Hiking Mt. San Jacinto

On Saturday July 18th, Ashley and I hiked to the Summit of Mt. San Jacinto which is situated at 10,834 feet above sea level. The hike to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto is one of the best hikes in all of Southern California and is a must do peak for any avid hiker. This was an especially fun hike for both Ashley and since this was the first hike that Ashley and I ever did together over 2 years ago. Hiking to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto is a spectacular hike that continually rewards you with amazing views as you travel through Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The summit of Mt. San Jacinto provides spectacular views of Southern California.

Directions to Trailhead: Ashley and I used the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to get up to the trailhead area of the San Jacinto Wilderness to hike to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. To locate the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway look at this Map. The address for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is: One Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA. 92262. The Mountain Station where the tram drops you off has a restaurant, restrooms, and a nice little gift shop where you can pick up a trail map for your hike to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. The trailhead for the hike to the top of Mt. San Jacinto starts at the Mountain Station where the tram lets you off. There is an area near the Long Valley Ranger Station to get your free wilderness permit which is required to do the hike. For a map of the hiking trails in the Mt. San Jacinto State Park click Here. For current pricing on the cost of tickets to use the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to get to the top click Here. When we went prices were approximately 23 dollars per adult.

Description of Hike: The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes you from the Valley Station located at 2,643 feet and drops you off at the Mountain Station which is located at 8,516 feet. The Mountain Station has a snack shop, restrooms, and several eating options, but this is the last bit of civilization you will see before entering the designated San Jacinto Wilderness, which is contained in Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Note that there are periodic maintenance closures of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway during the month of August, so call 1-760-325-1391 to find their schedule in August. There is no cost for parking or for a wilderness permit, those costs are all rolled into the amount charged for your tram ride to the Mountain Station.

The hike to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto is 11 miles roundtrip with about 2,300 feet of elevation gain. The hiking trail is well traveled and you will probably see others out hiking as this is a popular trail. A map of the trails in the Mt. San Jacinto State Park is available for sale at the Mountain Station and Ashley and I would recommend purchasing one. The hiking maps only cost 2 dollars when we went. The temperature on the mountain is much cooler than it is in the Palm Springs area. Palm Springs was about 115 degrees Fahrenheit while the summit of Mt. San Jacinto was in the upper 70's. We took the 10am tram to the Mountain Station and were hiking by 10:30am. We reached the summit of Mt. San Jacinto at about 2:15pm and at lunch while soaking in the spectacular views for a while. We made it back to the mountain station at 5:30pm. The whole hike with stops was about 7 hrs.

If you don't have time to hike to the peak, there are two smaller nature trails located close to the Mountain Station. There is a self-guided nature trail and the Desert View Trail which offers panoramas of the high country including several peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation. Maps for these trails are provided free of charge with your ticket to ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The hiking trail to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto is usually well maintained and usually well marked. This is an out and back hike along a dirt trail that is at times rocky and uneven.

Further Thoughts: The hike to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto is a must do hike for any Southern California hiker. It is a well traveled trail and you will see people while out on the trail. The views are absolutely spectacular and they start with your ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and only get better on the way to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. Wellmans divide is a great place to stop before heading to the summit. It is located at about 9,700 ft. and has views of the wilderness to the south. The Mt. Jacinto State Park covers around 14,000 acres of wilderness and is located in between two portions of the San Bernardino National Forest Wilderness. Mt. San Jacinto State Park is truly a rugged area so be prepared with the proper gear when hiking here. Click Here to see the park brochure for Mt. San Jacinto State Park.

There is always a chance of seeing wildlife while hiking in Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Bears are occasionally found in the park, as well as deer, big horn sheep, the illusive mountain lion, and much more. Always be ready with your camera and be aware of your surroundings. Right below the summit of Mt. San Jacinto is the Mt. San Jacinto Peak Shelter that is worth checking out if you have the time. The cabin is located just before the scramble up to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto and can provide shelter for hikers in an emergency situation. From the summit of Mt. San Jacinto you can see Mt. San Gorgonio, Saddleback Mountain, Palomar Mountain, the Inland Empire, the Palm Springs area, and much much more. The views at the top of breathtaking as seen in the first picture of this post.

Make sure to obtain your free wilderness permit at the Long Valley Ranger Station located just outside the Mountain Station where the tram drops you off. Rangers will check that you have your permit while hiking the mountain and you don't want to be fined for not having a permit. The rangers we saw on the trail made sure that Ashley and I had ours. They have a permit system because the growing season is so short at this high of an altitude and there is a set number of people allowed on the trails in order to protect the Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness.

During the summer months, be on the lookout for thunderstorms that occasionally develop in this section of the San Bernardino National Forest and the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The best season to do this hike is the late spring, summer, and early fall as during the wintertime this peak becomes snow covered. Only experienced and properly equipped hikers should attempt the climb to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto when there is snow present. Current weather conditions at the Mountain Station can be found Here. There are also several wilderness campsites available to backpackers who would like to camp and hike for multiple days in Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The Round Valley Camp is located near the alpine meadows  area which is a cool area to see while hiking to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. The bottom-line is Ashley and I both highly recommend this hike as a must do hike in Southern California.

Rating: Elevation Gain: 2,300 ft. (Moderate - Strenuous), Distance: 11 Miles Roundtrip (Moderate - Strenuous), Note: be on the watch for Altitude sickness since the height of Mt. San Jacinto is 10,834 ft.

Time to Complete Hike: 6.5 - 8 hours.

MORE TRAIL WRITE-UPS ON MT. SAN JACINTO

July 10, 2007

July 20, 2009 (This Post)

View Mt. San Jacinto in a larger map