Sight · Joshua Tree National Park
A seasonal green pocket tucked into a granite maze
Overview
Rocky folds in the Wonderland of Rocks can trap rainfall, supporting a denser mix of plants than the open desert. Junipers, piñon pines and scrub oak grow among the boulders, with cottonwoods and willows around Willow Hole. The pool is seasonal, not something to count on year round.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this wash stays greenMap
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
Willow Hole from Boy Scout Trailhead“You're nearing Boy Scout Trailhead, where the Willow Hole hike begins. It's about seven miles round trip and four hours through Joshua trees and sandy washes into the Wonderland of Rocks.”
Plays as you drive up to Willow Hole in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Willow Hole is a small oasis in a rocky wash in the Wonderland of Rocks. Cottonwoods and willows grow among rounded granite boulders, and after rain a small pool may appear. Getting there takes a 7-mile round trip, so it suits a half-day walk into the park’s rock maze, not a quick stop from the road. Allow 3 to 5 hours.
From Boy Scout Trailhead, follow Boy Scout Trail for 1.2 miles, then take the northeast branch and continue 2.3 miles to Willow Hole. Return the same way. The route gains only about 246 feet, but deep, loose sand in the washes makes it much more tiring than the elevation suggests. Watch for the signs at the split and stay on the larger worn trail; smaller climbing paths branch off nearby.
Chuckwallas bask on the sunlit boulders, and the occasional water is important to desert kit foxes and bighorn sheep. Look quietly from a distance. For a photo, frame the trees against the rounded rock walls; the pool may be dry when you arrive.
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
ModerateCorral Wall Loop Trail0.9 mi · 36 min · 1.4 mi awayA short, unmarked rock loop for hikers comfortable scrambling.
EasyIndian Cove Nature Trail0.6 mi · 36 min · 2 mi awayA gentle loop for desert plants, granite, and spring wildflowers.
ModerateWillow Hole Trail7 mi · 4 hr · 2.6 mi awayFollow sandy washes to a seasonal willow grove.
ModerateBig Pine Trail11.2 mi · 6 hr · 2.6 mi awayA rocky wash walk, reached only after a long backcountry approach.
ModerateBoy Scout Trail8 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayAn eight-mile desert crossing from Joshua trees to Indian Cove.
EasyBarker Dam Nature Trail1.3 mi · 1 hr · 3.1 mi awayA short boulder loop to a ranching-era dam
ModerateWall Street Mill Trail2.2 mi · 1 hr · 3.1 mi awayShort, sandy path to a historic gold mill and rusted cars.
ModerateQuail Springs Historic Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.2 mi awayFollow a sandy historic corridor west from Quail Springs.
Picnic area · 1.7 mi awayRattlesnake Picnic AreaA quiet lunch stop beneath Indian Cove’s boulder walls.
Campground · 1.8 mi awayIndian Cove CampgroundCamp among boulders with climbing and a half-mile nature loop nearby.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayKeys RanchA ranger-led walk among a family’s desert buildings and mining gear.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayWall Street MillA sandy walk to an old gold mill and its rusted machinery.Sight · 2.6 mi awayBarker DamA short loop to a historic dam, boulder country and rock art.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayWonderland Ranch RuinsPink homestead ruins on the Wall Street Mill side path.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayEcho TA central cluster of climbs between Hidden Valley and Barker Dam.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayHemingway ButtressWalk among granite cracks that have drawn climbers since the 1940s.Parkwolf’s Joshua Tree ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
