Hi, View!

Joshua Tree's Hi-View Nature Trail and a Visit to Pioneertown

03.21.2019

Pop quiz: Closest Joshua Tree trail to the LA metro area? It’s Hi-View Nature Trail near Yucca Valley’s Black Rock entrance to the national park. Overlooked, but worth looking over. This 1.3-mile loop doesn’t require an entry fee, gains 325 feet in elevation, and offers a fresh perspective on the park through, well, high views, interpretive trail markers, and minimal foot traffic.

Grab a map/guide at the Black Rock visitor center and drive west along a dirt road to the never-packed parking lot and marked trailhead through a gap in the wooden fence. At the first junction, go right for a gradual ascent, left for a steep climb. Either way, you’re going up! As you do, look down on Yucca Valley to the north and admire snowcapped San Gorgonio and its fellow mountain peaks to the west. Be sure to admire the native flora as you pass alongside junipers, pinyons, and perhaps blooming buds of Joshua Trees, nolinas, beavertail, and blue sage.

Continue ascending as the trail turns north, listening and looking for both pinyon and western scrub jays, as well as cactus wren, poorwills, and soaring turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks. The trail’s apex lies at 4,300 feet, where you can a register as you savor 360-degree views that now include vistas deep into Black Rock Canyon. Hi-ho for Hi-View!

BONUS ARTS: Just northwest of Yucca Valley is the small community of Pioneertown, built as an Old West movie set by the likes of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Many Western classics were filmed here, including High Noon and The Cisco Kid. Walk down Mane Street and enjoy the sights (minus the tumbleweeds and gunfights) and shop for local art. For a barbecue dinner and live entertainment, stop by the legendary Pappy & Harriet’s, a shoot-kickin’ venue that has hosted Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, and Leon Russell, and still draws top rock and country acts year-round. Welcome to the wild, wild West!

To get to Hi-View Nature Trail, take the I-10 east to CA-62. Stay on the CA-62 for 21 miles, turning right onto Joshua Ln., following it for 4.6 miles. Turn right onto San Marino Dr., followed by an immediate left onto Black Rock Canyon Rd. Turn right at the campground, following signs for the trail. The dirt road ends at the lot. No dogs. To get to Pioneertown, take the CA-62 for 19 miles and turn left onto Pioneertown Rd. Continue 4 miles to Pappy & Harriet’s. Pioneertown is dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Cinematic Sonoma

    Longer days. Golden light. Wildflowers in bloom. It’s the perfect moment to plan your spring escape to Sonoma for the Sonoma International Film Festival, March 25–29. No fuss. No sprawl. Just films, friends, fresh air, and that unmistakable Sonoma glow.

    View
  2. A man is looking through his binoculars at sunrise at the Bayland Nature Preserve in Palo Alto

    Baylands Bird & Art Loop

    Combine an outdoor art walk and wildlife sightings at the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto. This 5-mile loop through Byxbee Park and the Emily Renzel Wetlands features striking installations by artists Peter Richards and Michael Oppenheimer—where the landscape itself becomes part of the canvas.

    View

  3. Big Burdell!

    If you’re gonna go big on a hike, make it at Marin County’s biggest open space preserve, Mount Burdell. And go to the summit. You’ll be sharing the trail with grazing cows, seasonal poppies, and beautiful birds on this 5-mile (round-trip) adventure.

    View

  4. H is for Hawk Hill

    After a nearly year-long closure, Hawk Hill in the legendary Marin Headlands recently emerged with a glow-up. Thank the hearty TLC from the National Park Service. This Golden Gate National Recreation Area gem now has a new trail along with revamped spaces for taking in timeless, grand views.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe

    2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G

    View

  2. Eat, Sleep, Beach, Repeat

    For an ultra-relaxing getaway where you can sit back and soak in some nature and nurture, head to Mendocino and follow this eat, beach, sleep, repeat itinerary (you won't regret it!) ...

    View

  3. This Skunk Doesn’t Stink!

    All aboard for a ride through history—and through air scented with redwood, dewy ferns, forest-fresh breeze, and a bonus snack and beverage bar, fire pit, and short hike. The World-Famous Skunk Train delivers in every category: scenery, greenery, and towering redwoods.

    View
  4. A woman standing at the pond's edge at Ernest B Debs Regional Park in Los Angeles. Trees are making reflections on the pond.

    Urban Oasis Loop

    Home to the city’s Audubon Center, Ernest E. Debs' 282-acre park features a robust network of hiking trails and surprising wildlife diversity. More than 140 bird species have been spotted here. Birdwatcher or not, this 2.5-mile route makes for a gorgeous outing.

    View