How to find Arch Rock & Heart Rock in Joshua Tree National Park

We absolutely love visiting Joshua Tree National Park and have done so many times. We’ve gone bouldering in Joshua Tree, done a lot of hiking in Joshua Tree, and have most recently visited Joshua Tree with kids.

We hiked to Arch Rock and Heart Rock in Joshua Tree on our most recent visit with our young kids. It’s a perfect, easy hike if you’re traveling with littles or are just looking for an easy but beautiful and fun hike to add to your itinerary.

If you are looking for more great Joshua Tree hikes, be sure to check out my guide to Joshua Tree hikes– it’s all my top recommended hikes ranked from easy to difficult.

I consider the Arch Rock Nature Trail a can’t-miss hike within the park if you’re visiting for the first time. Also, to help you plan your visit before you go, be sure to check out my post 15 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Joshua Tree National Park.

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Best Time of Year to Hike to Arch Rock and Heart Rock in Joshua Tree

The best months for hiking to Heart Rock and Arch Rock in Joshua Tree are the fall and winter months of October-April. The summer months of June-September get far too hot for any enjoyable hiking, plus, park rangers actually recommend NOT hiking most of the hikes in the summer.

We’ve visited Joshua Tree in May before and even then it was already feeling far too hot to be outside. The heat was very draining and we were plowing through our water.

There is very little shade in Joshua Tree and the summer temperatures can reach 100° F- not an ideal (or even safe) time to hike.

The winter months require jackets and warm layers, but it’s far superior to hiking in the heat. Our most enjoyable hiking experiences were in November followed by January.

The park’s busiest month is March because of the perfect temps and the blooming wildflowers. However, I’ve heard the trails can be *quite* crowded at this time making the experience not as great as it could be otherwise.

Guided Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park

• Customizable Half-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park (think private 4.5-hour hiking experience suitable for all skill levels with a local guide telling you stories and experiences along the way)
• Full-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park (think private, 7-hour hiking experience suitable for all skill levels with a local guide and a completely customizable itinerary)
• Scavenger Hunt in Joshua Tree’s Hidden Valley Trail (think live, interactive host (via your phone) that creates a unique and fun scavenger hunt for your private group on the Hidden Valley Nature Trail in Joshua Tree)
• Desert Nature Walk + Sound Bath & Meditation in a Boulder Cave in Joshua Tree (think beautiful nature walk that ends at a boulder cave for an amazing and unique experience of a sound bath and guided meditation 😍)

Is Heart Rock in Joshua Tree *actually* hidden?

No! You may have come across travel content created a few years back that talks of Heart Rock being hidden or difficult to find. However, the great news is that that’s no longer the case.

The National Park Service now has a well-made trail directly to Heart Rock that detours off of Arch Rock Nature Trail. It’s super easy to find and there is even a sign pointing you in the right direction.

The short out-and-back detour to heart rock only adds on 0.3 miles in total to your hike to Arch Rock. It would be silly to not explore through the boulders over to Heart Rock if you are planning on hiking to Arch Rock.

Map to Arch Rock and Heart Rock via Arch Rock Trail

View this map of the trail to Arch Rock and Heart Rock to get familiar with the area, the trail layout, distance and elevation.

Arch Rock Nature Trail Trailhead Options

There are two trailhead options for starting your hike to Joshua Tree’s Arch Rock. These two options are the trailhead at the Twin Tanks Parking lot or the trailhead from White Tanks Campground.

I will focus on the Arch Rock hike that starts from the Twin Tanks Parking lot as the trailhead from White Tanks Campground is strictly reserved for visitors staying at those campsites (there were even signs up saying no parking allowed for other visitors).

If you are a camper at White Tanks Campground, the hike to Arch Rock from the campground is only 0.3 miles roundtrip.

Joshua Tree National Park’s Arch Rock + Heart Rock Trail

• Trailhead Location: Twin Tanks parking lot (it’s easy to find and the park map and road signage include where the Arch Rock Trailhead is).
• Length: Arch Rock is 1.4 miles roundtrip, if you add on Heart Rock it is 1.7 miles roundtrip
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Time: 40 minutes to 2 hours (depending on how much you explore)
• Dogs?: Not allowed on this trail
• Toilets?: Not at Twin Tanks Parking lot, but you can find toilets nearby at White Tanks Campground

The hike to Arch Rock and Heart Rock is a simple, mostly flat hike which makes it a great easy hike in Joshua Tree. This is a great hike for our kids because you can encourage them to keep on the lookout for a heart-shaped rock and a large arch rock.

Which, by the way, if you’re visiting Joshua Tree with kids, be sure to check out my guide to Joshua Tree with kids it has everything you need to know.

The Arch Rock Trail is indicated on the map in the brochure you can pick up from the booth as you enter Joshua Tree National park, however, Heart Rock is not indicated anywhere on the map.

But no worries, Heart Rock is just a super short, easy detour from the Arch Rock Trail. It’s well-marked and I’ll let you know everything you need to know.

Follow the park map and signs to the Twin Tanks Parking lot. If you want to use Google Maps in the park, you’ll need to download the area’s map beforehand on Google Maps because there’s no service/data available within the park.

From the Twin Tanks Parking Lot, you’ll start at the well-marked trailhead next to the road. However, shortly after starting the trail crosses the road and continues for 0.6 miles over to a lovely field of boulders.

The trail is quite open with absolutely no shade for the vast majority of the hike. Be sure to bring good sun protection and plenty of water.

After the beginning 0.6 miles, there is then a small 0.2-mile loop past Arch Rock. It doesn’t matter which direction you take that small loop, but it may be easier to spot the arch if you take the loop counterclockwise.

The area directly around Arch Rock is an area full of boulders making it a great area to clamber, climb and explore. We spent at least 30 minutes playing in that area alone with our kiddos.

Remember that if you are hiking this trail in the summer, park rangers recommend starting the hike before 10 am and bringing more water than you think is necessary. Really though, to have a good time hiking in Joshua Tree you should steer clear of visiting in the summer months anyways. It’s just too hot.

Heart Rock Detour from Arch Rock Trail in Joshua Tree

As I mentioned earlier, the location of Heart Rock in Joshua Tree used to be somewhat difficult to find as there was no marked trail or signage indicating the rock’s location. However, the National Park Service has created a well-marked path complete with a trail marker pointing you in the correct direction.

Adding Heart Rock to your Arch Rock hike in Joshua Tree will only add 0.3 miles in total to your hike. It would be totally silly to not take the trail to Heart Rock if you are already planning on doing Arch Rock (and vice-versa) both really should be visited if you are headed out that way.

For the best heart shape view, I recommend walking to the opposite side of the heart. The heart seemed to look more defined from that side and it seems to make for better photos and viewing.

Heart Rock could also be a fun spot to be at sunset with the sun going down behind the heart. Just be sure to bring a flashlight so you don’t get stuck on the trail in the dark.

And that’s what I think you need to know to hike the Arch Rock Trail in Joshua Tree National Park with a super easy detour to Heart Rock. Let me know if you have any questions about visiting Joshua Tree in the comments below- I’ll be sure to get back to you!

Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:

• The Ultimate Guide to Joshua Tree National Park and Nearby Towns
• 12 Gorgeous Joshua Tree Hikes You Need to Take (From Easy to Difficult)
• 15 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Joshua Tree National Park
• The Ultimate Guide to Joshua Tree with Kids: Things to do + Top Tips
• 7 Things to Know Before Bouldering In Joshua Tree National Park

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