Joshua Tree National Park – Arch Rock & Skull Rock

In the desert, you may encounter a mirage. This is especially true when it comes to the Joshua Tree National Park. Here, rock formations transform into skulls, penguins, elephants, faces, hearts, and much more, often surrounded by the namesake Joshua Tree, the Joshua Palm Lily. Accordingly, the rocks are named things like Skull Rock, Elephant Rock, Face Rock, Penguin Rock, or Heart Rock.
We start in the morning from our Airstream towards Joshua Tree National Park, approaching the park via the North Entrance. Our first destination is the Arch Rock Trail. We hike along it past the Joshua Palm Lily and rounded rocks until we arrive at the Arch Rock. It is striking and, at first glance, resembles an elephant.
After the first trail, we continue with a stop at Skull Rock, which, with little imagination, actually looks like a skull. We drive on and embark on an unmarked trail in search of the Penguin Rock, which we cannot find as there are many similar rocks in the area, but the hike itself is still incredibly beautiful.
The temperatures are still quite bearable due to the cooling wind - we had imagined it much hotter in the high summer in the desert, although currently the temperatures are more moderate than in previous years at the same time.
The Joshua Tree National Park is unique and captivates us with its geological rock formations and desert plants. Finally, we head to a late lunch at the quaint Joshua Tree Saloon.