If you are a hiker, you will see it when using the Barker Dam Nature Trail, one of the best hikes in Joshua Tree. Sometimes, the dam completely dries out during the dry season. Similarly, you are not allowed to swim in the dam, and in any case, the water level is usually too low for a swim.

Can You Swim in Barker Dam? The dam was built to preserve the scarce desert water, not to use it foolishly. Apart from it, the water level is usually too low to plunge into the water and enjoy a swim.

Best swimming holes near Joshua Tree, CA 92252

• Barker Dam Trail. 6.2 mi. Hiking, Parks.
• Tahquitz Canyon. 26.1 mi. 184 reviews.
• Peace On Deep Creek. 47.8 mi. Climbing, Fishing.
• Joshua Tree Lake Rv & Campground. 6.9 mi.
• Indian Canyons. 27.9 mi.
• Joshua Tree National Park. 15.7 mi.
• Jenks Lake. 33.0 mi.
• Deep Creek Hot Springs. 51.4 mi.

Coyote Hole is located off of Park Drive in Joshua Tree and is surrounded by land owned by the Mojave Desert Land Trust. Coyote Hole is located off of Park Drive in Joshua Tree and is surrounded by land owned by the Mojave Desert Land Trust.

Hydration and hypothermia: In the arid desert environment of Joshua Tree, staying hydrated is critical. Water is available in surrounding towns, at the visitor center in Twentynine Palms, at Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds, at the entrance station south of Joshua Tree, and at the Indian Cove ranger station.

The Best 10 Lakes near Joshua Tree, CA 92252

• Barker Dam Trail. 6.2 mi. Hiking, Parks.
• Jenks Lake. 33.0 mi. 33 reviews.
• Joshua Tree Lake Rv & Campground. 6.9 mi. 124 reviews.
• Whitewater Riverbed. 23.1 mi.
• Sam’s Family Spa Hot Water Resort. 15.3 mi.
• Big Bear Lake. 35.9 mi.
• Whitewater Preserve. 21.8 mi.
• Lake Fulmor. 34.6 mi.

In fact, there are no swimming holes in Joshua Tree: All water must be reserved for wildlife, as it is scarce and often seasonal. Instead, approach the hike quietly in hopes of spotting animals who use it, like desert bighorn sheep.

Coyotes typically dig their own dens, but sometimes coyotes will enlarge abandoned badger holes. Coyote dens usually have entrances that are 1 to 2 feet wide, and are 5 to 15 feet deep.

Petroglyphs are rock carvings (rock paintings are called pictographs) made by pecking directly on the rock surface using a stone chisel and a hammerstone. When the desert varnish (or patina) on the surface of the rock was chipped off, the lighter rock underneath was exposed, creating the petroglyph.

The Joshua Tree grows in arid deserts; they often grow in groups called groves. The Joshua Tree can be found in the Mojave Desert with elevations from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. The spiny leaf of the Joshua Tree is turned upwards in hopes it will catch any moisture in the air. Then it stores the water in the limbs and trunk.

Yes, it is safe to drink the water in the area around Joshua Tree and inside Joshua Tree National Park, however you will likely want to plan to bring your own water in with you into the park. Joshua Tree has an incredibly dry climate and extremely varied high and low temperatures between day and nighttime.

Barker Dam Loop visits a small foreign-looking reservoir within the Wonderland of Rocks in Joshua Tree National Park. Hikers of all abilities will enjoy this level 1.5-mile hike. The water can all but disappear during the dry season, so make a point to visit this trail in the winter and spring.

Catch a glimpse of the far-off San Gorgonio Mountain. View the plant life of the Mojave Desert, including Joshua trees, creosote, Mojave yucca, pinon pines, and more. This trail is ideal for short visits, families, wildlife enthusiasts, rock art and history enthusiasts, photographers, and novice scramblers.

Barker Dam was build over a century ago by ranchers eager to save up some of the desert’s most vital resource, water. The trail turns west, leaves the lake and enters a flat piece of desert that is home to several tall Joshua trees.

Explore the rocky desert landscape of Joshua Tree on the Barker Dam Trail, an easy 1.1 (1.8 km) loop. Wander through Joshua Tree’s iconic monzogranite boulders, namesake Joshua trees, and past the historic Barker Dam. Visit a rock art site and experience human history from a respectful distance.