Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail

Not the most exciting hike. You walk along a path through a groove of cholla cacti. They have informational pamphlets which were out during our trip, unfortunately. Be careful near the cacti.

A very short walk through a mass of cholla cacti. It’s definitely worth a quick stop (the trail is very short and can be done in a few minutes) and the view to the south towards the Pinto Basin with all the cacti in the foreground is very beautiful.

They were out of the informational pamphlets when we were there which was unfortunate.

short trail but interesting

One of my favorite parts of Joshua Tree! We went at sunset and it was stunning! Very easy, not even really a hike but gorgeous none the less!

Short but beautiful nature walk through some cholla cacti. Go an hour before sunset to see the sun shine through the cactus needles and give them a magical glow!

Cool stop sling the way between hikes but more of a sideshow than a hike.

10 to 15 minute walk. Stroll through a huge cactus garden. Cool stuff.

A very beautiful short loop through a nice Cholla Cactus Patch. Very easy hike but lots of opportunities for good photos. Does not take longer than 30 minutes.

This is a very nice little walk through an amazing little grove of jumping cholla cactus. Today there weren’t any of the papers with the information relating to the sign posts along the way. It would have been nice to learn more about the cactus ecology.

Cute cactus

Not a hike but a beautiful little stop in Joshua Tree National Park. Quick, super easy loop. Family friendly. Don't touch the cacti! We saw a few injured people because of this.

Worth the stop; it doesn't take long. Photo tip: Take a pic of the cholla with the sun shining through the needles from behind. Gives them a cool halo effect!

Short but nice hike beautiful views. Joshua Tree is so beautiful so many trails and adventures

Very unique area in JTNP as has varying and beautiful terrain.

Excellent short walk right off the main road.

This is a really cool place to stop in Joshua Tree. I recommend going towards sundown because the cactus looked beautiful at that time. Make sure to take a pamphlet at the beginning of the garden walk before walking through to learn about the garden.

If you are visiting Joshua Tree NP, this is a neat place to stop and see. Stay away from the cacti. They are difficult and painful to remove, even with tweezers.

This is a short walk through a beautiful garden. Stay on trail and keep away from the cacti... I saw some tourists ignore the signs and get pricked pretty bad!

This was a nice quick hike that was very interesting.

Beautiful, short walk, good for kids and dogs. Great time, super easy.

in the evening the sun will make the thorns on the cacti glow white. Very cool.

Beautiful garden

So many bees out right now! The garden is amazing, especially closer to sunset when the cacti look even fluffier with the sun at their back.

The cacti were so stinking cute and it was such a perfect day out to experience their beauty! Definitely will be coming back again to explore more of What Joshua tree has to offer!

Easy photo ops

Quick, flat, and interesting

Short and easy trail. Walk in the park. Worth the short drive east to enjoy the beauty of what Joshua Tree has to offer.

This is a short easy trail that shouldn't be missed.

There is a boardwalk to keep people from compressing the soil around plant roots and further stressing the cacti. Of course, this trail receives the typical number of idiots who think THEIR picture-taking is more important than the plants' survival, so they leave the boardwalk. Please don’t be one of those troglodytes.

If YOU are one of those selfish idiots, I hope the cactus gets you but good.

Be aware that cholla cactus don’t have regular spines, which typically prick the skin and stay on the cactus. Cholla cactus have spines that have evolved barbs that keep the spine in the skin. These ensure that the almost invisible pricker stays in the skin for a long time. These cause a lot more pain than their size would indicate … pangs from annoying to excruciating when that patch of skin is rubbed the wrong way. And they are virtually invisible ... and victims might not even realize they been glochided until the pain strikes.

For those of you who are not rude enough to leave this or any other trail, I advise you to visit this beautiful area at sunset. When the sun is low in the sky, the cholla glochids, which are virtually transparent, will seem to glow in the sunlight and each cacti will look as though it is outlined in neon lights.

This is a lovely short hike thru the largest concentration of Cholla Cacti (aka Teddy Bear Cacti) in the park. We went in December, during a period of unprecedented levels of visitation, so the hike was crowded.

The hike was short and well marked. Part of it even had a board walk.

Hikers with bee allergies should be careful with this trail. Bee populations with be extremely high when the cacti are blooming.

Overall I really liked this hike. It was very easy, but the beautiful Cacti with a mountain backdrop made for some great pictures.

Super short and super easy, but worth to take beautifull teddybear cactus pics.