Samuelson’s Rocks: Desert Philosophy Carved in Stone
All Photography © Paul Martinez
In a land defined by wind and stone, words rarely leave a permanent mark. Yet hidden among the boulders of Joshua Tree lies a curious monument to solitude and belief: Samuelson’s Rocks.
Here, in the late 1920s, a Swedish homesteader named John Samuelson carved his thoughts directly into the desert itself. The site consists of seven rocks (eight inscriptions in total) etched with musings on nature, politics, and society. The grammar is unpolished, the spelling inconsistent, but the voice is unmistakable: sharp, restless, and unafraid.
The Man Behind the Inscriptions
Samuelson arrived in the high desert around 1926, working briefly for Bill Keys before filing his own homestead claim in Lost Horse Valley. Unlike many homesteaders who left only ruins of cabins or rusting vehicles, Samuelson left behind words.
His inscriptions blend philosophy and protest: “Nature is God. Evolution is the mother and father of mankind,” reads one. Another, more pointed, declares: “A politician is a bird that gets in on the taxpayer’s pocket with both wings.”
The rocks became his soapbox, a way of broadcasting ideas in a place where few might ever read them.
A Desert Mystery
Samuelson’s later life veered into tragedy. He lost his homestead claim, moved west, and after a fatal altercation in Los Angeles, was declared insane. He spent his final years far from Joshua Tree, dying in a logging accident in Oregon in 1954.
What remains are the rocks themselves—unguarded, unmarked, and largely unchanged. The desert has weathered their surfaces, but the words endure, a strange dialogue between one man and the land he briefly called home.
Visiting Today
Samuelson’s Rocks are not listed on park maps or marked by signs. Reaching them requires a trek across open desert, roughly 1.25 miles each way from Lost Horse Valley. Navigation skills are essential; GPS or a reliable trail guide is recommended.
Visitors should treat the site with care. The carvings are part of Joshua Tree’s cultural history—fragile, irreplaceable, and legally protected. Touching or tracing them accelerates their erosion. As with all sites in the park, Leave No Trace principles apply: take only photographs, leave only footprints.
Why It Matters
Samuelson’s Rocks are more than a curiosity. They embody the enduring human impulse to leave a mark, to connect with the vastness of the desert through words, even if those words are carved in rough English on sun-baked stone.
For some, the site is a reminder of the desert’s role as a canvas for creativity and reflection. For others, it is proof that the Mojave has long drawn seekers—of beauty, of solitude, of meaning.
📍 Samuelson’s Rocks
Location: Off-trail in Lost Horse Valley, Joshua Tree National Park
Distance: ~2.5 miles round trip (unmarked route)
Essentials: Water, sun protection, GPS navigation
Note: No official signage. Respect the site and its history.
