Arch Rock

Great short hike. Park at the lot across and down the road from the campsite. The trail is clearly marked and leads you right there. A bit of a climb up to the arch but totally worth it.

I happened to go to the desert during the heat wave, so that meant temperatures around 110F... so despite my poor choice of timing, this location was absolutely gorgeous. I was stunned at the visual appeal. It was so beautiful it even inspired my creativity and I couldn’t help but get straight to expressing this creativity once I was home (while I chugged Gatorade). Make sure to wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and big repellent for the bees and you’ll have a great time!

If you have seen arches and natural bridges in Southern Utah, this one will not impress you. In addition, the area is crowded with visitors. Since all of them have to pass the White Tank campground to get to the arch, I was sorry for the campers.

Its a gorgeous rock. Please make sure not to follow coordinates or else you will end up rock climbing just like me. My advice is to previously download your map to see the Arch rock and from there you can also find the rock. There is not a marked trail but just follow the crowd.

A fun spot to scramble within the park. Lots of cool stuff to discover.

Arch rock is so fun to climb around. You gotta park across the street and walk over but its a nice walk! Look for the illusive Heart rock

If youre into night photography you should definitely spend some time here and youll capture some amazing shots. I watched the Perseid media shower at its peak on the top and almost fell asleep with the peace and raw beauty

Great view dead center of all the rock formations. Wear shoes with great grip if you want to make it to the arch comfortably.

Easy to find trail to arch rock from white tank campground. There is a 4 car parking space inside that is only good during the daytime. Not too far is the heart shaped rock. Took us a bit of searching but we did it the next day. Beautiful place to explore.

Great if you find the way to the arch :) else its all maze! We arrived late almost at last light of the day and it was hard to follow the trail. Its a small hike & for all ages! The rock formations are absolutely stunning & golden light makes it magical. Its a Must See place while you are in Joshua Tree National Park.

Its OK but across the highway is some nice backpacking with a great trailhead parking lot

Nice little hike. Pay attention and take the right once you cross the road.

The Arch Rock Nature Trail is an easy hike to experience Joshua Tree National Park from the White Tank Campground. As a local I take family and friends here regularly for those who want an easy walk. For kids of all ages scrambling the monzonite granite boulders is great fun. The trail has interpreted signs for plants and geology along the way. Give it a try if you are looking for a short enjoyable introduction to the park and the Mojave Desert.

Wow those rocks. Fairly easy climb on to the arch rock it self - when you find it!!! It’s not the first rock you come to. You need to walk .7 miles/1,1km to get there from the car park.

This is a very incredible sight but it’s hard to get to parking in the road outside the campground gives you pretty easy access to this awesome rock. Also take your time to explore other parts of the rock formations as you will find smaller arches in the surrounding area l.

A very unique rock formation to see. Arch Rock is just a short hike from the parking area and the surrounding rock formations are also a great sight.

My #1 suggestion is to download offline maps and to screenshot some of the previous reviews on exactly how to get there. It wasnt the easiest to find and it was frustrating trying to get there before sunset. GPS was 100% off. Regardless of offline or not, even when I had service it seemed like we were off. If Id read the reviews or screenschot them before my visit, it would have been much easier!

This is a beautiful spot mixed in with the parks Campground system and the arch rock formation is worth the short walk, however, you can really only see it from one angle without climbing some rocks so its not something all will see. The rest of that sort walk is very interesting though. Unique camp sites that each offer a different experience for the tent - inclined hiker/camper. Wish we were younger to be able to have that experience. Not many spots to stop for the walk but if you find one, go for the walk. BTW, the pic is not of the arch, rather, some of the sites youll find while at that campgrounds.

Go check it out. Pretty cool rock, and we had the whole trail to ourselves. It wasn’t marked on the Park map, so I guess not a lot of people found it.

A fine arch. The hike is not that far and there seems to be a lot of parking.

Even though this arch is not as big as the world famous Utah Arch national park, but this arch is definitely more tranquil and less known by visitors. It located within the White Tank camping which is closed during summer. That means you got to park your car by the main road and walked to the arch rock. The walk is about 10min from the entrance of the camping compound to the beginning of Arch rock nature trail. Once you arrive at the base of the arch, you will need to do a bit of rock climbing to get right beneath the arch.

Pretty underwhelming in terms of crazy rocks, but still very cool to see. It has a nice nature trail along with it and lots of good bouldering and exploring around the boulders. Sunset here was beautiful

Super fun location. The nearby campground was closed, so there were no people here in the morning at all! We had the whole sunrise beauty to ourselves. Mesmerizing location. Really cool spot!

