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Mount San Jacinto State Park
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
25 reviews for Mount San Jacinto State Park
25 reviews in English
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Review from Christina L.
Rosemead, CA
1/4/2012
Favorite hike of 2011: San Jacinto via the 10.5 mile Marion Mountain trail.
My hiking buddy J believes in hiking the most arduous routes so the popular Palms Springs tramway was not only unacceptable, it would be considered cheating. Expect crowds. I passed quite a few people using this as a Whitney training hike. Despite being insanely popular, I chatted with quite a few friendly hikers.
I was able to pick one up a wilderness permit the morning of on a Saturday in July however, I found the detour to this particular visitor center inconvenient especially after such a long drive. I am used to a long commute so neither me nor my hybrid minded the 100 mile drive EACH WAY, which includes oh-so-fun mountain driving. If you are coming from LA, plan accordingly! Idyllwild is MUCH farther than Baldy or Gorgonio.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this hike. I spent a good portion of the early morning smelling trees in order trying to discover the source of the amazing sweet piney fragrance. Despite being July, the water created a surprisingly lush and verdant landscape. With that, however, comes mosquitoes. During spring & summer, bring your deet or if you're anti-deet like me, don't forget your lemon eucalyptus.
Unfortunately, my Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) kicks in much lower than most & I was suffering from dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, & jaw pain at 7,500 ft. I am a quite a stubborn one so I continued on at a snail's pace, which allowed 50 hikers -- young and old-- to pass me. Embarrassing.
The tram and the Mount Marion trail meet for the final 0.3 miles at the saddle and then continues on to a rock scramble, the infamous cabin, and the glorious sign that reads, "Mt. San Jacinto Peak Elev. 10,834." SUCCESS!
The pain and embarrassment of the grueling hike were totally worth every painful moment. Now if only I can get my hands on a San Gorgonio wilderness permit then I'll complete the three saints. Just not in one day. -
Review from Faith B.
12/20/2011
I've been to palm springs a billion times, but for some crazy reason I had not gone up to this park until this weekend!!
A friend of mine was telling me how since we love to hike we have to check it out, and if we were lucky we might see a patch of snow here or there.. (Now I am going to put all blame on her for the story I am about to tell... even though we are a family of gadgets so there is no reason on this planet we should not have checked the weather)...
So we pulled up to the aerial tram that you have to take to the top to get to the park, and we noticed that everyone had their snow gear on (It is December but in palm springs... ummm... sure...). So I decided to grab my jacket to throw on over my yoga pants, t-shirt and gym shoes...and my husband grabbed his to go over his t-shirt and SHORTS... just in case there was something that the entire population but us knew... cause you know... we like to be prepared...
As we crammed into the packed gondola with every ones puffy jackets and snow sleds... we started to notice that the higher we got the thicker the layer of snow got on the mountain side.... only to bring us to the top of our 8500 ft destination and BAM... WINTER WONDERLAND!!!!!!
We are a couple of adventurers though... so the fact that it was snowing and a few ft of snow on the ground was not going to stop us... we did the responsible thing and bought a couple beanies, cheap knit mittens and a thin hoodie at the little gift shop and out of the lodge into the world we went!
As we clutched onto the railing and tried to scale down the mountain to the trails (even people in full on snow gear were falling all over the place)... we took the comments of "you guys are definitely from California" as a compliment. We tried to play it off like we live in the snow so this is nothing... but I think when the snow fall level starts to reach mid thigh height... not even people from the snow are that foolish...
We were still out there for about an hour though and hiked the small nature trail... I'm sure in normal weather that would have been a warm up hike... but considering the conditions we felt accomplished!
It was just absolutely breathtaking though. I can not wait to hike up a storm in the spring up there or even go back in appropriate winter clothes! The sites are priceless and if you are into photography... the shots are endless!!!!!!! -
Review from Miguel R.
