take the loop and then head back down the trail to the parking lot.

The trail heads down a sandy trail and moves between desert plants and large rock formations. The loop part of the trail has placards signs that provide information regarding what is happening geologically. It moves through a boulder field and cuts around to the right where the arch that the trail is named for comes into view. You can scramble up some rocks and get an up close view of the arch. It's a great area to explore and take photos. Leaving the arch, the trail winds through more boulders until it winds back on itself and leads back to the trailhead. There are stunning views of the surrounding area, and plenty of cacti to explore. For the kids, there are plenty of boulders to scramble up and explore.

As always in Joshua Tree, be careful where you place your hands, as rattlesnakes and scorpions might be hiding from the sun in shaded areas amongst the boulders. Make sure to stay on-trail as it is easy to get lost once off-trail.