Parking
Use the signed Indian Cove Nature Trailhead at the west end of Indian Cove Campground. Auto and bus/RV parking and an accessible restroom are listed at the access. The campground has no water; bring your own.
Overview
About Indian Cove Nature Trail
Why go
- Interpretive signs make a quick walk more than a leg-stretcher
- Spring blooms brighten the granite after wet winters
Heads up
- A few steps interrupt the otherwise gentle path
- Summer access follows the campground’s seasonal closure
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Joshua Tree map
Full mapElevation3,281–3,350 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 Indian Cove Nature Trail, 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 trailhead
Indian Cove: Camp, Walk and Watch for Tortoises0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching Indian Cove Campground, where sandy campsites sit beneath tall boulders with climbing close by.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Rattlesnake Picnic Area: Lunch at the Canyon Mouth
- The Boulder Becoming Sand
- The Vulture Following Its Nose
- Indian Cove Ranger Station: Fill Up Before Camp
- 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 Indian Cove Nature Trail
A short loop among the campground rocksIndian Cove Nature Trail is a gentle loop on rolling ground west of Indian Cove Campground.
Indian Cove Nature Trail is a gentle loop on rolling ground west of Indian Cove Campground. The park lists the loop at 0.6 mile; from the signed trailhead, the short access link and return bring the mapped walk to about 0.64 mile. Allow 30–45 minutes. It is an easy leg-stretcher, with a few steps, rather than a summit hike or a scramble among the boulders.
What the signs point outThe trail passes through desert scrub and pale, sand-colored granite.
The trail passes through desert scrub and pale, sand-colored granite. Interpretive signs give context to the area's plants and animals, along with Indigenous use of this landscape. Follow the marked tread through the loop; the surrounding rocks can make it tempting to wander off the nature trail.
Spring after a wet winterAfter abundant winter rain, wildflowers can make this short walk especially colorful.
After abundant winter rain, wildflowers can make this short walk especially colorful. Their blooms stand out against the granite and mature Mojave yuccas. In a dry year, treat flowers as a bonus rather than the reason to go.
Starting at Indian CoveUse the signed access at the west end of Indian Cove Campground.
Use the signed access at the west end of Indian Cove Campground. Auto and bus/RV parking and an accessible restroom are listed at the trailhead. The trail closes during the summer when the campground closes; exact dates vary, so check access before you drive over. There is no water at the campground, so bring your own. Pets are not allowed on park hiking trails.
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.