11/29/2011
19th Century Naturalist John Muir wrote of San Jacinto Peak, "The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!" This is very likely true since you can see everything from desert terrain to alpine terrain - pretty much everything the Earth has to offer. Proof that there is no place like California on this planet - we have it all!!!!
To get to Mt. San Jacinto State Park it is best to take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway at Valley Station. This is an adventure in itself!
Mountain Station which is at the top of the tramway is pretty cool. There are sightseeing balconies from where you can get spectacular views of the valley below and the adjacent forest.
We decided to do the Round Valley Loop instead of doing the strenuous hike to Mt. San Jacinto. First you have to walk down a cement trail to the ranger station in order to check in and sign a permit. It's free and required. The ranger that attended us told us that there was an easy half in this loop and a harder one. She recommended that we take the easy trail into the wilderness and come back to Mountain Station using the harder path. Immediately after the ranger station the scenery gets gorgeous. There are huge and beautiful rock formations with pine trees interspersed among them everywhere you look. It is all so amazingly beautiful that we actually made a mistake. We got to a bridge and I decided it had to be crossed in order to continue on the easy trail. My BF thought that the bridge seemed to lead to nowhere. I couldn't see why a bridge would lead to nowhere but decided to go down a trail that he was sure was the trail we had to take. This trail took us to huge boulders that were forming a small tunnel - nice! Then the trail got kind of hard to follow. We spotted older hikers and they told us that we were on the hard trail haha! I'm never letting my BF live this one down. They said it was better to start on the hard trail anyway. In any case it was too late to go back to the easy trail so we continued our ascent on the hard trail. The scenery got better and better. As we climbed we got better views of different peaks along the way. When we got to the midway point of the Round Valley Loop we decided to explore the campsite that was a little further down the way. There was a cool ranger station there. We sat down for a while and ate some granola bars and then got up and walked back to the midway point. The way back was beautiful as well. Towards the end of this part of the loop we got to see some really breathtaking cliffs and just about in that area I spotted Mountain Station perched atop a cliff. We were close. We got to see a gray squirrel carry a pine cone in its mouth up a tree. It was amazing. The squirrel almost dropped it but he managed to keep it in his mouth! I saw some Blue Jays too! The Round Valley Loop is kid friendly.
The cement trail up to Mountain Station is kind of a doozy. This hike is the most beautiful hike I have ever experienced. It provides you with equal parts exercise and time to meditate. I will definitely come back someday!!!!Listed in: Magical Palm Springs Area
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Review from Vickram J.
9/6/2011
One of the nicest parks in Southern California! I imagine this park is what a lot of California must have been like generations ago.
I spent about 8 hours hiking through the park on the weekend, and had an amazing time. I think hiking to the top of San Jacinto peak is a bit overrated -- the views are nice up there, but you'll get nicer and less crowded views from many other parks of the park. Wellmans Divide is a nice spot to sit, chill for a bit and take it all in. Looking forward to coming back in the winter. -
Review from Emi K.
6/13/2011 2 photos
Dave D., if you ever get a chance to read this, I have news for you: IT'S NOT JUST WALKING. ;)
My boyfriend and I hiked to Mount San Jacinto's summit last Saturday. Our adventure began with a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway from Valley Station up to Mountain Station. From there we took the trail from Round Valley to the top and back down via Wellman's Divide. Due to the substantial snow coverage obstructing the path, the trail was a tad difficult to follow. However, after enduring eight and a half hours of blood, sweat, and tears (literally), we made it to the top of Southern California's second highest mountain range! (See pictures.)
Hiking Hazards: Apart from needing to adjust to the altitude change and the patches of snow on various parts of the trail veering us off course, we did not encounter the outdoor hazards we were warned about prior to embarking on our hike including severe weather and wild animals.
What I Love About Hiking: The etiquette and camaraderie attracts me to the sport. Every hiker we crossed paths with during our upward bound journey either greeted us with a friendly salutation ('howdy!") or positive words of encouragement ("good job!," or "you're so close!"). Unlike running, there is no fierce competition to be found in hiking. Hikers are a close knit group lending tremendous moral support to each other.
