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 Reporter |
Summary: This moderate all day outing is as good as it gets. The trip starts out by taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway almost a mile straight up into the San Jacinto wilderness. The first 2 miles of trail traverses a lovely pine forest, passing through Round Valley. The trail then begins a 1 mile accent to Wellman Divide, a great spot for lunch with breathtaking views. At this point the trail heads north towards the peak. The forest is somewhat open with the ground covered in lush vegetation, and ever more stunning views of the desert below. Near the summit you will encounter a small stone cabin, and after a easy rock scramble up a 100 yards or so, you will be at the peak. John Muir considered the view from San Jacinto peak one of the most sublime on earth. It is a great hike! Trailhead: From Interstate 10, take the Palm Springs exit (hwy 111) and drive 9 miles to Tramway road. Turn right and follow the road 3.5 miles to its end at the Tramway parking lot. The tram takes you from palm springs to the 8500 foot level near Long Valley in a short, but spectacular 12 minute ride. The cost was about twenty bucks round trip. (Lat:33.81308 Lon:-116.63841) Trail Guides for San Jacinto Peak via Palm Springs Tram: 100 Great hikes in and near Palm Springs by Philip Ferranti (Westcliffe Publishers) San Bernardino Mountain Trails by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Ranger Contact: USFS (909) 659-2177 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 9 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by PuterProf on 7/2/2009 If this is moderate, I've got a lot of work still to do! Took me 9 hours tram-to-tram, wouldn't have made it without cloud cover ~half the time. Have done 10 mile hikes 16X in last 6 months, but at 1000-4000'. Today was 75-85 degrees at Long Valley, light breeze, high altitude made this strenous for the old guy. I'll wait 'till it cools off again.
Reviewed by Darren on 6/5/2009 6/30/09 Rode up the tram and we were hiking by 840am, there was a ranger checking permits. The trail is completely clear to the top and is plenty wide and well maintained. I did this is running shoes as did many people. The view front the top is spectacular, we could look across and see rain on San Gorgonio that day. 
Reviewed by GC on 5/25/2009 The 360' view is incredible. Best done in summer June thru August. We get a group and do it every year!
Reviewed by Jordan on 5/8/2009 Done this hike in summer once and it was awesome... recently tried to do the hike from the idywild side and knee to at times hip high snow blocked us from tackling the pk... also did not bring waterproof boots... not a good idea nor gaitors did howver have ice axe and cramp ons. But what good are those w/ out the boots eh... anyway that was bout a month ago.. so gonna give it another go in the next couple days. view is awesome
Reviewed by steve on 5/3/2009 ditto meg. Hiked yesterday 5/2/09. 1st time up. Trails were covered with snow. No Crampons / ice axe. Somehow found our way to the summit after 5 1/2 hours of guess work. Very windy and cold on the peak. Coming down was another story, but made it in about 3 1/2 hours. Will do this hike again, but after much of the snow is gone.
Reviewed by Meg on 5/2/2009 Did this hike on 4-28-09. Snow and ice on 80% of trail still. Didn't bring crampons or ice axe, but somehow managed to make it alive. Though I would highly recommend taking at least crampons if you want to enjoy yourself. Had the trail completely to ourselves. Make sure you bring map and compass because there are footprints you can follow if you don't know the trail but they thin out quite a bit past the campsite 2 miles in. 
Reviewed by manolo lucido on 12/11/2008 I did this hike 12-9-08 and it was cold that day. Weather was awesome and was about at 30 degrees with a wind speed of 30mph. Wear something warm, like tights. Layer yourself. With me, a wind blocker gloves, a summit jacket, baklava, definitely bring your crampons. I do have mine that day and I had fun, poles, headlamp and don't forget your camera. In a few days ahead it will be a wild weather. Check the weather news I believe the snow level will be at about below 5000ft. I will be back that day......
Reviewed by ehc on 12/9/2008 My boyfriend and I did this hike 12/8/08. It was absolutely spectacular. We weren't as prepared as we could have been. Lots of snow and very slick ice. Crampons recommended, however we made it up and back in 5 hours with hiking shoes. Weather called for high of 47 degrees with 22mph winds...however don't let this fool you...it was VERY cold!!! I recommend hat, gloves, and long underwear for sure. Hike was challenging and am looking forward to going when the weather is a bit friendlier. Would have liked to hang around the summit some more. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Riverside County Hiking, Riverside County Trails, Riverside County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||