On a stormy July day in 2021, I finally went out and visited the Lonely Stones Petroglyph site. As is often the case, it had been on my list of places to visit for years.
This small and isolated petroglyph site is on a single boulder near the West (Joshua Tree) entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. It is reached from the North View Trailhead, which is an unmarked dirt pullout 1.7 miles east of the entrance station.
About 120 ft from the pullout, the North Side Trail heads west into the hills. Follow this trail for about a half mile through a little pass to find the Lonely Boulder. It stands out on its own.
The petroglyphs here are faint and few. I'm sure many people walk right by them and never notice them. DStretch doesn't even help to bring them out. There are also a couple of grind slicks and a mortar. Why this isolated site? Perhaps because it is in a saddle along an ancient trail? Your guess is as good as mine.
No directions or GPS to this site. Please enjoy my photos below. Please respect this site and leave it better than you found it.
