USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
Location: Riverside County, about 9 miles west of Palm Springs, 112 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
| Auto Club | Riverside County |
| Forest Service | San Bernardino National Forest |
| USGS Topo | San Jacinto Peak 7½ |
| Official HPS Maps |
TPO file - Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO! |
| | Viewable PDF file - Approximately 6 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: San Jacinto Peak, Cornell Peak, Jean Peak, Marion Mountain
ROUTE 1
- Distance: 12 miles round trip on trail and cross-country
- Gain: 2700'
- Time: 6-7 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 2, moderate
Original: John Backus, 1981
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Take I-10 east past Banning to the junction with SR 111.
- Take SR 111 southeast 8.5 miles to the Palm Springs Tramway Road.
Turn right.
- Go up this road 3.7 miles to its end at the tramway terminal. Park
where indicated by the signs in this area.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- Take the tram
(fee
required) to the upper station at 8560'.
- Go downstairs and exit the building. Follow the concrete sidewalk as it
descends to the valley below.
- Continue straight ahead to a ranger station.
- Continue about 1/4 mile to a trail junction with a sign "Round
Valley - 2". Keep right and continue to Round Valley Campground.
- Keep
left here at a junction and continue up to Wellman Divide (9700').
- Turn
right at this junction and continue up to a junction at a saddle just
below San Jacinto Peak.
- Go downhill (northwest) down the trail past a small
switchback to the first main switchback at 10,500'.
- Leave the trail here to
the right and contour cross-country, staying at a constant altitude about
0.3 mile to the saddle west-northwest of
San Jacinto Peak (10,400').
- Continue west
along the ridge to a second saddle.
- Go up over the top of the ridge and
then cross a narrow gully.
- Continue to the west end of the ridge which is
the summit.
NOTE
Temperatures are 30-40° cooler on the peak than on the valley
floor. Please dress accordingly.