Barker Dam Nature Trail & Petroglyphs: Joshua Tree National Park
When we arrived at Joshua Tree for the first time on a spring Friday afternoon, we first hiked the Barker Dam Trail. To my surprise, at 1:30 p.m., the parking lot was three-fourths of the way empty. I’d read that this is supposed to be one of, if not the most popular, trails in the park, so I had resigned myself to a busy experience. While my wife and I were not the only ones on the trail, it was not overly crowded.
Hiking the Barker Dam Nature Trail
We started down the well-worn path, the sand crunching under our shoes with each step. The 1.1-mile loop is basically flat and was a great place to start our weekend adventure in the park. The trail immediately became surrounded by Joshua Tree’s iconic granite boulders. There were signs for climbing routes here and there. Dozens of songbirds buzzed around the rocks and plant life. I noticed creosote, Mojave yucca, pinon pines, and plenty of beautiful Joshua trees along the way.
The Barker Dam was built by cattleman C.O. Barker in 1900 and later expanded by Bill Keys. If you plan well, you can tour the remarkably well-preserved Keys Ranch in Joshua Tree, but you will need an advance reservation.
Soon, we arrived at the dam. I was taken aback by how incredibly green it was. A little water makes an oasis of life possible in the harsh desert climate. And as expected, where there is water, there is wildlife. We did not see any desert bighorn sheep but did spy a few rabbits, squirrels, plentiful songbirds, and one very pretty hummingbird that buzzed within a foot of my face.
We spent about 15 minutes relaxing in the shade by the dam, looking for wildlife and sipping water. After leaving, we began to loop back around, passing by wildflowers and many Joshua trees.
Petroglyphs in Joshua Tree
Next, we came to petroglyphs, which, besides the incredible scenery, was what I was most excited about on this hike. Many of the petroglyphs have been traced with paint, which Hollywood film companies reportedly did to make them stand out. Several Westerns were filmed in the Barker Dam area during the 1940s and 50s.
After enjoying the rock art view, we returned to the car. We passed numerous interpretive signs along the short walk back to the parking lot. The entire hike, including a break at the dam, took us around 45 minutes.
The Barker Dam Trail is a great way to start any trip to Joshua Tree, and I am certainly glad we did.
