Chuckwalla Mountain
Peak Name
Elevation
feet
Status
Region
Range
Nearby peaks
Location
Description
Chuckwalla Mountain rises dramatically from the desert, dominating the Kelso Valley and Jawbone Canyon. There are interesting cliff walls and changing colors of the nearby mountain slopes and superb views of the Southern Sierras and the high desert. The peak can be hiked from the north (see notes) east or south and is often hiked in a strenuous loop hike with its neighbor Cross Mountain.
Maps generated from CalTopo.com, reproduced with permission
Downloadable Maps, Files, and Guides
Driving route
High clearance vehicle required.
From Mojave, drive north on SR 14 for 14.0 miles to Pine Tree Canyon Road. (You can see the white L.A. aqueduct pipe from here but from nowhere else.) Turn left. Note your odometer and go as follows:
At 0.4 mile, power lines.
At 1.3 miles, go under the new aqueduct (tall vehicles take the left fork). Keep straight ahead (west) at a fork just past the aqueduct.
At 2.1 miles, fork. Go right. There is a good campsite here.
At 2.3 miles, cross the old aqueduct and cattle guard and go right at the immediate next fork. The road turns north into a canyon.
At 3.4 miles, fork. Keep straight.
At 3.5 miles, the road turns sharp right and goes up a ridge.
At 3.8 miles, fork. Go sharp left.
At 4.0 miles, the road starts downhill and a jeep road forks to the left. Go left on the jeep road.
At 4.5 miles, the road forks in a saddle. Park here.
Hiking route
From the parking area (3600′), follow motorcycle tracks northwest up the ridge to where a road comes up from the right.
Follow this road as it goes steeply up the hill, swings around to the right, and ends in a flat area, just below a mining prospect.
From the prospect a well-defined use trail contours around the east side of elevation 4964′ into a saddle northeast of it, then up the ridge to the summit.
Driving route
From Mojave, drive north on SR 14 for 19.5 miles to Jawbone Canyon Road on the left. Turn left. Note your odometer and go as follows:
At 4.1 miles, pavement ends.
At 6.3 miles, fork with a gated road to the left. Park here. This is also the parking spot for Cross Mountain.
Hiking route
From the parking area (2700′), hike past the gate for 0.4 mile to a fork to the left.
Turn left and follow this road (“White Rock Mine Road”) about a mile to where it turns left and crosses a wash.
Leave the road on the right here and follow this wash a short distance southwest and then up to the top of the ridge straight ahead. This is about 1/4 mile south of elevation 3362′.
Follow the ridge over several bumps until reaching the final slopes of the peak itself, where a motorcycle track comes in from the left.
Take this motorcycle trail to the main saddle just north of Chuckwalla and then head steeply south cross-country to the summit.
Route Notes
Note: Route 2 can be combined with Routes 1 and 2 for Cross Mountain to allow both peaks to be done as a loop trip without the need for a car shuttle. This trip can be done in a clockwise or counter clockwise configuration. This route is not recommended until access on BLM property is resolved (May 2021). The gate remains locked and security patrol advises hikers that this is private property. BLM property is open to the public, but negotiating the private vs BLM parcels is potentially difficult.
Driving route
From Mojave, drive north on SR 14 for 15.9 miles. This is Cinco, CA. Exit the highway on the left and reset your odometer.
Make an immediate right.
After about 0.1 miles, the paved roads turns to the left. Do not turn left, remain straight and follow the major dirt road.
At 0.4 mile, a minor dirt road goes off to the right, keep straight.
At 0.7 mile, 4-Way junction under the power lines, keep straight.
At 0.8 mile, 4-Way Junction under the power lines, keep straight.
At 1.3 mile, mine ruins.
At 2.6 miles, go up.
At 3.0 miles, car impaled into hillside, turn left.
At 5.0 miles, junction, turn right.
At 5.3 miles, junction, turn right.
At 6.1 miles, junction. Park here. Old sign indicating mine hazards. Ample parking.
Hiking route
From the parking area (3280′), follow the dirt road on the right for about 0.1 mile up to an old mine at about 3350′.
From this mine, continue SW to a saddle on the ridgeline at about 3550′.
Turn left and follow the ridge to a bump at about 3600′.
Continue down the ridge to about 3500′, at which point you’ll drop down to the right into a narrow canyon.
Cross this canyon at about 3340′ and proceed NW up a ridge a short distance, only to drop again into another canyon.
From this canyon, proceed west up a major ridge until one reaches a motorcycle path that follows along the top of the ridge.
Turn right and follow this motorcycle path to a major saddle at 4500′ which is 0.3 mile NE of the Chuckwalla summit.
From this saddle, hike SW up a steep hillside for about 530′ to the summit.
Note: The views from the motorcycle path are breathtaking & spectacular. Do not consider climbing the flume. These rocks are loose, slippery and dangerous.
External Links
Nearby Peaks
External Links
Peakbagger.com
Nearest ranger station
NOAA Forecast
Google Earth
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