A bit hard to find but worth the effort

Not bad. Very Short hike. But u have to go through narrow pathways to get to the front of the rock.

Wonderful nature the desert life

Favourite spot in the park.Wonder around in the wilderness. Climb random rocks. Lay down on top of a rock and just enjoy the insane scenery.Came here mid Dec. The weather was perfect 20C (68F) and not too many people.

Fascinating place to visit! Easy access to these odd rock formations.

In this area of Joshua Tree National Park, the most distinct view are those rocks. You might thought this is somewhere out space. The trail among the rocks doesn’t take long time, but you can not expect to bring stroller for your kid.Btw, side by the rock, it is a camp site.

Short hike to see the arch rock . Beautiful landscape

Pretty cool! Parking could be hard to find because most of the car spots are for campers.

Great place to climb around - its also very busy.

Pictures dont do them justice. Adventure and risk.

Cool rock

Amazing rock formations on this hike. The boulders surface makes them easy to climb. These huge boulders sound hollow.

Pretty hidden but worth the find!

Fun easy hike. Park at the designated lot for an easy hike (fairly flat 15-30 minutes) or park the campgrounds for a 5 minute hike. Its tucked in behind the campsites-so a little tricky to find but short enough to eventually find it.

This is so fun to climb around and check out! Beautiful natural arch and easy to hike to.

Such an interesting rock formation, nice little walk.

Photographer from out of town and had to get some sunrise shots from the Arch rock area. It was so beautiful to witness. Loved Joshua Tree National Park

I got some great pictures here. A bit crowded at night for milkyway photography but the people were cool.

Fun to walk around the rocks!

Amazing rock formation. Good short hike

One of my favorite places in Joshua Tree

The arch is a bit tricky to find but the hike is gorgeous!

Right by White Tank campground, beautiful and great for an afternoon excursion.

We stopped specifically to find arch rock. Although the landscape is gorgeous, arch rock is a bit underwhelming compared to other famous rocks in the park.

A precious moment in time.

Beautiful arched rock feature on the edge of a park campground. Parking is limited in the campground for non campers but there is a larger lot closer to the road. Makes for great sunset or night photography photography.

Loved scrambling through the rocks after finding Arch Rock. Cool place for an adventure! We really had fun there. Abt half a mile in after the camp grounds, just follow the trail.

Fun place to explore

Majestic rock formation and definately worth the quick hike. We were alone during our visit probably due to mid June heat.#travelformortals

Amazing vibe and spectacular views

Easy for most ages

A fun experience. We came after a snow day, it was very beautiful. The only drawback is the ground is slippery.

Its an arch but not a spectacular arch...

Love this place, worth the drive

The 5 stars are for the beauty of the rock formations. The experience, however, depends on the time of year. If you go during the peak season, it becomes a zoo where you wont have any photo opportunities and will spend your time wondering how such a beautiful, serene site can attract loud, inconsiderate people. Go in the middle of the summer to fully enjoy. Better yet, take the backpacking trail nearby for more beautiful scenery and where you stand a better chance of observing wildlife.

Great for scrambling or night photography! Take the path right to it or air your own path over the rocks! Its not hard to climb on top of for that perfect picture

NOTE!! Local rangers were advising park at Twin Tanks backcountry registration lot. People have been going direct to White Tank campground and the extra cars are a bummer for them. Theres new signage to park @ Twin Tanks, then walk to Arch Rock. Do this: Park at Twin Tanks, walk past the back country registration board south. Your goal is a crosswalk to cross east on the main paved road. Before crossing, youll see a T in the hiking trails go left which is east. Cross the road watch traffic right side especially, theres a small hill in the road that partially hides traffic. Cross the street looking for black map signage. Careful here again the Calif Riding n Hiking Trail is here on this east side of the road also. See the fork in the trails? The one WITHOUT the rails to the right is the Arch rock trail. Trail sign for boots was moderate. Also, I saw only 3 (?) small black with white arrow signs pointing due east to get to Arch rock nature trail on the short 1 mile open path. You dont see boot prints or are veering north? Wrong trail turn back. As of DEC 2018, Google maps has Twin Tank prkg, Calif Riding n Hiking trail and Arch rock trails marked also, review this too. Hike due east and youll find the nature trail. The signage on the nature trail was light. I suggest looking on Hiking Project or similar to get a feel for the area. Rugged large boulders to scramble over and on. To get to the Arch was an out and back. I found one interesting small box canyon too. Stay aware of your location and direction. Arch rock was interesting and easily climbable, about 20ft or so high. Its roughly east of the trail from directions given. North and east of the White Tank camp site.

