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** Use at Your Own Risk **
26J |
Mount Minerva Hoyt |
5405' |
Location: Riverside County, about 12 miles northeast of Indio, 130 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
| Auto Club | Riverside County |
| Park Service | Joshua Tree National Park |
| USGS Topos | Indian Cove 7½, Keys View 7½, Joshua Tree South 7½, East Deception Canyon 7½ |
| Official HPS Maps | TPO file - Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO! |
| Viewable JPG file - Approximately 1 meg | |
| 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: Quail Mountain
ROUTE 1
(National Park Service Entrance Fee)- Distance: 8 miles round trip cross-country
- Gain: 1600' total, 1400' out plus 200' on return
- Time: 4-5 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
Original: Peter & Ignacia Doggett, January 2014
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Take I-10 east past Banning to the intersection with SR 62.
- Go north on SR 62 to Park Road in the town of Joshua Tree with a sign "Joshua Tree National Park". Set odometer and turn right.
- Drive 14.2 miles to the intersection with the Hidden Valley Campground road entrance.
- Reset odometer and keep straight on the Loop Road.
- Drive another 1.1 miles to a turnout on the right (west side of the road). Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- From the parking area (4200'), hike west about 3 miles (aiming for a gully that is just south of bump 4859').
- Go up his gully to a flat area about 4620'. From here, to the northwest, one can see the black-spotted summit of Minerva Hoyt and the ridge leading to the top.
- Turn right (north), go about ¼ mile staying mostly in the wash.
- Leave the gully before the gully makes a sharp S-turn to the right (east).
- Head northwest, climbing over a low fold and then onto the ridge that bears mostly northwest.
- Follow this ridge all the way to the black-spotted summit.
ROUTE 2
(National Park Service Entrance Fee)- Distance: 7 miles round trip cross-country
- Gain: 2200' total, 1800' out plus 400' on return
- Time: 5-7 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, strenuous
- Navigation: Difficult
- Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions
Original: Peter & Ignacia Doggett, January 2014 (amendment to Minor White, February 1989)
DRIVING ROUTE 2
- Take I-10 east past Banning to the intersection with SR 62.
- Go north on SR 62 to Park Road in the town of Joshua Tree with a sign "Joshua Tree National Park". Turn right.
- Drive 10.9 miles on this road to the Quail Springs Picnic Area on the right. Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 2
- From the parking area (3979'), hike across the desert floor to a prominent wash directly southwest.
- Ascend the wash. At its head, turn south for 0.5 mile to reach a broad saddle at 4240'+.
- Descend southwest from the saddle into Johnny Lang Canyon, reaching the canyon bottom at about 4150'.
- From here, leave the canyon and hike south up the slope passing bump 5041' on its west side.
- Continue down into saddle 4900' (UTM 720635).
- Go west up the ridge, staying to the right of the rock outcroppings.
- Contour left to the saddle south of bump 5405' (Mount Minerva Hoyt).
- From here, turn right (north) and hike 100 yards to the summit.
NOTES
Joshua Tree National Park is charging $15 per vehicle for day use (as of January 2014).
Mount Minerva Hoyt can be combined with Quail Mountain which is 1 mile to the southwest and accessible from Minerva Hoyt's summit via a good use trail.
Please report any corrections or changes to the Mountain Records Chair.