Plan for sun and parking
Start from the Twin Tanks lot on Pinto Basin Road. Parking can be difficult on busy days, so an early start helps. The route has little shade; bring water, food and sun protection.
Overview
About Heart Rock
Why stop
- A memorable heart profile as a short add-on to Arch Rock.
Heads up
- Little shade on the exposed boulder route.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Joshua Tree map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Plan for sun and parking
5 active Joshua Tree alerts
- ClosureOasis of Mara Trail closed past the OasisThe Oasis of Mara Trail is closed past the Oasis due to a heavy flooding event; do not continue beyond the Oasis. Check current park conditions before visiting.Official details
- ClosureSR 62 and US 95 closed by floodingFlooding has closed portions of SR 62 and US 95; avoid the closed segments.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Joshua Tree Tour Guide
Your drive to Heart Rock, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Joshua Tree National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Joshua Tree audio tourRecorded for this place
Arch Rock from Twin Tanks0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing the Twin Tanks trailhead for Arch Rock, a stone span tucked among rounded granite boulders.”
Plays as you drive up to Heart Rock in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- White Tank: A Small Camp Beside Arch Rock
- Belle Campground: Small and Simple
- The Chuckwalla’s Inflatable Escape
- The Iguana in the Midday Heat
- 89 audio storiesacross Joshua Tree’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Golden Eagle, Desert Tortoise, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 60 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Heart Rock
A short spur with a clear payoffHeart Rock is a naturally formed granite boulder beside a short spur from Arch Rock Trail at…
Heart Rock is a naturally formed granite boulder beside a short spur from Arch Rock Trail at Twin Tanks. It is a distinctive add-on if you are already walking this route, not a roadside pullout.
Add the detour to the loopThe Arch Rock lollipop loop is 1.
The Arch Rock lollipop loop is 1.4 miles with about 100 feet of gain; Heart Rock is a separate short spur, so the full outing is longer. The route crosses open boulder terrain, and the heart shape is easy to miss if you only look from one side.
Find its heart-shaped profileWalk around to the opposite side of the boulder for the clearest heart outline.
Walk around to the opposite side of the boulder for the clearest heart outline. For a photo, keep some of the pale granite shelf and surrounding boulder field in frame so the rock stays grounded in its desert setting.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Joshua Tree
129 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
413 sightingsDesert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
275 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
47 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
32 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Joshua Tree. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