Making Mountains Out Of Mountains: I underestimated the mental and physical challenges that awaited me as we began our descent towards the mountaintop. I apologize, Mount San Jacinto. I'm not worthy.
Fuel: PB&J sandwiches, Trail mix, 2.5 liters of water, and 1 liter of Gatorade.
Equipment: Camelbak, Trekking Poles, Wicking clothing, CoolMax socks, and North Face hiking shoes.
Additional Notes: I tried to take a picture of a California Gray Squirrel we spotted at the top but the critter skittered off before I had a chance. Also I kept my boyfriend thoroughly entertained by shouting out random comments during our hike such as "WE'RE ON AN EPIC QUEST!" and "Now I know how Frodo must have felt."Listed in: Inland Empire, Hiking!
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Review from Kaard B.
Laguna Beach, CA
8/10/2011
Mt. San Jacinto is a beautiful park and provides one of the best hiking places near Los Angeles. The access to Idyllwild and the park campgrounds are a great plus. A hike up the Devils Slide trail never disappoints! I loved my stay at Stone Creek Campground within the State Park, check it out on my blog here:
http://campca.blogspot... -
Review from Joyce L.
Rancho Mirage, CA
3/3/2011
A great place to hike and or spend time with the family. as a child we use to bring an RV here and spend out school breaks swimming at the rec center, hiking, and or goofing off to gather with my brothers and sisters.
It is cold right now as I can tell you first hand, but simply beautiful. You're above the clouds and the falls are flowing. Very cold water mind you. It's also such a drive getting up here. There's a small town to do a little shopping and or dinning.
Bring a camera and sunscreen, good shoes to hike with and a bathing suit if you feel bold! -
Review from Colleen J.
Laguna Hills, CA
4/4/2011
My knees are screaming from the 6 mile Deer Springs Trail to Suicide Rock hike yesterday, but the pain is well worth it. It's a steep climb for the first 2 miles but then it levels off and you can actually enjoy the trail. The viewpoint at Suicide Rock is breathtaking.
Mount San Jacinto State Park is an excellent place for Alpine style hiking in So Cal. It's comparable to, dare I say it, gulp, Yosemite. In that there are dramatic granite boulders and a reliable snow pack that creates pretty dripping creeks and small waterfalls.
Idywild is a cute mountain town that luckily does not get that trashy vibe that Big Bear has going on. If you plan to hike be sure to stop by the ranger station and get your free day pass, every time I've been hiking in the area I have been asked to produce the pass. It takes 5 minutes and it's free, no excuses. -
Review from Sara W.
Pasadena, CA
I love the San Jacinto Wilderness because it's relatively accessible from more urban areas of Southern California. Plus the town of Idyllwild is so quaint! You can hike up to the San Jacinto Wilderness from Idyllwild or take the tram up from Palm Springs. There is a trail from the desert called the "Palms to the Pines" but it's only for the most experienced, hardcore backpackers. From Idyllwild you can hike up to Suicide Rock or take the Devil Slide Trail to Taquitz Rock, Tahquitz Peak and the Mount San Jacinto peak.
I've done Devils Slide from Idyllwild. It's only 2.5 miles but you gain something like 2,500 feet with steep switchbacks. It levels off once you get Saddle Junction. I would consider it a moderate hike. I saw 65 year old women tearing it up! The trails are nice at the top and the view of Tahquitz Rock phenomenal!
Lovely place to camp! Unfortunately no campfires allowed but you can bring a stove. And make sure to bring plenty of water because there is no water to speak of unless you go while it's snowing. If someone knows about a water source please PLEASE email me! :) This hike requires a lot of water due to the altitude gain. Bring a Camel Pack or a bladder!
Also it's a great trail for dogs! The San Jacinto Wilderness lets you bring dogs while the other trails in the area do not. But make sure to keep them on a leash. There is still plenty of wildlife that will want to make Fido a tasty treat.
