I think the most scenic areas in Joshua Tree National Park are those areas with the weird and other-worldly boulder formations. Along with joshua trees, it's what JTree is known for. And it's hard to find more boulders than the Wonderland of Rocks area of the Park. The challenge is to find a way to get into (and out of) the Wonderland. With boulders everywhere, some the size of houses, it's not an easy area to navigate, especially for my tired old knees! There's a wash that you can follow that's probably the easiest way to get in (the Wonderland Wash) and it's where I took these pics. I've posted pics from this area previously HERE, and another shout-out to my blogging (and now hiking) friend Pat Tillett for showing me this area and some of the secrets it holds!
As you hike and boulder-hop through the area, you will be amazed by the rock formations. The number, the size, and the shape of all the different boulders is incredible. The way the rocks have eroded over the eons is also incredible and the resulting formations can be weird and fascinating. But enough yakking, let's look at some boulders!
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| "Split Rock" |
There are examples of split rock all over the park. This is one of many!
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| "Grumpy Face Rock" |
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| "Fulcrum Rock" |
"Fulcrum Rock" is actually not touching anything directly underneath it. It appears to be supported only by two small areas on either end, and it also looks like a good hard push could make it swing back and forth! In this photo, Pat appears to be living dangerously!!
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| Rock pillars |
Rock pillars are typical of the area, and make it tough to get from point A to point B if they happen to be in your way, which they frequently are!
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| A rock vein or dyke (or dike) |
A rock dyke (or dike) is a long, narrow, cross-cutting mass of igneous rock intruded into a fissure of older rock. These are commonly seen throughout the Joshua Tree area.
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| X marks the spot!! |
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| "Suspended in Air Rock" |
This huge boulder appears to be held in place by it's sheer weight pushing against the rock next to it.
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| "No-Name Rock"... it reminds me of something, I just can't think of what!! |
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| "Heart Rock" |
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| A good example of weird rock erosion |
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| More interesting erosion |
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| Does anyone else see a penguin?? |
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| "Swallow the Cactus Rock" |
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| "Bologna Sandwich Rock" I must have been getting hungry about this time on the hike!! |
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| "Big Nose Rock" |
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| "The Wave Rock" |
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| "The Wave Rock" up close... |
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| ... and closer still! |
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| Notice the hole on the left of Wave Rock? Depending upon your angle of view, this rock looks like all sorts of things! |
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| Hmmm.... "Butt Crack Rock??? |
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| "Helmet Rock" (hard to see from this angle, but there's a big hollow area inside this rock) |
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| The Freak Brothers (real name... I didn't make this one up!!) |
Sorry for the long post! I went a little crazy with all the boulder shots, but couldn't help myself. There are so many weird rock formations in Joshua Tree, I haven't even scratched the surface (pun intended)!!
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Hello, I enjoyed this series of photos from Joshua Tree. I like the heart rock and the wave. The rock formations are just amazing. Pretty skies too. Enjoy your day and weekend ahead!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the "long" post. I enjoyed every shot. What's amusing to me is that if I saw these formations as background in a TV show or movie, I'd figure the scenery folks were rank amateurs! Shows how wrong I could be, huh...? Super pictures, as always.
ReplyDeletewaddareya apologizing for, nut? I loved this. What a geologist heaven, huh. I'm not a geologist, but I worked in the geophysics department at UTEP for four years, spent a lot of summers in the desert with guys working on their masters/Phds. Loved driving along getting explained all the formations around us. Oh, I miss the southwest. (don't miss the windstorms). Sigh
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to see all these shapes!
ReplyDeleteThat is just great! Isn't it amazing how our imaginations can run wild in the desert?
ReplyDeleteStunning shots.
ReplyDeletethis is a place that would make me go crazy. Running around taking pics all over the place. :) Love it!
ReplyDeleteThis is quite a selection. These boulders are great! Such bizarre erosion patterns.
ReplyDeleteAmazing creations by Mother Nature ~ awesome photos ~ especially the~ first sky shot with rock formations ~ Wow! thanks,
ReplyDeleteWishing you a peaceful weekend ~ ^_^
Oh my these are simply incredible.
ReplyDeleteI just can't get over the beauty of these rocks. They don't even look real.
ReplyDeleteI love all these rocks - we have some great rock formations in my area but this is such a huge expanse that it's something else.
ReplyDeleteFantastic crock formations.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bunch of interesting rocks!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these photos. This is an area I will likely never get to see in person, but your pictures bring it to life.Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteAmazing place. Brilliant clicks.
ReplyDeleteWow - those rock shapes are amazing! Wonderful shots.
