Hidden Valley is a small, boulder-ringed basin in Joshua Tree National Park, and it looks, appropriately enough, like a place a person might hide something. Piles of pale monzogranite, rounded by weathering into stacked blocks and domes, form a natural wall around a flat of grass and desert shrubs, with a one-mile loop trail running through it. The local legend says that cattle rustlers used the valley to hide stolen herds in the late nineteenth century, behind rock walls that made a natural corral, and that a rancher named Bill Keys later improved the site for his own cattle. The story is well worn, but the setting makes it easy to believe.
Joshua trees are the star of the park, and here they stand scattered around the boulders, their branches twisted into odd shapes. They are not trees at all, but a kind of yucca, and they only grow in the Mojave Desert. The name is said to have been given by Mormon settlers, who thought the arms reached out like the biblical Joshua. Climbers love this part of the park, and on any weekend morning you will see them bouldering on the rock faces, chalk bags swinging.
Park Boulevard is the road through. It runs north-south through the heart of the park, a smooth, gently rolling ribbon with wide curves, long views and a desert palette of tan and olive. It is not a technical ride, but the combination of boulders, Joshua trees and open sky is remarkable. In spring, if there has been rain, wildflowers cover the ground. Summer is brutally hot, with midday temperatures over forty degrees, so ride early or late, and in winter, mornings can be near freezing.
Twentynine Palms, about seventeen kilometres to the north, is the nearest sizeable town, with fuel, supermarkets and restaurants, and the town of Joshua Tree, on the west side, has more cafes and shops. A park entrance fee is charged, and the car park at Hidden Valley is small, so come early. Carry plenty of water, wear a hat, and leave the cacti alone. The silence here is one of the best things about the place.