Skull Rock Nature Trail

Joshua Tree National Park, California

This easy 1.7-mile nature trail loops through a jumbled garden of rock formations—most notably Skull Rock and Jumbo Rocks—separate parts of a spectacular collection of eroded boulders. We began our hike at the famous Skull Rock, an eerie formation easily discerned as a skull—complete with a nose and eye sockets—and ended our loop amid the towering boulders of Jumbo Rocks.

Skull Rock sits at the entrance (or exit) of the southern loop, immediately adjacent to Park Route 12. From there, the trail winds southward 0.5-mile to the southern end of Jumbo Rocks Campground, where exploring the off-trail maze of granite domes, towers, and balanced rocks is both rewarding and fun.