Parking
No dedicated lot is confirmed at the Burro Loop Access junction. The North Canyon approach from Park Boulevard adds distance; check posted restrictions and use only a legal roadside pullout.
Overview
About Burro/
Why go
- Wide desert views across ridges and washes
- A full circuit with varied rocky and sandy ground
Heads up
- Faint tread and side tracks complicate navigation
- Little shade and no water on-route
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Joshua Tree map
Full mapElevation3,022–3,501 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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 Burro/
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 area
The Bird That Plants Mistletoe0:00 / 0:27
“A reddish tangle growing in a mesquite tree may be desert mistletoe, with a bird helping it spread. Phainopeplas, crested birds whose males are glossy black, eat the mistletoe's berries.”
Plays on the road 1.2 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Maze Loop Through the Boulder Country
- Samuelson Rocks from Creosote Trail
- The Roadrunner's Morning Warm-Up
- The Life Between the Plants
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Burro/
The 4.5-mile circuitBurro/Rocky View Loop is a 4.5-mile circuit in Joshua Tree’s Maze Zone.
Burro/Rocky View Loop is a 4.5-mile circuit in Joshua Tree’s Maze Zone. It follows the longer side of Burro Loop, crosses Rocky View, and returns on Burro, passing low rocky ridges, open flats and dry washes. Expect broad high-desert views rather than one big summit or a single destination. Allow roughly 2.5 to 3 hours.
Get the right lineStart where Burro Loop Access Trail meets Burro Loop.
Start where Burro Loop Access Trail meets Burro Loop. That junction is the start of the mapped circuit; an approach from North Canyon and Park Boulevard adds mileage, so keep it separate from the 4.5-mile loop figure. Tread is faint in places, with side tracks that can be easy to mistake for the main path. Save the route offline and pay attention at junctions.
Rocky ridges and washesThe walk moves through sandy washes, rocky low hills and open desert flats, with Joshua trees…
The walk moves through sandy washes, rocky low hills and open desert flats, with Joshua trees and wide views across the surrounding country. The ground rises and falls without a single summit payoff. Expect a mix of dirt, sand and rock underfoot; the route’s appeal is the changing desert terrain and the space around it.
Sun, water and accessThere is little shade and no drinking water along the route, which makes this a poor choice in…
There is little shade and no drinking water along the route, which makes this a poor choice in hot conditions. Pets are not allowed on hiking trails or in the backcountry at Joshua Tree. A dedicated parking lot at the access junction is not confirmed; check posted restrictions and use only a legal pullout.
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.