You will need a free permit from the Ranger Station in town. Yes, they check! The last thing you want is to get 3/4 the way up the mountain only to get sent back by the ranger. You will need an Adventure Pass to be able to park at the trailheads. They are $35 for an annual pass but they can be used at most California Parks. I also use mine at Yosemite. It's worth the money! You can buy them online or at the Ranger Station when you pick up your permit. -
Review from Rachel S.
San Diego, CA
6/12/2011
My friends and I decided to backpack up Deer Springs trail to the summit this weekend. Phenomenal views the whole way up! The trail is beautiful - about 10 miles+/- to the top - and doesn't seem like it would be too difficult with a day pack, but with our 30-40lb packs it was pretty intense. Well worth the views from the top! We got to Little Round campground in about 6 hours, set up camp and left our packs behind for the last climb up to the summit. One woman we passed said the winds are usually very strong at the top but fortunately we chose a great weekend to go up. It was very mild - warm in the sun but pretty chilly in the shade. There were still patches of snow from about 8000ft up and the streams were still pretty full but the snow seems to be melting fast so later months may not have much of a water source. Should be good till mid summer I would assume. Trails are well maintained although one guy we passed said that towards the top the shrubs were so thick a few weeks ago that you had to cut your way through. The little round campground was beautiful with a nice stream flowing directly through.
One issue we had walking up was the amount of bugs! Be sure to bring some bug spray because those little pests are all around you from the bottom up till about 7/8000ft. Mostly big gnats...in your ears, eyes, mouth...eck!
Water must be treated so be sure to bring a purifier. And no fires allowed but you are allowed to bring camp stoves. It got down to about 35/40 at night but during the day it was probably low 80's with a very cool breeze which kept it nice and cool. -
Review from Michael W.
La Verne, CA
5/9/2010 82 photos
HOLLY CRAP THIS PLACE IS COLD!
Your right on the top of So Cals highest peak.
The winds are constantly blowing and there's patches of snow everywhere.
The views are amazing and the nature hikes are nice too.
The fact that the hikes are free and guided makes them even better. -
Review from Cindi W.
Eureka, CA
9/24/2010
Guess what, you know what I am gonna say right??? It is so fabulous cause it is a state park!
We also went to Humber Park and hiked the scenic trail. Very nice. Is in and out of US Forest Service and State Wilderness. Very nice. HOT, but nice! -
Review from Will M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/31/2009
This review is for the hike to the summit of San Jacinto peak (10,834 feet).
This is a great hike! It's fairly strenuous but if you allow yourself plenty of time you should be able to get to the summit. The scenery is awesome and there is a fair amount of shade since you will be hiking through a wooded area. There are several different paths to the top of San Jacinto peak (10,834 feet) but we decided on taking trail that starts off at 8,500 feet at the end of the Palm Springs tram ($22.25 or $20.10 with AAA discount, first car up on weekends is 8am, last car down is 9:45pm). Don't forget that your group will need to obtain a free wilderness permit at the ranger station on the trail. Total elevation gain/loss is about 2,300 feet and should take about 6 hours round-trip. Don't forget to bring a light jacket because the temperature drops quickly on the mountain (it snowed/hailed on us on our trip off the summit).Listed in: Outdoor Adventures
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Review from Tara H.
12/19/2007
My sister used to work as a assistant Park Ranger here. She has some great stories involving heights and rescuing people and poop. These stories will make you laugh until you cry.
But the good times aren't exclusive to her stories - oh no. The good times include sneaking up to the Heli Pad to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. (Where else can you see five cities fireworks at one time?)
1. Take the aerial tram from Palm Springs - pack a sweater even though you might be sweating balls when you get on the tram. I promise you will need it.
2. Enjoy the ride.
3. Play in the snow.
DO NOT:
1. Get drunk at the restaurant at the top of the tram. Altitude sickness does not spare the stupid.
2. Go on the tram if you are afraid of heights or have inner ear problems. It will not go well for you. -
Review from Edgar S.
