Picnic area · Joshua Tree National Park
A quiet lunch stop beneath Indian Cove’s boulder walls.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Joshua Tree Tour Guide
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
Rattlesnake Picnic Area: Lunch at the Canyon Mouth“Rattlesnake Picnic Area is ahead, at the mouth of Rattlesnake Canyon on the east side of Indian Cove Campground.”
Plays as you drive up to Rattlesnake Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
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Guide
Rattlesnake Picnic Area is a day-use stop on the east side of Indian Cove Campground, with picnic tables and grills tucked among rounded boulders, Joshua trees and low desert plants. It’s a pleasant place to slow down for lunch and wander among the rocks.
The dirt parking area is north of the road and east of a large rock formation. The accessible vault toilet is across the road, and trash cans are near the entrance. The tables sit among scattered trees and shrubs, so bring sun protection. There’s no food service listed here; bring your meal and drinking water.
The picnic area sits at the mouth of Rattlesnake Canyon, where informal scrambling and climbing routes continue between the boulders. There are no maintained trails through the canyon, and routes get harder farther in, so treat that as a separate outing from an easy picnic stop.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
EasyIndian Cove Nature Trail0.6 mi · 36 min · 0.8 mi awayA gentle loop for desert plants, granite, and spring wildflowers.
ModerateCorral Wall Loop Trail0.9 mi · 36 min · 0.9 mi awayA short, unmarked rock loop for hikers comfortable scrambling.
ChallengingFortynine Palms Oasis Trail3 mi · 2.5 hr · 3 mi awayA desert ridge hike ending at a hidden fan palm oasis.
ModerateWillow Hole Trail7 mi · 4 hr · 4 mi awayFollow sandy washes to a seasonal willow grove.
ModerateBig Pine Trail11.2 mi · 6 hr · 4 mi awayA rocky wash walk, reached only after a long backcountry approach.
ModerateBoy Scout Trail8 mi · 4.5 hr · 4 mi awayAn eight-mile desert crossing from Joshua trees to Indian Cove.
ModerateQuail Springs Historic Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 4.4 mi awayFollow a sandy historic corridor west from Quail Springs.
EasyBarker Dam Nature Trail1.3 mi · 1 hr · 4.7 mi awayA short boulder loop to a ranching-era dam
Campground · 0.3 mi awayIndian Cove CampgroundCamp among boulders with climbing and a half-mile nature loop nearby.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayWillow HoleA seasonal green pocket tucked into a granite maze
Ranger station · 1.9 mi awayIndian Cove Ranger StationA useful water and information stop for Indian Cove.
Sight · 3 mi awayFortynine Palms OasisA shaded palm grove at the end of a desert ridge hike.
Sight · 3.3 mi awayKeys RanchA ranger-led walk among a family’s desert buildings and mining gear.
Sight · 4.1 mi awayWall Street MillA sandy walk to an old gold mill and its rusted machinery.Sight · 4.3 mi awayBarker DamA short loop to a historic dam, boulder country and rock art.
Picnic area · 4.4 mi awayQuail Springs Picnic AreaPicnic tables and grills tucked beneath Joshua Tree’s granite boulders.Parkwolf’s Joshua Tree ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
