Monument Peak #1

With the “grandest view point in Southern California” according to newspapers in the early 1910s, Monument Peak is the highest point of the Laguna Mountains. At 6,272 feet, the peak’s name refers to its role in early surveying of the area as it was being mapped for the first time. Over 100 years later, we still rely on its striking size, and it is now home to radio towers and many cellular repeaters. These man-made objects don’t spoil the panoramic views that offer desert, forest, and lake views that reach all the way to Mexico and the Pacific Ocean on a clear day. HPS neighboring peaks such as Granite Peak are clearly visible from the summit along with many distant mountain ranges in all directions. Monument is typically hiked together with other nearby HPS peaks include Garnet Peak, Garnet Mountain and Sheephead Mountain, which are often combined in a single outing, driving from trailhead to trailhead in a loop.

Often grouped with Garnet Peak, Monument Peak #1 has three routes to the summit, all easy and with only minor off trail travel. From the west, Route 1 starts on the Big Laguna Trail and overlaps the PCT for a short while, finally leaving the trail and ascending up the side of the peak. After passing through a NASA radio installation, the route eventually meets a paved road for the final push to the summit. Route 2 starts further south along an abandoned road that eventually meets the PCT and then follows the same path as Route 1. Entirely different from the previous two options, Route 3 starts from the north along the PCT, departing the trail up a ridge all the way to the summit. All routes can be achieved in roughly 2-3 hours.