Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k Trail

Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k Trail is a 4.5-mile, one-way connector across open desert, linking the California Riding and Hiking Trail with Geology Tour Road. Choose it for a remote, longer walk through Joshua Tree’s open desert, not a quick stroll to one landmark. From the California Riding and Hiking Trail junction, the route heads southeast and steadily descends to the road. Allow about three hours one way. Without a pickup, retracing it makes a roughly 9-mile outing, with an uphill return.

The sandy tread crosses a broad, exposed landscape of creosote, yucca, cholla and scrub, with scattered boulder clusters and only a few small, stunted Joshua trees. The grade stays steady rather than steep; the main work is the distance, sun and loose sand. The Paac parking area is at the Geology Tour Road end, before the road’s loop. No separate parking was confirmed at the other end on the California Riding and Hiking Trail, so arrange a ride if you want the one-way walk. Starting at Paac means hiking uphill toward the California Riding and Hiking Trail.

At the Paac end, look across the flat playa. Until about 12,000 years ago, streams fed a seasonal lake here. As the climate warmed and dried, sediment from the slopes built the broad valley floor. Near canyon mouths, alluvial fans meet to form bajadas; gravel-covered bedrock slopes, called pediments, line the mountains. Desert washes stay dry much of the year but carry sediment after rain and monsoon storms.

The open views take in the Hexie Mountains and Ryan Mountain; early morning light brings out their shapes. Watch the scrub for jackrabbits and reptiles. This is exposed, remote country, so bring plenty of water. Pets are prohibited on hiking trails and in the park’s backcountry.