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** Use at Your Own Risk **
01F |
Morris Peak |
7215' |
Location: Kern County, about 10 miles northwest of Inyokern, 150 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
| Auto Club | Kern County |
| Forest Service | Sequoia National Forest |
| USGS Topos | Owens Peak 7½, Walker Pass 7½ |
| Official HPS Maps | TPO file - Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO! |
| Viewable PDF file - Approximately 10 megs | |
| GPX file or Google Earth KML file to download to GPS units and other map software (How to use GPX and KML files) | |
| Routes as shown on CalTopo using the above files (How to use CalTopo) |
Nearby Peaks: Mount Jenkins, Owens Peak, Five Fingers
ROUTE 1
- Distance: 9 miles round trip on trail and cross-country
- Gain: 2000'
- Time: 4-5 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
- Navigation: Easy
- Route: Trail mostly with easy cross-country
Original: Al Campbell and Paul A. Lipsohn, November 1972
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Take SR 14 to Mojave.
- Continue north on SR 14 to the intersection with SR 178 (Freeman Junction).
- Go west on SR 178 to Walker Pass. Park here. Unlimited parking space.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- From Walker Pass (5246'), hike north on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) about 4 miles to a saddle (6600') southwest of the summit (UTM 100496).
- Leave the trail and follow a prominent use trail which goes diagonally up towards the ridge and hits the ridge just east of the peak.
- Turn left and go up to the summit.
ROUTE 2
- Distance: 4 miles round trip cross-country
- Gain: 2400'
- Time: 3-4 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
- Navigation: Moderate
- Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions
- Route: All cross-country, steep most of the way
Original: Al Campbell and Paul A. Lipsohn, November 1972
DRIVING ROUTE 2
- Take SR 14 to Mojave.
- Continue north on SR 14 to the intersection with SR 178 (Freeman Junction).
- Continue north on SR 14 for 5.3 miles to Indian Wells Canyon Road (dirt) on the left. This is 0.4 mile north of Indian Wells, with a lodge and brewery. Turn left. Note your odometer and go as follows:
- At 2.6 miles, Powers Well on the left. Keep straight.
- At 2.7 miles, fork. Go right.
- At 3.8 and 3.9 miles, forks. Keep left.
- At 5.2 miles, fork. Go right.
- At 5.8 miles, fork. Keep left. This is the turnoff for Owens Peak.
- Drive about 0.5 mile to an abandoned mine (gold and tungsten). Park here. Do not block the road.
HIKING ROUTE 2
- From the parking area (4840'), hike up the road past the cable.
- Keep left at the first fork and right at the second fork.
- Continue past the end of the road into the canyon ahead.
- Continue up to the saddle at 6500'.
- Turn left, leave the trail, and go up the ridge (south) to the summit.
ALTERNATE HIKING ROUTE 2
- From the parking area (4840'), hike up the road past the mining equipment.
- Stay right at the intersection on the road down past some old structures to a sign labeled "Alternate Route to the PCT". Take this trail.
- The trail follows a number of switchbacks to an abandoned dirt road. Continue on the dirt road to a saddle (1.8 miles).
- From the saddle, go west on a ridge for 0.5 mile to the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail).
- Go southwest (left) on the PCT for 1.2 miles to a use trail. (If you instead go right/north on the PCT for a mile, you'll find the use trail that goes west to the summit of Jenkins Peak.)
- Turn left, leave the PCT, and follow the use trail up the ridge (south) to the summit.
PEAK COMBINATIONS
Morris Peak is commonly done with Mount Jenkins by a long trail walk along the PCT. It is also done with Mount Jenkins by a much shorter route using Route 2 of Morris Peak to access the PCT or by having a short car shuttle and combining Morris Peak's Route 2 with Mount Jenkins Route 3.
CAMPING
About a mile past Walker Pass is the entrance on the left for Walker Pass Campground. There are restrooms and water during summer months. There are walk-in primitive sites. There are no fees or reservations at this time.
Powers Well is on the driving route for Route 2. It has no water or facilities. It is very close to the starting point for Five Fingers.
NOTE
Morris Peak, Mount Jenkins, Owens Peak, Five Fingers (Aquilla) are all in the Owens Peak Wilderness. At the date of this revision, no permit is required.
Learn more about Morris Peak.
Please report any corrections or changes to the Mountain Records Chair.