Here's the highlights of my second day in Joshua Tree National Park. This was supposed to have been on Monday but was delayed until Tuesday due to the car troubles.

Looking back towards Twentynine Palms

A fluffy insect I found

The park is full of walking trails and today I did four of them. I avoided anything as strenuous as my first hike so that I would have enough energy to keep going all day.

The first trail was called Queen Valley (I think) and was a short walk to a vantage point out over a canyon. There were a number of old mine openings on the opposite side so I decided to walk around to see them. On the way I passed the ruins of a building that houses miners. There was a metal bed frame that still looked fairly intact after decades of weathering. All of the mine openings were guarded by solid cages unfortunately so I wasn't able to get a good look inside.

A large Joshua Tree

Unfortunately some people feel the need to vandalise historic artefacts

Next was a drive up to Keys View, a ridge top which gives an awesome view over Palm Springs and down towards the Salton Sea where I had been previously. The air was fairly smoky from the Lake Fire which continues to burn so I could only just make out the shoreline. There were warnings around the park to tell people about thirsty bees in the car park here. Because conditions are so dry bees are attracted to the condensation that forms from car airconditioning. I could definitely hear them while I was up there but I didn't have any issues with them around my car.

The road to Keys View

I stuck my GoPro on the hood of the car and filmed the trip back from Keys View. Make sure to watch in full screen and HD!

Before setting up camp I took another short walk to Barker Dam. This is an artificial dam that was built by cattle ranchers back when the area was wetter and grassier than it is today. The drought meant that the dam was bone dry and looked like it had been for some time. The colouring on the rocks showed where the water would normally sit. The dam is entirely fed by rainfall so it will take some time for it to return to normal.

After seeing the dam the path took a different route back to the car park. At one point it passed a small cave which contained etchings by a native tribe who's name I have forgotten. Unfortunately some people felt the need to paint over some of the etchings but there were still many that were unmolested.

I had heard good things about the Hidden Valley camp site so I decided that's where I'd stay. I hadn't managed my cash properly so I had to pay $20 for the night when the rate was only $15. The site is similar to Jumbo Rocks but the granite boulders here are much larger. I chose a site that would be shaded in the morning and set up my tent.

A view of the Hidden Valley camp ground with my tent on the left

It was only midday at this point so I forced myself to do the nearby Hidden Valley hike. This track goes through a valley that was supposedly used by cattle rustlers. The valley is naturally more humid than much of the surrounding area which allows more trees to grow. There were Pinyon Pines and Junipers as well as Joshua Trees in the more exposed areas.

After the Hidden Valley I was pretty exhausted and sat in the shade reading a book for a few hours while I waited for temperature to drop a little. Once it had I climbed up on some of the rocks behind my tent and got a nice view of the landscape. The granite rocks were easy to climb on but quite rough on the hands.

View from on top of the rocks

As the sun was setting I started my final walk of the day. During the summer most animals sleep during the day and only come out at dusk so I was hoping that I might see some. This walk was a short one to the Wall Street Mill, an old mill used to crush rock ore and extract precious metals. The mill was really well preserved and looked just like something out of the wild west. There were also a number of old cars that were in various stages of decay.

I sat on the rocks above my camp site and watched the day turn to night. Tiny bats appeared chasing after insects, and I saw a hummingbird or two. Hares and Squirrels emerged from rocks and bushes. The coolest moment of all was when I woke up during the night to the sound of Coyotes howling in unison.

Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most beautiful and unique places I have seen. I couldn't stop taking photos but I don't think I ever really did it justice. It is just so big and wide and open that it is impossible to capture. I'd love to come back one day, preferably in spring as I'm told that the for a few weeks the park is a sea of brightly coloured flowers. For now it's time to head for the cooler climate of the Sierra Mountains and Sequoia National Park.