Cholla Cactus Garden – Skull Rock loop from Cholla Cactus Garden Parking Area

Bike touring routes & trails

United States

California

Riverside County

Cholla Cactus Garden – Skull Rock loop from Cholla Cactus Garden Parking Area

Hard

3.0

(11)

riders

Cholla Cactus Garden – Skull Rock loop from Cholla Cactus Garden Parking Area

03:09

45.4km

860m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: November 11, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Joshua Tree National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

54 m

Cholla Cactus Garden

Highlight • Natural Monument

The Cholla Cactus Garden is beautiful to look at – from a respective distance though. If you have ever hiked near a Cholla Cactus, you know why it is also called "the jumping cactus". Spiky parts of the plant somehow end up in you calves and it is no fun to get these out of your skin. So just enjoy the garden and keep your distance. ;)

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11.5 km

White Tank Campground

Highlight • Rest Area

White Tank is – at least in my opinion – the most beautiful campground within Joshua Tree National Park. Consider yourself lucky if you manage to get a spot since those fill up very early in the day, especially on weekends in spring and fall. Your backyard is an impressive landscape with large boulders you can climb.
Arch Rock is just around the corner.

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20.7 km

Skull Rock

Highlight • Natural Monument

Two hollowed-out eye sockets carved into a rock shaped like a skull await you here in Joshua Tree National Park. A beautiful 1.7-mile nature trail runs through the Skull Rock area.

Seeing-usa.com/sightseeing/california/joshua-tree-national-park.html

Translated by Google •

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20.7 km

Elephant Rock, Joshua Tree National Park

Highlight • Natural Monument

If you walk up the rocks past Skull Rock, you can see Elephant Rock in front of you.

Translated by Google •

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22.0 km

Jumbo Rocks Campground

Highlight • Rest Area

Great place to stay the night for camping you just have to have a reservation.

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22.4 km

Jumbo Rocks Campground

Highlight • Rest Area

A really cool place to camp with the huge rocks that define this part of the park.

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23.5 km

Park Boulevard, Joshua Tree National Park

Highlight • Trail

Park Boulevard Road offers stunning desert views, surrounded by iconic Joshua trees, rugged rock formations, and sweeping vistas. The road features smooth pavement with gentle climbs and descents. Start early to enjoy the sunrise light and avoid the intense afternoon heat. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water, as there are no refill stations along the way!

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