Hidden Valley Nature Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Wildflowers

Signs along the nature trail help visitors identify the park's fauna and flora. The trail is mostly level, crossing through hard-packed sand, but it does venture through some of the valley's interesting rock formations.

As a popular and short loop, the trail can be crowded.

This loop encircles the inside of a natural corral made of immense rock walls and boulders.

Hidden Valley's natural enclosure holds more rain than the surrounding area, creating a unique micro-habitat that brings together a wide range of plants and animals not typically found together in this section of the Park.

In 1936, desert pioneer Bill Keys blasted a notch through these walls to improve access for his cattle herds. Today this serves as Hidden Valley's main access point.

A remarkable variety of amphibians, reptiles and mammals call the area home in addition to desert wildflowers, cacti species, and lichens.