North View, Maze, Window Rock Loop in Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Hike North View, Maze, Window Rock Loop Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Class 1 7.8 miles 900 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Apr 14, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

North View, Maze, Window Rock Loop GPX Track

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North View, Maze, Window Rock Loop is norotious for getting hikers lost. It's an official trail, but there are certainly spots where it's not super clear where to go if you're not paying attention to cairns/signs. The hike visits great rock formations as well as open desert and Joshua trees. Overall the hike is pretty flat, only gaining any notable amount of elevation early on.

I started clockwise via the North View Trail, which took me up through really gorgeous blocky Joshua Tree granite. There are two spur trails to named "lookouts", which were worth the detours. The trail continued down into hilly desert where I met with the Maze Trail. This section didn't feel more maze-like than the North View Trail, but it did have more great rocks to look at. I extended the Maze Trail a bit by including the Window Rock Loop to see more pretty desert scenery. To complete the loop, the trail heads northwest through mostly open desert, almost paralleling the scenic road through Joshua Tree National Park.

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Starting along the North View Trail.
Starting along the North View Trail.
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You gain the majority of the hike's elevation toward the beginning of the North View Trail, but otherwise the hike is relatively flat.
You gain the majority of the hike's elevation toward the beginning of the North View Trail, but otherwise the hike is relatively flat.
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Junction with the Copper Mountain side trail viewpoint.
Junction with the Copper Mountain side trail viewpoint.
Copper Mountain View.
Copper Mountain View.
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Another named view called "West Hills View".
Another named view called "West Hills View".
Leaving the rocky area of the North View Trail and descending.
Leaving the rocky area of the North View Trail and descending.
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Somewhere along the Maze Trail.
Somewhere along the Maze Trail.
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Maze Trail.
Maze Trail.
Just before joining with the Window Rock Loop. You can see Window Rock at the very top of the right rocky hill here. The trail doesn't get much closer to be able to see it.
Just before joining with the Window Rock Loop. You can see Window Rock at the very top of the right rocky hill here. The trail doesn't get much closer to be able to see it.
Pretty sections of the Window Rock Loop.
Pretty sections of the Window Rock Loop.
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Open desert walking for the last couple miles of the loop.
Open desert walking for the last couple miles of the loop.
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Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!