Barker Dam in Joshua Tree National Park

Barker Dam

Constructed by early cattlemen in 1900, Barker Dam was raised in 1949 by rancher William F. Keys.

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Barker Dam Details

Constructed by early cattlemen in 1900, Barker Dam was raised in 1949 by rancher William F. Keys. The dam is between Queen Valley and the Wonderland of Rocks near the Wall Street Mill, and is accessible via the easy-to-navigate Barker Dam Nature Trail, which winds through a series of boulders at the southern end of the Wonderland of Rocks. The area draws desert wildlife, including many species of birds and Desert Bighorn Sheep. If possible, time your visit to the dam during the winter and spring as the water can all but disappear in the dry season.

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

N/A

Region

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Nearby Parks Around Barker Dam

Compare nearby parks around Barker Dam when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

12.0 mi away

Joshua Tree

National Park · CA

172.8 mi away

Death Valley

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267.9 mi away

Grand Canyon

National Park · AZ

281.8 mi away

Zion

National Park · UT

321.0 mi away

Yosemite

National Park · CA

330.6 mi away

Pinnacles

National Park · CA

Nearby Points of Interest Around Barker Dam

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Barker Dam while the map context is still fresh.

0.2 mi away

Barker Dam Nature Trail

The Barker Dam loop winds through a series of boulders at the southern end of the Wonderland of Rocks.

0.5 mi away

Wonderland of Rocks

In the north-central area of the park is the famed Wonderland of Rocks, a 12-square-mile backcountry maze of monzogranite boulder piles.

0.5 mi away

Wall Street Mill Trail

During the first half of the 20th century, Joshua Tree was scattered with miners hunting for gold, and the ore from Desert Queen Mine and others ended up at Wall Street Mill.

0.8 mi away

Wall Street Mill

The Wall Street Mill was a gold-ore crushing mill.

1.3 mi away

Hidden Valley Campground

Hidden Valley Campground has 44 dirt-pad sites, able to accommodate tents and RVs.