ReplyDeleteWow! Truly great photos! You take beautiful photographs.
ReplyDeleteIt was very nice to see all you photos with the names. You makes me smiling in the early morning. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThese rock formations are amazing. Not too many images for me.. I enjoyed every one of them!
ReplyDeletespeechless! amazing place and photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots and it proofs again that the subject of the photo is 99 percent of the succes and the rest 1 % ( perhaps a bit overrated ) but you find the most text about that 1 %.
ReplyDeleteJust amazing. Thank you for the virtual visit.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing every one of your boulder shots! They are wild and awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhen i saw your 'no-name' boulder, i had already thought it looked like a section of vertebrae, so maybe that's what you could nickname it!
I could make out the penguin too!
Loved all your shots! Although we've been to a place last year which abounds in large boulders, I've never ever seen such interesting rock formations before. Thanks for taking us a tour of this place. Amazing post!
ReplyDeleteWhat an adventure to find boulders to shoot and then explain what they look like to you. Amazing photographs!
ReplyDeleteThese are fantastic, I really want to visit. 'Helmet Rock' looks like a Turtle Shell
ReplyDeleteAmazing rock formations! I enjoyed the descriptions you gave them. It is fascinating what erosion can do over millions of years.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you, I would get carried away, too! What a wonderful part of the world that I have only seen by others' photos. The formations are just fantastic to see. I've never seen any 'dike' rocks, but we have plenty of 'concretions' (round rocks within the hillsides) here in New Zealand.
ReplyDeletegood to see. Many such formations can be found near Hampi, Karnataka
ReplyDeleteWonderful captures of nature's beautiful art!
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see --- I'm glad you got carried away; I love the pictures and your names for the formations. They cause my imagination to kick into overtime too -- the Wave looks to me like a hooded person, maybe a monk, contemplating. And then I get to thinking about all the years that have gone by in forming these rocks and yet they are still here ... and somehow that gives me hope.
ReplyDeleteHi there, like Mac Wheeler (a blogger friend of mine), I also want to know why you're apologizing. Bring on more of these beautiful images; they rock! (Pun intended) I love the names you gave them. Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog so regularly. I'm going to try and follow your blog. Interesting to say the least. And you're a fellow hiker. Thanks for sharing. Greetings Jo
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Your pictures brings really the best of beauty of the nature.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous series of images. From following Patrick for so many years, I have learned so much about this area. The rock formations, textures & terrain of Joshua Tree are fascinating!
ReplyDeleteGreat captures - I could look at pictures of the rocks all day. The swallow the cactus rock looks like a sea lion to me. Super exercises for the imagination. Wonderful area.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a place. A good spot to go hiking with somebody in case you twist in ankle in amongst those boulders or mr snake bites you. It looks like snake heaven to me.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post of the rock formations. Thank you for sharing your rock shots so that we can see and enjoy them without having to hike up there. Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteWow! Spectacular
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for visiting my blog.
Here I can see fantastic photos. I like a lot. I wish I were there.
regards
· The Absent Gaze · & · Torn Crystal ·
Lovely picyures! Have a lovely new week!
ReplyDeleteAs always, really awesome photos! Each one is beautifully different with interesting captions :-) I just climbed the Enchanted Rock in Texas this weekend and I saw those 'veins'. I didn't know then that they are called "dykes". Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteGreat set of pictures - I suspect that you would like a good many places in Australia as they have similar (but different!) looking rocks
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - In Melbourne, but jet-lagged!
Peter, What an interesting place to visit and photograph! I would love to see all of these boulders up close. There are some interesting shapes found in these rocks in the dessert. I'd be afraid of climbing around on rocks not only for fear I'd stumble or fall but what about snakes? Don't ya worry about those when you're out hiking like that? I really hate snakes, too. Your pictures are always so amazing the richness of a blue sky and contrasting landscape. Great job! Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, wonderful images, I like them all !
ReplyDeleteGrumpy face looks like a walrus face. The rocks are almost like clouds. The fluid shapes can resemble so many things.
ReplyDeleteWow! So many wonderful photos. I love some of the names you have given the rock formations!
ReplyDeleteSome of the rocks almost look like big massive bones, I bet there are lots of places to hide.
ReplyDeleteThey are great photos of the rocks. You could have gone on and on...
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos Pete! I recognize a lot of these rocks, but not all. I've never seen "bologna sandwich" rock before. I LOVE that one! I'd say we did pretty well in that wash for a couple of old guys. Well, I'm old, and your just "oldish." Great post!
ReplyDeleteWow, wow, wow! What a great series of captures! Love that rock!
ReplyDeleteWow. Just wow.
ReplyDelete