Window Rock/Maze Loop/North View Loop: Joshua Tree National Park

One gets to see a different part of the park on this hike, and a little bit of everything.  Probably the most interesting aspect of the hike is that you feel you are on a planet of rocks for much of it, as the photos attest.

We took the hike counter clockwise, upon the recommendation of some hikers at the trailhead who had done it several times.  It was fine this way, but it left the climbing until the end (and with our joints we like to do our climbing at the first when our muscles are fresh).

But either way, it is a beautiful hike.

The first part of the loop takes you to a window rock.  It looks like a Thunderbird.   Sort of.  You can see it at the top left of this photo:

The second major feature is what is called the Maze.  It was fun—a trail through a large boulder field.  

 The final part was the North View Loop, which provided the most astonishing views of the park and of the planet of rocks mentioned earlier.

 

  

 

Hike was 7.9 miles, with 1200 elevation gain.  We parked ¼ mile from the trail head because it was full, so if you got a spot there, it would be 7.4 miles round trip.