The Hall of Horrors area is a great spot for those who enjoy hiking and exploring unique geological features and slot canyons. It is a major rock formation in the park.
Hall of Horrors Trail Basics
Under 1 Hour
0.6 Miles Roundtrip
Loop
26 Feet
Duration: Under 1 Hour
We walked the Hall of Horrors Loop around the large rock formations and the short slot canyon for about an hour.
Distance: 0.6 Miles Roundtrip
It’s hard to judge the length of the trail because of exploring the slot canyons. To walk just around the rock formations is a 0.6-mile trail.
Type: Loop Trail
Walking around the Hall of Horrors is a loop trail that takes you from the Hall of Horrors Parking Lot to the back of the formations and around.
Elevation Change: 26 Feet
The trail at Hall of Horrors is pretty flat. If you want to go through the slot canyons then you will have to do some rock scrambling.
Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Joshua Tree National Park is great any time of the year. Just keep in mind, since it’s in the desert, it gets very hot in the summer months. The best time to go is in the cooler months of the spring or fall for the most mild weather, although this is also peak season in the park.
Time of Day: Any
You can walk the Hall of Horrors Hike at any time of the day since the park doesn’t have closing hours. If you are at the park in the summer, you’ll want to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the heat.
Amount of Shade: Minimal
There’s not much shade in the Hall of Horrors area. The iconic Joshua Trees don’t offer a lot of shade. The only time you are in the shade is if you climb through the slot canyons.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Overall, this is an easy route and a great way to see some of the unique rock formations at Joshua Tree National Park. If you choose to go into the slot canyons the hike becomes a moderate to somewhat difficult hike.
What Makes Hall of Horrors a Great Hike?
The first day we drove through Joshua Tree National Park, we passed the parking area for the Hall of Horrors Trailhead. Ryan said he wanted to stop but we didn’t have time and told him we would check it out the next day. When we got back to the rental home, I looked up the Hall of Horrors and it looked like a great trail. I read a few other posts about finding the hidden valley of the slot canyons. Then I forgot when we got there which direction to walk around and we went the long way to get to the slots. But that’s ok because it took us through a little bit more of the desert to see the vegetation that we don’t have at home.
Once we found the slots, we had to climb over a large boulder near the entrances. We went into the larger of the two canyons first and took that to the end of the slot. Then we found the opening for the smaller slot canyon. The boys wanted to explore past the smallest squeeze, but I couldn’t make it through. Only my dad, Tyler, and Ryan could fit through, so I sent Tyler with my phone to take photos. They were able to get through and climb up some rocks near the top of the canyon for a scenic view of the area.
Hall of Horrors ended up being one of our favorite things we did in the park and we were so glad Ryan asked about it! We enjoyed the hike around the major landmark rocks and exploring the slot canyons. Tyler and Ryan especially loved being able to go back into the slot canyon with my dad to explore even further and see how far they could get.
Scenery on the Hall of Horrors Trail
Start of the Trail
When you start the trail, you are walking through a flat area of the desert facing the first boulder cluster and between the Joshua Trees.
Tyler & Ryan in the larger slot canyon
A view of the smaller slot canyon
On the Trail
As you continue past the first set of rocks you’ll see the second set of jumbo rocks and more of the great expanse of high desert.
End of the Trail
This is a loop trail, so it technically ends back at the parking area, but the highlight of the trip is at the slot canyons. Make sure you don’t miss those!
Notable Places on the Hike
The best part of this short less-than-a-mile hike was the slot canyons! We put our climbing skills to the test and scrambled over the rocks to find the hidden gem. There are two slot canyons, the one on the left is a much wider canyon and easier to get into. The slot canyon on the right side requires a bit more rock scrambling, including dropping from a small boulder, to get to the narrow slot. Make sure, though, that if you go down into the canyon you will be able to get back out.
Tyler squeezing through the slot canyon
View from the top of the narrow slot canyon
Hall of Horrors Trailhead Information
Park Name: Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is located in Southern California, about halfway between Los Angeles and the Arizona border. The closest airports are Palm Springs International Airport and Twentynine Palms Airport. Both of those are small airports, though, so the closest major airport is Los Angeles. From there, you'll need to rent a car to drive about 4 hours east into the desert to get to the Joshua Tree Area.
Finding the Trailhead
The trailhead is located on the north side of Park Boulevard next to the vault toilet in the parking lot. Make sure you walk past the first set of boulders to get to the real Hall of Horrors behind it.
Markers Along the Trail
We didn't see any markers along the trail at Hall of Horrors. You are looking for natural markers that indicate the crack in the rocks for the slot canyons.
Nearest Restrooms
A set of vault toilets is available in the parking area.
Parking Area
The parking area is on Park Blvd near the Ryan Mountain Trailhead and the Ryan camp grounds. Joshua Tree's western entrance in the town of Joshua Tree is the closest entrance. There are over 30 parking spots in this day use area. When you come in from the west entrance, drive past the Hidden Valley Campground and Barker Dam Road. If you are coming in from the north entrance in Twentynine Palms, drive past Skull Rock and Jumbo Rocks, and the parking area is on the right just after the Ryan Mountain Trailhead.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
There aren't any trails in the same parking area but there are two that are close:
- Saddle Rocks rock climbing area
- Ruins/Lost Horse Well Road
- Ryan Mountain Trail
Tips for Hall of Horrors
- If you are planning to go straight to the slot canyons, walk clockwise from the parking lot. Take a short walk past the south horror rocks to the second pile and look for the opening on the left-hand side of the north horror rock.
- There are quite a few different paths that you can take in the area. Just remember, if you want to go to the slot canyon, make sure to go to the northern grouping of rocks that you can't see from the parking lot.
- This is a very popular destination for rock climbers, and we saw a few of them getting ready to climb as we were heading back into the parking area.
- There is a fee to enter Joshua Tree National Park. The entrance fee is $30 per vehicle for 7-day. You can also either purchase a park-specific annual pass for $55 or get an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass for $80.
- Google Maps will get you to the Hall of Horrors rock formation, but not to the slot canyons. Take a look at the map below. The vault toilet marker is the parking area. The Hall of Horrors trail marker is at the rock with the slot canyon. I dropped the grey pin that is as close as I could get to the entrance of the slot canyons themselves.
Accessibility Information for Hall of Horrors
Sand
Paved
Trail Type: Sand
The general trail is a small trail through the desert made of dirt and sand. While it wouldn’t be easy for a wheelchair, there are no steep inclines or steps to navigate. Sometimes the sand is thick, so I wouldn’t suggest this trail.
Parking: Paved
There is ample parking in the Hall of Horrors area on a paved lot.