Garrett's Arch

Garrett's Arch... said to be the largest arch in Joshua Tree National Park. Also said to be located at the highest elevation of any significant arch in the Park. I'm an arch lover and yet had never taken the time to hike to it. That's assuming I can find it. I was long overdue! 

There are a lot of photos with this post, so pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and enjoy!

Photo credit: http://cali49.com/jtnp/2013/9/2/garretts-arch  Thanks, Elliot!

The Wonderland of Rocks is a huge conglomerate of rocks and boulders sticking up out of the ground like... well, like a bunch of rocks. It's not like the rest of the Park doesn't have lots of rocks and boulders. But the Wonderland just has more. Much more.

Sitting near the center of the Wonderland, Garrett's Arch is not the easiest place to get to. On the other hand, the location isn't "secret" like so many of the other spots I visit or stumble upon. The challenge is to make your way up, around, and across various washes and a seemingly endless landscape of huge boulders and crazy rock formations. An early landmark as we start our hike is the Wonderland Ranch, which I recently posted about here.

The going may be slow at times, but the scenery is magnificent. Occasionally there is a trail to follow, but often the trail disappears, or splinters into many trails. It's best to study the terrain thoroughly before you go and mark waypoints on your GPS device. It's very easy to get disoriented in the rocky terrain.

You will hike by the hidden cave that contains a bighorn sheep skeleton. I think I may be one of the few people who know about it. I happened upon it when hiking with my friend Patrick Tillett a couple years back. At the time, I reported it to the Park Service and gave them the coordinates. They said it was very likely a mountain lion kill. On this hike, I wanted to see if it was where we left it. Yep, still there, although it appears the Park Service has tried to hide it by covering it with Nolina leaves. I uncovered the head, took this photo, and then covered it back up the way I found it before heading on my way.

Keep your eyes open for this interesting rock. He goes by various names, including "The Creature" and "The Walrus". If you see him, you will know you are going in the correct direction (north). When viewed from the other direction, he looks like a giant wave.

Just goes to show you... rocks and arches look completely different when viewed from different directions. On your return hike, after visiting Garrett's Arch, you will see "The Wave" but not "The Creature"!

Somewhere past "The Creature", Wonderland Wash will start to open up. This makes it a little easier to get lost or turned around. A good landmark in this area is to continue in the general direction of "Punk Rock". See the rock formation in the upper center of the photo with the spiky rocks sticking up?

See the rock face? (center right)

Close up of Punk Rock

For my money, you just can't beat the Wonderland of Rocks area for it's rugged beauty. You likely won't have the place all to yourself and you will see LOTS of footprints, so a very different experience than what I am used to out in the east Joshua Tree Wilderness Area. But an overall wonderful experience in a beautiful setting.

The Freak Brothers rock formation

The three Freak Brothers in B&W

Somewhere in a hidden location in this general area is a large rocky surface with a profusion of Native American rock art. It's definitely worth visiting and it's more or less on your way to Garrett's Arch. The pictographs and petroglyphs are nothing short of amazing. 

If you are relying solely on rock formations to guide you to Garrett's Arch (which I don't recommend), things can get a little weird. You should have hiked past "The Creature" and have been using Punk Rock to guide you north. Take the second right after the Freak Brothers, which means you will be heading east. Very soon, you should see "Weenie Rock" on your right (I didn't make that one up) and the Red Obelisk. You should also see Fat Freddie's Cat and Peabrain rock formations in this area. See what I mean about things getting weird??

Weenie Rock in the foreground.

Heart rock... or perhaps butt rock??

Close up of the Weenie

The Red Obelisk. You can't miss it!

The Red Obelisk, as seen from the back side.

Dinosaur Rock (I made that one up)

And finally...

Garrett's Arch. It's sooooooo much more impressive in person. It's difficult to get any scale on the photo, so you can't appreciate how big it really is.

Closer...

Closer...

Closest! (glad I had my telephoto lens with me)

Here are a couple photos to help give you some perspective. I didn't take them.

Photo credit: http://www.wendyandcurtis.com/experiences-posts/2016/2/27/finding-garretts-arch

I made the decision (probably one of my few smart decisions) to not hike up to the arch. I was hiking alone, the rocks looked steep and slick, and my legs were already tired. But I like this photo because it helps you appreciate the size of Garrett's Arch.

Photo credit: https://www.meetup.com/HI-DESERT-HIKING-CLUB/photos

Another perspective photo. I don't know these intrepid hikers, but they made it up to the arch, so I give them lots of credit. Congratulations!

At some point on the hike back, not far from the arch, things got cloudy, the light went flat, and these desert shrubs really came alive. The yellows and reds were everywhere. It was a magical moment that didn't last long. When the sun came back out, the colors blended in with the background and all but disappeared. Amazing!

Profile shot of the three Freak Brothers. So long, friends, until my next visit!

Wave rock. Almost home!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Please stay safe and healthy. I just read a notice on my phone that CA recorded it's deadliest day yet, with 115 deaths in the last 24 hours from COVID-19.