North Hollywood, CA
7/3/2008
Short Version: If you're into life and everything that's good, this is your place.
Long Version: You wouldn't suspect that in the middle of the desert you'd find one of the greatest hidden jewels of our state park system, but that is amazingly the case. Thanks to the magic of plate tectonics, Mount San Jacinto exists and you must must must go there. It is an incredible retreat from the desert, which you can oversee from its incredible height. It would be ridiculous to think that anyone could possibly describe this place well with words, so suffice it to say that if you need your soul replenished and hope for the world and what it can be, you need to visit. You'll thank yourself for the trip. Go. Now. -
Review from Cinthia S.
San Mateo, CA
7/15/2009
Great day hike and a beautiful view of Southern California from the peak of Mt San Jacinto. It's nice to remind yourself that this peak is rated 6th amongst peaks in the contiguous US, so feel free to be extremely proud of yourself once you get to the top. ;-)
A group of friends and I took the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for around $23.00 to Mountain Station, and then hiked the 11 mile round trip trail to the top. You can look up ticket information here: http://www.pstramway.com/
The tram by itself is worth it. It climbs approximately 6000 ft in 15 minutes, and it rotates 360 degrees throughout the ride. Once you get to Mountain Station, a Wilderness permit is required for hiking but is free. Mountain Station is at 8516 ft., and elevation gain to peak is approximately 2300 ft. Climb is gradual, and moderate in difficulty. There's plenty of scenery and wildlife to enjoy along the hike, so just relax and have fun!
At the top there's a little bit of bouldering to do and plenty of opportunities for goofing around. We took tiny bottles of rum, vodka and tequila with us to celebrate when we got to the top. I'm happy to say that this has officially become my new tradition to celebrate reaching a new peak! Now... go conquer the world! -
Review from Tina T.
Torrance, CA
10/1/2009 5 photos
MOTHER NATURE NEVER LOOKED MORE BEAUTIFUL! (Well... she has but you get my point.)
Pros:
-Family oriented place. Which means it is both children and adult friendly.
-You get to ride on the kick-butt tram!
-They take your picture like at the amusement parks.
-They have that coin penny squishing machine.
-There's snow up there! Beautiful green trees and lots of big-big-big ricks to climb!
-You can go all the way to the top and get a great very of the city below.
-Great place to just have lunch if you wish not to hike (you'd be crazy not to!).
Cons:
-The only way up there is to pay for the tram.
-The air is really thin up there so it makes it a little more tiring.
-It gets pretty cold up there.
GO!!! Pack your bags and put on your tennis shoes and GO-GO-GO!!! -
Review from Cee C.
Riverside, CA
8/29/2011
just hike the peak 10,834 in elevation! yesterday w/my BF! wow great work out, once you get to the top the amazing views are very rewarding, such a wounderful experience I recommend to anyone. On hike back down knees were screaming for help LOL.. and then the thunderstorm starting but iloved every minute of it, make sure your well prepared the wheather can be very unpredictable.
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Review from Kay D.
9/23/2009 6 photos
If you like hiking or rock climbing, then this is a great place to be. I've been to the area around Tahquitz and the Suicide Rocks, and it's absolutely gorgeous. I went in March up the Deer Springs trail to do a hike through semi-snow to the top of the Suicide Rocks. My boyfriend and I ate lunch up there and it was so peaceful and the view was amazing. The trail continues on but we just went back, it was a nice little day hike.
You need a wilderness permit to go on most of the trails (free, available at any ranger station), and we bought a parking permit as well ($30 for a year, and it applies to several other parks too).
So beautiful, I can't get over it! My boyfriend does a lot of rock climbing here over by Tahquitz. They have a lot of good stuff over there, you should check it out!
What's nice about this park is that it's very accessible from OC (where I live) without being a compromise in awesomeness. I would like to go back sometime and go to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. -
Review from Teresa P.
