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Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park and the surrounding area in California

76 posts

Cowboy Petroglyphs (Joshua Tree)

Cowboy Petroglyphs (Joshua Tree)

Back in 2017, we wandered out to this remote corner of Joshua Tree to check out an unusual set of petroglyphs. Unlike most of the abstract petroglyph panels I come across, these had a few human figures. A couple of them are a horse and rider, and another appears to

Carlyle Mine

Carlyle Mine

The Carlyle mine, also known as the Carlysle or Carlisle mine, is perched on the steep north slope of the Pinto Mountains. It was first discovered in 1902, but extensive mine development didn't start until 1911. A mill was built sometime in the 1910s. In 1936, the Carlyle

Moser Mine

Moser Mine

In 2004, We met up with our friends Dan, Annie, and Micah to explore this old mine in the southern part of Joshua Tree. We spent most of the day hiking to this old mine camp. We were surprised to find a few old cabins, the mill remains, and an

Coyote Hole Canyon Petroglyphs

Coyote Hole Canyon Petroglyphs

A seep called Coyote Hole Spring is tucked away in a small canyon near the town of Joshua Tree. Cattle ranchers developed the spring in the early 1900s. Today, it usually only has water after significant rain. Most of the petroglyphs here are of Desert Archaic or Serrano origin. GPS

Alister's Cave Pictographs

Alister's Cave Pictographs

Alister’s Cave is a well-known pictograph site in the Wonderland of Rock area of Joshua Tree. The cave (really a rock shelter) is full of pictographs, but they have faded over the years, primarily due to the exfoliation of the granite. They are increasingly hard to see, so I

Hollow Rock Pictographs

Hollow Rock Pictographs

While exploring the Wonderland of Rocks, not far from Barker Dam, we came across an unassuming large granite boulder. There is no shortage of granite boulders in Joshua Tree, and there wasn’t anything immediately particularly interesting about this one either. But we did notice a hidden, hollowed-out opening underneath

Ram on Rocks Pictographs

Ram on Rocks Pictographs

In 2012, I visited a very small native site in the backcountry of Joshua Tree. There is a larger habitation site not far away (which this site is named for). One thing that makes this particular site interesting for the area is the metate and manos sitting out front of