Starbuck's Exploring

Sign in Subscribe

Rock Art

Native American pictographs and petroglyphs. No directions or waypoints to rock art sites unless they are already known or published.

145 posts

Sky Portal Pictographs

Sky Portal Pictographs

Quite a few hours of bushwhacking are required to reach this remote set of pictographs under a single boulder in the backcountry of Joshua Tree. It is an all-day adventure. However, the brightness of the pictographs found here is rare. Most rock art in Joshua Tree is faded from weather

Petroglyph Wash Arrastra and Petroglyphs

Petroglyph Wash Arrastra and Petroglyphs

I decided to head out to try and track down an arrastra I read about a long time ago. It was mentioned in a report to be one of only two known “wagon wheel” style arrastras in a national park (The other one is the Pinto Wye Arrastra out in

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

It goes without saying that water is vital in the desert, and Joshua Tree is no different. A rancher named C.O. Barker built the dam around 1902 to improve the natural tank for his cattle. Along with the nearby Cow Camp reservoir, the tank was an important watering hole

Picture Canyon Pictographs

Picture Canyon Pictographs

Picture Canyon, a well-named canyon in the southern Sheep Range (and part of the Desert Wildlife Refuge), has been rediscovered by hikers in recent years as they searched for missing long-distance hiker Kenny Veach. He disappeared in 2014 while searching for a cave he discovered on a previous hike. His

Cave of the White Orbs

Cave of the White Orbs

Hidden in the rocks of Joshua Tree is a small pictograph rock shelter called the Cave of the White Orbs. I was asked not to give directions to this location, but I will give clues when I can.

Twin Tanks

Twin Tanks

The Twin Tanks are a couple of natural tanks enhanced by cattle ranchers with concrete dams to hold more water. The southern dam is concrete with rock mixed in, and the northern one is plain concrete. This one also has an inscription of "C. O. Barker" in the

Hidden Handprint Cave

Hidden Handprint Cave

Deep in the Wonderland of Rocks is a unique rock shelter. Once used by the Serrano, it is a sacred place. They must have gathered here for rituals. The ceiling is marked with more than a dozen small red handprints, a shooting star, spoked circles, and other interesting symbols. It’