La Habra, CA
8/22/2010 4 photos
Beautiful wooded hiking area. Some intriguing rustic buildings. Trails well marked. Great way to get out and get fresh cool air in Palm Springs during the summer..
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Review from fran d.
Long Beach, CA
9/10/2007
what a spiritual experience. you start at the top of the san jacinto valley, at 8,516 feet above sea level (the highest peak is 10,843, making it the second highest point in southern california), you are surrounded by some very old trees and are privy to the most amazing sights and smells.
yes, smells.
some of these trees have scents. the most common is vanilla and butterscotch. sights include the valley belows (palm springs, coachella among others) and the nature around the valley itself. beautiful birds, beautiful rock formations and big trees all around. the contrast of weather between the san jacinto valley and the desert nature below is so far removed it makes for a far more impressive sight.
there are ranger stations throughout the trail hikes and the trails themselves are very well kept. the main ranger station, also called mountain station, has shops, a restaurant and cafe and plenty of restrooms. temperatures are pretty cool even in the summer. at night it can get hold.
there are definite items to take in your hike here but the most important of all is your camera. there are so many photo ops you can spend days here and feel like you've only scratched the surface of possibilities.
no pets allowed. the address to the park shows idyllwild, however i recommend entering through palm springs through the aerial tramway. it's the easiest and most accessible: http://www.pstramway.c...
not to mention most beautiful. also, make sure you check the website for permits and other pertinent weather information.Listed in: Happy Trailing, Parks & Stuff
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Review from gail s.
San Diego, CA
9/13/2010
Recently hiked to the summit from Idyllwild, Devil's Slide route. It was a workout, but totally worth the effort. Gorgeous views and peaceful trails. We were blessed with beautiful weather and just had a blast. But at 10,834....the air was pretty thin :)
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Review from Joel S.
9/2/2008 3 photos
want to escape the palm springs desert heat, go up!
minus one star because no pets allowed at this park. shame on you California.
the "new" tram is awesome. 360 rotating view of the area. Hike to the top is amazing, 11mi round trip, and I swear I saw NO trash/debris on the trail. Major props to all you hikers.
try and make it to the top, start before noon if you don't want to race the sun back down. The views from the peak are worth it. They say you can see the Pacific Ocean/Catalina/Colorodo and Mexico, not sure about that. 2nd highest peak in all of socal, over 10,000 feet, amazing. and the plants/trees/brush are different up there, kinda felt east-coast-ish
ps - make note of your turns, the trail isn't marked so great on the way back to the tram. Kinda important if you don't have warm overnight stuff.Listed in: SoCal Outdoors
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Review from Mark B.
San Diego, CA
6/24/2010
Absolutely gorgeous hike up Deer Springs Trail last weekend. Not too hot, or cold. The trail is a challenge at a moderate pace. Very dusty/dirty by the time we made it back to the car, but definitely worth it!
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Review from Darren S.
Updated - 6/29/2010 9 photos
My latest jaunt into San Jacinto was made on the Deer Springs trail. Its trailhead is on the north side of route 243 just out of Idyllwild to the west. If a day trip is your aim for this hike, the destination is probably Suicide Rock. This out and back day trip is almost 6.5 miles long and has an elevation difference of 1700 feet. The high elevation is about 7500'. The first two miles are characterized by oak, ferns, manzanita and a steep climb. After you encounter a fork with a split off to Strawberry Junction, the walk gets a lot easier. The scenery also becomes dominated with pine trees. The destination will be obvious. The granite expanse will give you a viewpoint of Lily Rock and Tahquitz Peak. The rocks all along Suicide Rock are welcoming and perfect for a rest but be wary. We ran into a rattlesnake sunning itself in the crack of two rocks. Luckily, a quarter inch within a buddy's toe was the closest it got.
Listed in: Nature, Walking around outside, Hiking a go go
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/18/2009
For a Northern California transplant, Mt. San Jacinto State Parks is a great find. While MSJ… Read more »
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