Best trails to see arches at Joshua Tree NP

Several small arches can be found at Joshua Tree National Park.

While Joshua Tree National Park’s arches can’t match the size or number of those at Arches National Park, they are impressive, nonetheless. Just consider that Arches’ formations are carved out of soft sandstone while those at Joshua Tree were whittled out of hard granite. It’s a testament to Mother Nature’s patience ...wind, rain, and the freeze-thaw cycle always win out.

Among the best arches and the trails to see them at the park are:
• Arch Rock – The 1.3-mile lollipop trail partially heads to an arch spanning 30 feet across in the granite rock formations surrounding White Tank Campground. Taking a few steps off the main trail allows you to get underneath it, and the surrounding rocks can be climbed so you can touch the arch. The trail leaves from a parking lot off of Pinto Basin Road about 3.3 miles south of Park Boulevard.
• Belle’s Eye Arch – An eye-shaped hole sits in a boulder about 0.6 miles (1.2 miles round trip) north of Belle Campground along the California Riding and Hiking Trail. The Moon Mat Cave also sits near the campground, off of Pinto Basin Road, in a two-for-one geology adventure.
• Elephant Arch – A series of rock formations that looks like an elephant features small arches to help give the “pachyderm” its shape. It sits in the southern portion of the Wonderland of Rocks rock climbing area north of Barker Dam and can be accessed, with some scrambling over and between boulders, from that trail.
• Window Rock – An arch that looks vaguely like a bird sits at the top of a rock wall along the Window Loop, a stacked loop off of the Maze Loop for a 5.3-mile hike. You’ll also pass through fantastical rock formations, slot canyons, Joshua tree forests, and desert washes. The trailhead is off of Park Boulevard.