Parking
Start at Barker Dam Parking Lot. A dirt lot off Queen Valley Road just east of Barker Dam is a closer alternative that shortens the walk; no separate official mileage is posted. The trailhead has parking and a vault toilet.
Overview
About Wall Street Mill Trail
Why go
- A short walk with mill machinery, a windmill, and rusted vehicles.
Heads up
- Sandy footing and little shade.
- Wayfinding is less obvious near the mill.
Wall Street Mill Trail is a 2.2-mile out-and-back from Barker Dam Parking Lot to a historic gold-processing mill and back the same way. Park information rounds it to two miles; this listing follows the measured Barker Dam route. Allow about an hour, including time at the mill. It is a short history walk, not a summit hike: the payoff is the machinery, old cars and homestead traces in a boulder-studded desert. The park rates it moderate, although the route is mostly level; loose sand and heat are more of a challenge than climbing.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth the walk?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Joshua Tree map
Full mapElevation4,262–4,347 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 Wall Street Mill 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
Barker Dam Beyond the Reservoir0:00 / 0:23
“Barker Dam is coming up, a good stop for a short walk through boulders and a bit of ranching history. Allow about an hour for the loop, with uneven granite steps along the way.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Keys Ranch by Reserved Tour
- Intersection Rock: Watch the Climbers
- A Meal on a Spine
- Ryan Mountain's Summit and Striped Rock
- 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 Wall Street Mill Trail
The walk to the millThe sandy path leaves the parking area and crosses a few washes among desert plants and granite…
The sandy path leaves the parking area and crosses a few washes among desert plants and granite boulders. Around 0.4 mile in, a spur leads to an old car; near 0.6 mile, the route passes a windmill and water-pump or reservoir remains before following an old watercourse toward the mill. The path has little shade and gentle rises. Loose sand can make the return feel slower.
Near the destinationWayfinding gets less obvious near the mill, where old traces and footpaths meet.
Wayfinding gets less obvious near the mill, where old traces and footpaths meet. Stay with the established tread; the Worth Bagley marker can help confirm the way if you see it. The main route reaches the mill, rusted vehicles and homestead remains in a rocky clearing. The machinery is protected: stay outside barriers and leave every artifact in place. Wonderland Ranch is a separate side trip; adding it makes a longer outing than the mill route mapped here.
Access and facilitiesStart at Barker Dam Parking Lot for the distance above.
Start at Barker Dam Parking Lot for the distance above. A dirt parking area off Queen Valley Road, just east of Barker Dam, is another start and shortens the walk; no separate official distance is posted for it. The trailhead has parking and a vault toilet. No food service or drinking water was found at either start or along the trail.
Heat and petsThere is little shade and no water along the route, so avoid the hottest part of the day.
There is little shade and no water along the route, so avoid the hottest part of the day. Pets are prohibited on Joshua Tree hiking trails. For a photo that shows the mill in context, include some of the surrounding granite boulders and view the machinery from outside its barrier.
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.
