Joshua Tree: Part of the Westside Loop Trail Closed for Repairs at Black Rock

If you're planning a hike over on the Black Rock side of Joshua Tree, there's one thing worth checking before you finalize your route. Part of the Westside Loop Trail is currently closed while crews carry out repairs on the trail.

The closure doesn't affect the whole route. Only one stretch of the loop is shut down, the section in the Black Rock area in the northwest corner of the park. The rest of the nearby trail network stays open, but you'll have to work around this break in the usual path.

There's real work behind this. Park crews and volunteers are out on the ground putting the trail back in shape. Those repairs are why the trail is closed. You can't mix an active work site with hikers without putting both at risk. It's as much a safety call as a quality one, since a well-kept trail is safer and more pleasant over time.

No firm reopening date has been announced yet. We'd treat the restriction as in effect until further notice and check on the area right before you set out, either at the visitor center or with the rangers on site. Work like this sometimes moves fast and sometimes doesn't, depending on the desert weather and the crews available.

For your visit, here's the practical takeaway. Have a backup route ready in the Black Rock area or elsewhere in the park, and check which sections are open before you commit. Joshua Tree isn't short on alternatives, from the yucca fields to the rock piles and the trails farther south.

To place Black Rock within the rest of the park and plan the rest of your trip, lean on our Joshua Tree park guide. And if you're spending several days roaming the region, take a look at our road trip itinerary that runs through this park to map out your stops.