Garrett's Arch is a 4.5 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Twentynine Palms, California that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and nature trips.
hiking
nature trips
views
wildlife
off trail
no shade
no dogs
Not a marked or official trail. It is marked for the first 1.5 miles or so and is a pleasant, flat walk through a field of Joshua Trees. After the historic car there are no further markings.
Stacy Wuthier recorded Garrett's Arch
I would recommend anyone who wants to get a little more off the beaten path. Very happy I had my GPS, there were a couple of unexpected turns. The gap was worth scrapple up. The view was amazing. Start early little shade at spots.
The trail is quite well marked at the very beginning, but is soon super difficult to follow if you don’t have a GPS with you. We downloaded the map on our phone beforehand, which helps a lot, but doesn’t necessarily show whether you need to climb on rocks or walk on a path. We couldn’t finish the loop and simply went backwards half way, mostly because of the heat (end of July heat wave + we started too late in the morning), but it was already worth it, with scenic views of boulders, vegetation, and of the desert in general. Bring plenty of water, as you get no shadows and the temperatures go very high. And most of all, try to start with sunrise, so that you can get the fresh morning breeze during your walk (we started at 8.00 and felt it was already too hot too quickly). The trail is not crowded at all, and the views are definitely worth it.
Super hard to follow, starts off on a well marked trail and then the rest is following the GPS. We didnt complete the loop because the bugs got so bad so we just went to the old mill and back. Very easy to get lost so I would suggest downloading the map beforehand.
One of the hidden gems of jtnp. No trail markers keeps the yahoos away. The arch reminds me of the thunder cats logo. Awesome scrambling and privacy
Good trail and great views but I echo the other reviews regarding GPS. There is no trail or trail markings. You need to be following the GPS the whole time. The views of the arch is worth it
A fun exploration through rock wilderness to great arch. Requires continuous trail finding, landmark orienting, along with mild rock scrambling. There are no trail markings and trail is very vague. You will need a map with clear descriptions of landmarks. It will test your sense of direction. The hike and the arch are very worth the journey.
Brad H.
This hike is scenically wonderful, but don’t try it without a GPS because there is no trail for most of it. You will “feel your way” by connecting one wash to another. Turns are not marked, and if you don’t pay attention to your nav, you could follow a wash much deeper into the outback than you are prepared for. Take the loop clockwise so the giant boulder hop at the end is downhill. This last section requires some skillful agility, and can be dangerous if you aren’t careful.
We really liked this hike. Lots of up and down climbing on rocks. Long enough for lunch break during the hike. We climbed up high in several places for big vistas. Super flowers all along the way. No one out there!
