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** Use at Your Own Risk **
02O |
Red Mountain |
5261' |
Location: San Bernardino County, about 18 miles south of Ridgecrest, near the town of Red Mountain, 135 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
| Auto Club | Kern County |
| USGS Topo | Red Mountain 7½ |
| Official HPS Maps | TPO file - Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO! |
| Viewable JPG file - Approximately 440K | |
| 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) |
ROUTE 1
- Distance: 4 miles round trip on road, trail and cross-country
- Gain: 1600' total, 1400' plus 200' on return
- Time: 3 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
Original: Charlie Knapke, December 1995
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- From Mojave, go north on SR 14 for 20.7 miles to the Randsburg Road on the right. This is just after Jawbone Canyon Road. Turn right. Note your odometer, and go as follows:
- At 12.2 miles, fork with Garlock Road to left. Turn right.
- At 20.7 miles, junction in Randsburg. Turn left.
- At 21.7 miles, junction with Three Flags Highway (US 395). Turn right.
- At 23.6 miles and just before you get to the town of Red Mountain you come to the intersection with the Trona Road on the left. Turn left and then immediately right onto a dirt road. Note your odometer, and drive this road as far as possible:
- At 0.1 mile, keep left at a fork.
- At 0.7 mile, Keep left at a fork. High clearance 2WD should be able to drive in another 1/2 mile to about 3800' elevation. Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- From the parking area hike east following an old jeep road to a saddle at about 4300' just north of elevation 4728'.
- From the saddle at 4300', follow a dirt road south past elevation 4728' and into a flat area.
- Continue south a short distance on a use trail to a crest, then go left to the ridge (probably a ducked route here).
- Continue along the ridge over elevation 5180'+.
- From here go southeast down across a saddle, and up the summit.
ROUTE 2
- Distance: 3 1/2 miles round trip cross-country
- Gain: 1500'
- Time: 3 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
Original: John Backus, January 1987
DRIVING ROUTE 2
- Follow first three instructions for Driving Route 1.
- At 21.7 miles, junction with Three Flags Highway (US 395). Turn right.
- At 24.8 miles, an abandoned garage in the town of Red Mountain. Turn left (southeast) onto a dirt road just past the garage. Note your odometer again.
- Go straight at an immediate junction.
- At 0.5 mile, a fork at a large pipeline valve. Go right.
- At 0.8 mile, a shallow saddle due east of elevation 3833'. Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 2
- From the parking area (3770'), hike up the jeep road that starts at the parking area. It turns into a trail that then disappears.
- Continue southeast up the slope passing elevation 5024' on the left, then east-northeast to elevation 5180'+.
- From here go southeast down across a saddle, and up to the summit.
ROUTE 3
- Distance: 3 1/2 miles round trip
- Gain: 1700'
- Time: 3-4 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
Original: Dave Comerzan, June 2012
DRIVING ROUTE 3
- From Mojave, go north on SR 14 for 20.7 miles to the Randsburg Road on the right. This is just after Jawbone Canyon Road. Turn right. Note your odometer, and go as follows:
- At 12.2 miles, fork with Garlock Road to left. Turn right.
- At 20.7 miles, junction in Randsburg. Turn left.
- At 21.7 miles, junction with Three Flags Highway (US 395). Turn right.
- At 23.6 miles and just before you get to the town of Red Mountain you come to the intersection with the Trona Road on the left. Turn left. Reset your odometer.
- Go 1.3 miles to Steamwell Road. There is a sign board with maps. Turn right.
- At 3.0 miles, junction with RM 189. Turn right. Go to the left of bump 3476'. Follow paddle boards. Stay left at all junctions.
- At 4.4 miles, turnaround spot with campfire ring in middle. You can park here or turn right, go down a steep incline, turn right at the spur road, go about 200 yards to the base of a steep incline. Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 3
- From the trailhead (3730'), go over the ridge and drop down into a wash.
- Follow the wash about 1/10 of a mile to the beginning of a north-south ridge to bump 4824'.
- Follow ducks up this ridge, staying to left of the large rock out cropping. This portion is steep and loose in spots.
- Once up to 4824', it levels off and is fairly easy the rest of the way. Follow a gentle slope up to the saddle just before the peak. Here you will meet a use trail from Route 1 & 2. Follow it to the peak.
NOTES
On a rock at the summit is engraved "Nov 10, 1907" by some USMC personnel. The summit is littered with abandoned yellow gas tanks and other debris.
This peak is in the El Paso Mountains Wilderness managed by BLM.
Learn more about Red Mountain.
Please report any corrections or changes to the Mountain Records Chair.