Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park

Nice little Joshua tree oasis close (10min) to the poppies at Antelope Valley Reserve. There are 2 loop trails- short nature trail and longer rare juniper trail (1mile). There are guides available but for some reason they don't have a trail map on them. It's a nice stop-by for easy hiking. Free!

Decided to check this out since I was visiting Lancaster...I love it when people decide to use their money to save a natural space for the rest of us..This is a nice place to take a short walk and look at all the plants...Right now it was beautiful with all the colors we have ...

This is a really great small park that is super close to the popular antelope valley poppy reserve. It is an easy thing to do in the same day, but I probably wouldn't drive out here just for this park. It is about a ten minute drive from the poppy reserve and is very small so is do-able even if you have already been hiking all day. The longest trail is a one mile loop, and they even have a shorter 0.3 mile loop which can take under 10 minutes even when you stop to enjoy the plants. They have a guide for the trail with blurbs to read at different numbered posts which help explain some of the ecology of the plants and animals around. We went right after visiting the poppy reserve during a superbloom and the desert woodland was a welcome change of pace away from the crowds. It was super peaceful and we only ran into two other groups and there were only five cars parked outside, a welcome change of scene after the insane traffic and parking nightmare near the poppy preserve.Also according to a docent, the desert woodland is actually a more rare habitat that used to be much more common. Apparently before the area was heavily farmed there used to be lots of Joshua trees in the area but they were cut down. Now after the farming stopped in some areas, we have places like the poppy preserve, but few places with the original habitat.The Joshua trees were in bloom and we also saw many other wildflowers. We did not see too much wildlife but we were only there for a short time. They have a few covered picnic benches, some informational signs, and ports potties. There is no visitors center or docents in the area so it is all self-guided.I was amazed at what a hidden gem this was, when 7 miles away was complete mayhem at the poppy preserve, and only a minuscule fraction of those people also came here. I highly recommend it if you are already in the area.

Easy to find, but requires that you drive through a long dirt-rock path to get to the inside of the state park!Plenty of Joshua tress all around, you can't miss it. It's crazy how you are in a desert habitat at this state park, but just 7 miles east, you see rolling hills and blooming poppies all around. Incredible!

I loved how simple the trails were to follow. The trails are also very flat, which is nice. Narrow though, which was my least favorite thing. The hubby and I did encounter our first rattlesnake today on the 1 mile trail. The other trail option is 0.3 miles. They are both very simple, super short, and with zero inclines. Two picnic tables are available just beyond the gate. Free parking. Two port-a-potty's are also near the picnic tables and entrance. A little history to enjoy in that area as well...

Very serene walking paths at this State Park. Well maintained paths and covered picnic area. There are maps for a self guided tour. Park on the north side of Lancaster Rd near gate entrance. For some reason google maps doesn't list this location as existing. The several times I've been there only saw 1 or 2 people for just a few seconds. Nice, quiet place to get out and commune with nature.

A pristine stand of Joshua trees. Lovely! Make sure you take water if you plan to hike here. Free!

Went to Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland SP after walking around Ft. Tejon SHP. They are not that far from each other.We only had time to do the 0.5 mi Nature Trail. You can also do a longer 1 mile hike there, but we didn't have lots of time.FREE parking, just on the side of the road in front of the gate & sign. There are 2 pit toilets a bit further in the park.Get the paper guide so you can read about the nature trail, otherwise it's kinda boring. Saw some Joshua Trees and Beavertail Cactus.Note: from Hwy 138 turn at 245th St West to Lancaster Rd.

Beautiful secluded park with very old Joshua trees, different from the ones you'd find elsewhere in the Mojave (much larger and with more arms). Quiet and close to the poppy reserve.

An open park (free, but no facilities) with an easy to walk trail. Park along the roadway and walk through the gate. When I was there the park's sign was knocked down, so keep an eye out in case it hasn't been repaired. Probably another overlooked park. I was the only one there, which was fine with me!