Parking
Use the Upper Keys View parking area at the end of Keys View Road. It has 38 general spaces and two van-accessible spaces, one near the vault toilet. The separate Lower Keys View lot serves the lower viewpoint path.
Overview
About Keys View Nature Trail
Why go
- A paved loop adds views beyond the main overlook platform.
- Tactile maps and geology exhibits help make sense of the panorama.
Heads up
- The upper path has a steep paved section despite its short length.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Joshua Tree map
Full mapElevation5,156–5,186 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 Keys View 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
Keys View Over the Coachella Valley0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead is Keys View, a drive-up overlook where the ridge drops nearly a mile into the Coachella Valley. I'd keep this stop for the sheer scale of the view.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Underground Dam Behind an Oasis
- A Packrat's Time Capsule
- Lost Horse Mine and Its Stamp Mill
- Crystals in the Granite
- 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 Keys View Nature Trail
Take the short loopKeys View Nature Trail is a quarter-mile paved loop from the Upper Keys View parking area,…
Keys View Nature Trail is a quarter-mile paved loop from the Upper Keys View parking area, climbing about 25 feet to a broad view over the Coachella Valley. It is a quick add-on to the overlook stop; the loop adds more views and wayside signs beyond the overlook platform. I'd allow about 20 minutes to walk it and look around.
What to look forThe valley opens below the ridge, with the Salton Sea far to the left and the Santa Rosa…
The valley opens below the ridge, with the Salton Sea far to the left and the Santa Rosa Mountains, San Jacinto Peak, and San Gorgonio across the horizon. The San Andreas Fault runs through the valley below and its trace is visible from the ridge. On a very clear day, look far south for Signal Mountain in Mexico, about 90 miles away; haze often hides it. A little rocky foreground in your photo helps show the drop from the ridge toward the valley.
The upper pathThe route follows a paved sidewalk, but it has a steep section despite its short distance.
The route follows a paved sidewalk, but it has a steep section despite its short distance. The main overlook is wheelchair accessible; the upper loop may be difficult for some wheelchair users. If the grade is a concern, Lower Keys View is a separate 0.1-mile paved approach with minimal gain and its own viewpoint. It is not a shorter version of this loop.
Start at the upper lotUse the Upper Keys View parking area.
Use the Upper Keys View parking area. A vault toilet is nearby, with no running water, and the viewpoint has tactile maps and geology exhibits. Dogs are not allowed on park trails, including paved ones.
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.
