Remember when you would look up at the sky and see fun shapes or animals in the clouds? Well, these artists never grew out of that, but instead of clouds, they saw the potential in boulders. Check out our favorite rock formations and painted rocks.
LessApples and Americana seem to go hand in hand. There’s mom’s apple pie, beloved serial trespasser Johnny Appleseed and, of course, the Apple Boulders of Perris, CA. This classic example of roadside art was created in 1983 by a local artist who, like so many artists before him, had a vision—a vision of something to munch on.
On the way to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear is Heart Rock Falls in the Valley of Enchantment. Sounds like the perfect place to take your honey for Valentine's! The actual falls are about a one mile round trip hike, suitable for mostly anyone - and here you will see the heart-shaped pool embedded in the rock created from the force of falling water. In summer, you can even take a dive in the swimming hole below the falls.
It's not certain when the tradition started but at some point in recent history someone thought it would be a good idea to paint this spherical boulder as a jack-o-lantern. Overlooking the valley it can be seen from a distance, its bright orange color standing out from the dry, neutral California landscape. It's also worth a detour just to hike up the boulder and have a clear view of the valley below.
This flimsy looking precipice is not for the faint of heart nor for the out of shape. Even though you're in for a treat with beautiful scenery during the hike, this isn't the most secluded destination. When you get to the actual ledge, you may be disappointed to find that a dozen or more people are in line in front of you to take their photos. In spite of all the negatives, you'll produce a pretty memorable photo for Facebook!
Toothy, menacing fish heads surfacing from the dry desert landscape. What's not to love? Still, these rocks have divided locals since the '30s, starting a war that would see the fish heads painted, embellished with graffiti, entirely painted over, and then (lucky for us!) repainted back on with just eyes and teeth.
As if the dry, harsh desert landscape of Joshua Tree isn’t enough to make you think of death, there’s a natural rock formation in the shape of a skull there that’ll do the trick, real quick. Water erosion carved out the eye-sockets and nose cavity, and your morbid imagination will fill in the rest.
This moderate 6.4-mile trail is reached via the Pacific Crest Trail and is named for large pieces of granite that closely resemble the magnificent bird of prey. To get there park in front of the Warner Springs Fire Dept. on Hwy 79. The trailhead starts on the right side of the station.
A giant boulder accessible via an unmarked trail has a natural formation in the shape of a heart. It's about 10 feet tall, rising out of a landscape strewn with boulders. Getting there might be tricky since there is no official path. The easiest way would be to first find Arch Rock and then find a path that will lead you northeast to Heart Rock. In a straight line Heart Rock is about 1,500 feet (1/4 mile) away from Arch Rock.
An elephantine rock on Highway 79 has been a mascot for a few causes. First, Hemet High baseball team painted "Uncle Wally's Elephant" on its side in 1967 after a popular coach at the school. After that the elephant became a sort of local tradition. Later on the elephant was painted pink to hopefully prevent DUIs and even made the cover of the CHP magazine.
No one really knows when this comic-strip-style eagle showed up but it's said to have appeared some time in the 1980s. To see it park in the Walgreens parking lot and walk west on Newport for half a mile. Eagle Rock will be on your left.