JTNP: Exploring the Twin Tanks Area 
If you're looking, as we were, for a short but scenic day hike, you'd be hard pressed to find a better spot for it than Joshua Tree National Park. We'd heard about some petroglyphs in the Twin Tanks area so that was our goal for the day. As usual, along the way we found more than we expected. Solitude was the first surprise since the parking lot at the trailhead was bustling. However, we didn't see a single soul for the entire day! The other thing that surprised us was the amount of pottery fragments that turned up. Either there were a few clumsy Indians around many years ago or the population was much larger than we would have expected. In any case, these little gems from the past always brought a shout of discovery from us. We did find the petroglyphs. They're quite well hidden in the rock walls of a dry waterfall. Even more satisfying was the discovery of a rock shelter, bedrock mortar and a few pottery fragments that marked the location of a small camp amidst a huge boulder pile. On our way back we also visited the Twin Tanks area with its petroglyphs, historic dams built by long vanished cattle ranchers, and scenic location. A few other odds and ends turned up as well but you'll have to get to clicking on the photo link below to get the whole story!