At Geology Tour Road
(2D first. 3D Galleries further down the page will require red–cyan glasses to see the full 3D effect. Click Photos to Enlarge.)
Return to Geology Tour Road Index
Trek Dates: Various. The 2013 Nov 11 trip includes late-afternoon golden-hour scenes
The perfect rest stop
On this page:
- Pleasant Valley
- Views of Malapai Hill & Squaw Tank
- Pictograph Rock
- Pleasant Valley Playa
- Gold mine ruins
GEOLOGY TOUR ROAD makes a sharp bend to the left below Squaw Tank as it descends into quiet, serene Pleasant Valley, a high-desert enclave whose 3200ft Elevation allows for occasional light winter snows. An absence of pinyon pines tells you that the elevation is below 4000ft. Joshua Trees, while present, are generally sparse.
Galena Mine ruins
The Park Service tour brochure lists several points of interest in Pleasant Valley. For those who haven’t got access to the brochure, my friend Elliot Koeppel reproduces it on his web page HERE describing Geology Tour Road. Scroll to Stop 10 to begin the detailed discussion.
Late afternoon shot of Squaw Tank and Malapai Hill
The following 2D and 3D pictures were taken from various areas in the Park. Several are from high above along the Lost Horse Mine Loop Trail (approximately 1200ft higher than the valley floor). Others, at the point where Queen Valley converges into Pleasant Valley, were taken near the vicinity of Malapai Hill and the Balanced Rock. The majority are on the valley floor where the 18-mile-long graded dirt road finishes its large square-shaped one-way ‘loop’ section and heads back up-country.
For the Pictograph Rocks, immediately after you leave Squaw Tank parking area and curve into Pleasant Valley, look on your immediate left for an area where the light-colored rocks overlap a group of much darker rocks and park at the side of the road (there is no established turnout). The pictograph rocks are close to the valley floor.
2D ♦ Indian Pictograph Rocks
Click images to enlarge. 1080p resolution. Or Windows users, right-click and choose SAVE LINK AS. Slideshow below.
2D ♦ Galina Mine Ruins
2D ♦ Scenes from Afar
2D ♦ Shots Close By
2D ♦ Pleasant Valley Slideshow
(Images take a minute to load)
- Use glasses to view 3D Anaglyphs
- Click to Enlarge Photos
3D Anaglyph Gallery
Feel free to download as many of the 3D Anaglyph or 3D Half Side-by-Side photographs as you like. Note: 3D H-SBS images should only be saved if you have access to a 3D TV.
3D Half Side-by-Side Gallery
Suitable for 3D TV viewing. Half Side-by-Sides avoid the minor Anaglyph anomalies that can occur. Click images to enlarge. 1080p resolution. Or Windows users, right-click and choose SAVE LINK AS.
Thank you for coming to Pleasant Valley on the Joshua Tree 3D website. Included in this Geology Tour section you will see many adaptations of the plants and animals of a sandy playa community. What are your adaptations to desert living? Would you be able to live in this harsh environment?
John Murbach
Posted 2015 Nov 8
Updated 2016 May 9
