On the Rocks - Comic Book Area

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On the Rocks - Comic Book Area

Just a short hike from a turnout on Barker Dam Road, is a group of giant rocks the climbers have nicknamed the "Comic Book" area. There are some amazing boulders to gaze/scramble/climb upon and while you won't find this area labeled or marked in any of the park brochures or maps, it's a great spot to spend a half day exploring. Take some snacks and drinks, there's a beautiful spot under a large Pinyon pine to sit and relax, to enjoy the desert stillness.

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On the Rocks - Lost Horse Area

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On the Rocks - Lost Horse Area

There are a lot of big rocks in what the climbing community refers to as the "Lost Horse" area, and most have very unusual names. If you like rocks, this is a great place to spend some time. The main parking area for this location is signed "Hemingway," after one of the more notable chunks of quartz monzonite that stands nearby.

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On the Rocks - Quail Springs Area

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On the Rocks - Quail Springs Area

My first visit to Joshua Tree National Park must have been in the late '60s, (that's 1960s, not 1860s). Friends of my parents took me camping and we stayed at Jumbo Rocks campground. I think what fascinated me about the Monument then and which still does in the Park today, is the same thing which drew in over 1.6 million visitors to the park last year. The Rocks. Put simply, the rocks rock.

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Desert Queen Ranch

/ Desert Queen Ranch/
Desert Queen Ranch

I remember visiting the Desert Queen Ranch over forty years ago, when I was but a mere lad. I was amazed back then at all the stuff Bill Keys had accumulated and built on the property and was re-amazed recently when I had the opportunity to visit it again. He was an amazing man.

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The Winona Mill

/ Winona Mill/
The Winona Mill

If you camp at the Cottonwood campground, you're less than a ten-minute walk from the Winona Mill site. Although there's not much left there to see today, it's well worth the hike to visit the ruins and imagine what once was. Also, the wash that runs north-south in front of the mill site contains evidence of habitation of some duration. It might also be the only spot in J Tree where you can see Eucalyptus Trees.

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