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** Use at Your Own Risk **
28A |
Lily Rock |
8000'+ |
Location: Riverside County, about 2 miles east of Idyllwild, 112 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
| Auto Club | Riverside County, San Jacinto Mountain Area |
| Forest Service | San Bernardino National Forest |
| USGS Topos | San Jacinto Peak 7½, Idyllwild 7½ |
| Official HPS Maps | TPO file - Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO! |
| Viewable JPG file - Approximately 920K | |
| 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: Tahquitz Peak (LO), Suicide Rock
ROUTE 1
(USFS Adventure Pass may be required)- Distance: 3 miles round trip on trail and cross-country
- Gain: 1600'
- Time: 3-4 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 3, moderate, climbing helmets required
Original: Paul A. Lipsohn, July 1974
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Drive I-10 to Banning. Exit at 8th Street (SR 243). Note your odometer and go as follows:
- At 0.2 mile, turn left.
- At 0.7 mile, turn right on San Gorgonio Avenue.
- At 1.4 miles, keep left on SR 243.
- At 25.0 miles, Idyllwild Ranger Station (San Bernardino National Forest) on the left. Turn left on Pine Crest Avenue. Note your odometer and go as follows:
- At 0.6 mile, intersection. Make a half right on South Circle Drive.
- At 0.7 mile, Fern Valley Drive on the left with a sign "Humber Park". Turn left.
- At 1.2 miles, fork. Keep left.
- At 2.2 miles, trailhead on the left. This is the climber's trail for Suicide Rock. Keep straight.
- At 2.6 miles, Humber Park. Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- At the southwest end of Humber Park, a trail starts near a green water tank. Follow it about 3/4 mile to where it crosses a gully.
- Go east up this steep gully to the saddle just southeast of Lily Rock.
- From here go northwest up easy class 3 rock to the summit.
Note: HPS policy requires the possession and use of a climbing helmet on Class 3 terrain or where the hazard of rockfall is present.
ROUTE 2
From Tahquitz Peak (LO)(USFS Adventure Pass may be required)
- Distance: 1 mile one way from Tahquitz Peak (LO)
- Gain: 100'
- Time: 1 hour one way
- Rating: Class 3, climbing helmets required
- Navigation: Difficult
Original: Paul A. Lipsohn, July 1974
DRIVING ROUTE 2
- See the driving instructions for Tahquitz Peak (LO).
HIKING ROUTE 2
- From the summit of Tahquitz Peak (LO), descend on the trail about 50' to a trail junction.
- Turn left on the South Ridge Trail and follow it down to the tenth switchback.
- Leave the trail here and descend west cross-country to about 8250'.
- Turn right and follow ducks along the side of the ridge and down to the saddle southeast of Lily Rock. (The route is poorly ducked after the first 100 yards.)
- From here go northwest up easy class 3 rock to the summit.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
While going along the side of the ridge, be careful to stay on the route and stay below the cliffs. There are many cliffs in the area. The terrain is very steep, and it is easy to get into class 4 rock.
Note: HPS policy requires the possession and use of a climbing helmet on Class 3 terrain or where the hazard of rockfall is present.
ROUTE 3 (via Northeast gully)
(USFS Adventure Pass may be required)- Distance: 2 miles round trip on trail and cross-country
- Gain: 1500'
- Time: 2½-3½ hours round trip
- Rating: Class 3, moderate, climbing helmets required
Original: Peter & Ignacia Doggett, 2010
DRIVING ROUTE 3
- See driving instructions for Route One.
HIKING ROUTE 3
- If possible, park in the upper corner of Humber Park (elevation 6500') by the Devils Slide trailhead.
- Do not start up the Devils Slide Trail; instead, cross past the wooden barriers and go east following a metal fence.
- After about 100' the fence turns down to the right.
- Descend down to the right towards the brook. Turn left at the brook and follow a climber's trail that is next to the brook on its left side.
- After about 250' cross the brook. Follow the trail that is now next to the brook on its right side for about ¼ miles.
- The trail veers away from the brook and continues up a major southeast gully.
- At about elevation 7100', view of a large rectangular boulder angled atop a spire appears. Keep to the right of this spire as the route ascends next to a talus field. Do not follow the talus field on the gully to the left of this spire.
- Around 7400', a vertical climber's wall (pitons may be visible) is reached; keep this to your left as you continue up the gully following an east to west switchback use-trail.
- At about 7600' a terraced rocky slab begins.
- At about 7800', the Northeast Gully reaches a high saddle.
- Turn right (NW) and proceed to the summit.
Note: The ascent up this last segment above the 7800' saddle includes a step on a bush growing out of a somewhat exposed rocky cliff. Most slender hikers can bypass this step. If one prefers to do so, stop short of the bush and climb down about 10' veering to the left. There is a small cave on the right. The ceiling of the cave has a narrow 9" slot. Hikers can continue up (or return) through this Worm Hole to bypass the bush step. The Worm Hole is around 7900' elevation.
Note: HPS policy requires the possession and use of a climbing helmet on Class 3 terrain or where the hazard of rockfall is present.
ROUTE 4 (via climbers trail)
(USFS Adventure Pass may be required)- Distance: 2.2 miles round trip on use trail and cross-country
- Gain: 1900'
- Time: 3 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 3, moderate, climbing helmets required
Original: Davey Money Harris, 2017
DRIVING ROUTE 4
- See driving instructions for Route One.
HIKING ROUTE 4
- From the southwest end of the lower Humber Park lot, take the signed Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail for 0.2 mile.
- Turn left on the signed Climber's Trail and ascend the steep trail 0.4 mile to the base of Lily Rock, trending right around the massive Lunch Rock.
- Turn right and continue up the climber's trail as it curves around the south and east side of the formation to reach the saddle just southeast and east of the summit, 0.5 mile.
- From here, go northwest up easy class 3 rock to the summit.
Note: HPS policy requires the possession and use of a climbing helmet on Class 3 terrain or where the hazard of rockfall is present.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
Wilderness permits are required under all circumstances. Permits are limited to 12 hikers. Permits may be obtained from the Idyllwild Ranger Station just off SR 243 at 54270 Pine Crest Road. There is a self-issue permit stand outside of the ranger station. The weekend quota for the Devil's Slide Trail is usually filled in advance during the summer months. Permits for the South Ridge Trail are much easier to obtain. Permits may be obtained in advance from:
San Jacinto Ranger District
54270 Pinecrest
P.O. Box 518
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Voice: (909) 382-2921
Fax: (951) 659-2107
HISTORICAL NOTES
Rock climbers usually call this peak Tahquitz Rock. However, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has accepted the name Lily Rock. It has dozens of rock-climbing routes on it. It has been a favorite practice spot for years and from the parking lot at Humber Park you will often see climbers on its face.
History of Summit Signature
Climbing Archives
Please report any corrections or changes to the Mountain Records Chair.