Upper and Lower Covington Flats Loop Hike: Joshua Tree National Park

This is a really nice hike that takes you through different kinds of terrain.  We followed the route described in "On Foot in Joshua Tree National Park," a very fine book by Patty Furbish.  We wanted to add a bit to her description, however, because some hikers might misunderstand a few points.

The hike leaves from the picnic area in the Lower Covington Flats.  By "picnic area" we mean one picnic table.  Get there early.  

You set out along a very well marked trail heading south across the flats.  This area is really stunning.

At one mile you will come to a wash.  Be careful here.  There are footprints all around, including some that go three different directions up washes.  However, soon after entering the wash you will see a trail on the other side.  Go on that trail.

At two miles you will meet up with the California Hiking and Riding Trail.   There is a trail sign at this intersection.

 

Follow the trail that leads to Upper Covington Flats.  The sign indicates 1.5 miles, but we registered 1.6.  This trail rises moderately for a few hundred feet.  It is a beautiful hike, through Joshua Trees and other vegetation.  

  


 At this point you will see a Backcountry Board for Upper Covington Flats.  From here, according to the book, one travels east for 50 yards and then enters a wash.  Here is a view toward where one would go.




The book then tells you to walk through the wash until you cross the path you met earlier, at the wash where it is easy to lose your way.  That means a hike of 1.6 miles through the wash.  What the book does not mention is that this is not just a wash that you can walk through.  There is a meaningful amount of boulder scrambling involved, including some areas that appear treacherous if one is not careful.  The wash is also choked with underbrush in places.

 

Here is our advice for this trail.  Follow it clockwise as described in the book.  We have the hiking philosophy that we never climb down anything we can't climb up, and vice versa.  However, it is much easier to slide down some of the slippery rocks in the wash than to try to climb up them.

Second, when you get to these areas (there are two particularly challenging ones), look all around for the best route.  Both of these areas have a good route to get down, although at first glance that might not look likely.

We are not risk-taking hikers, so if we would have had any doubts, we would have retraced our steps.  That is our hiking philosophy.  So it is a perfectly safe hike if you are aware of what you are getting into, and if you carefully choose your route down these dry falls.

The hike was 6.2 miles (it was listed as 5.7 in the book, but both of our GPS devices always show more distance than the book reports), with 725 feet of elevation gain.

There is a lot of variety in terms of terrain, and is a terrific hike.