Fun adventure! We had a blast looking for and eventually finding the famous Heart Rock also.

Amazingly beautiful and totally worth the drive! Bring your kids for boulder climbing fun!

Great little hike, but dont stop at Arch Rock. Theres a lot of great climbing to do around the arch. The trail isnt marked well, but its on the right just after the trail crosses the road.

Entrance to the campgrounds and parking was closed today, but we parked on the roadside and hiked over to the arch. Really neat, much cooler than skull rock, which seems always crowded and overrated. Dont let a closed gate stop you from getting a view of this awesome formation.

Short hike in Joshua tree. It is just ok, the environment is way much better. This spot was crowded of teen models taking pics

Amazing natural arch. Be sure to check the park maps when walking from the carpark

Try not to disturb the people camping in the area!

The fun is in the adventure. Great place to play around and explore the white tank rocks. The arch itself is typically crowded, but there are plenty of other unique geological formations in the area to keep you busy for a while.

Honestly... kinda overrated

Easy to rich, just 1 minutes from the nearest car park.

Beautiful, great place to explore.

Massive stones in the middle of the desert. They are so gripping as the nature helps you to climb up at ease and be closer to the sky

Look for the ribbon and roses

Just a short hike from the parking area. Trail is well marked. not too steep of an approach. A bit of a scramble to get up in there Arch. Its not a huge Arch, but it is an arch. Its kind of hidden behind a large boulder so you have to get close to see it.

Such a beautiful spot. there are so many things to see and rocks to explore. the formations of the rocks will leave you in awe

This rock is huge! short hike to arch rock and it gets busy during peak milkyway season.

Short hike. Worth the view.

Easy hiking, but climbing with care.

Follow the sign along the road and park in the carpark. Cross the road at the crossing and follow the arrows and then the sign to the Arch Rock.

Awesome little hike with rocks that are breath taking! If your willing to do some simple hiking and a little rock climbing you can get some awesome pictures!

Short hike from parking lot - well marked. Stay to the left path to the arch, as its much easier to see the arch from the path. Great for kids!

Loved it!

Fantastic with snow

A beautiful place to check out and take some pictures. It is a short walk off the road and in my opinion is worth it. Also, sometimes the area gets a little crowded with photographers.

Amazing and magical place to camp out with your family and/or friends. Low cars beware! Trail is rough!

Nice trail to hike. Takes about 45 Minutes. Bring your camera, sun protection and plenty of water with you.

This is a beautiful rock formation that is only a short hike from the campground if you are not staying in the campground it may be difficult to find adequate parking as the campground only has narrow dirt roads and the spaces are reserved for campers. Definitely worth a visit in a trip to Joshua Tree.

Breathtaking

Great hike easy to navigate sometimes confusing as the decor is similar but great rock formation to explore.

Arch Rock is awesome because it features swirly rock formations with an insane valley view. Its ten minutes of moderate bouldering from the parking lot, and may require shoes with good traction. The actual arch rock is underwhelming and kind of cramped in between other rocks. The whole cluster is worth seeing though. It has quirky nooks, interesting textures, and super-fun level changes.

Worth it!! Be careful the trail is so tricky!

Nice rock formations. The south bend in the trail loop is not obvious: if youre in the campground, youve missed it.

It’s a rock in an arch just go see it.

A secret that the park rangers wont tell you about, due to very limited parking (5 spaces). Beautiful rock formations, including a natural arch. Explore off-trail near the arch for even better views and great rock scrambling with no expertise required.

A piece of rock in form of a arch. If you are looking for a 1 mile hike rather than just drive up to the rock then start ar the twin tank parkong lot. It is a flat hike. The end section gets a little bit rocky if one wants to take photo with the arch.

You can see beautiful night sky as you never seen it before!

Beautiful views, climb the rocks for a nice hike, be sure to wear appropriate hiking gear so you dont slip and fall. Right below this track you can camp out but I believe you have to reserve the spots as theres only a few here, theres other ones around the park.Also entry to park for a single vehicle is 30 bucks.

Had a lot of fun and overall was a great over nighter. We have the camping bug now and have a bunch of places planned out. If you visit Joshua tree in the winter it gets cold so bring the right gear

Beautiful rock structure.

Pretty cool arch and really fun and easy climbing to get to the top. I would not recommend it for older people as there is no road to it, but visible from afar.