Distance: 3 miles (4.8 km) there and back
Time: about 45 minutes up and 35 down again, plus picnicking-at-the-top time
Elevation gain: 1,060 feet (323 m)
Difficulty: terrain-wise, easy; navigation-wise, easy; fitness-wise, moderate (depending on the heat!)
Drive: about 2.5 hours (135 miles) from old town Pasadena, east on the 210, the 10, and the 62, and then a right turn at Joshua Tree onto Park Blvd before the final 18 miles to Ryan Mountain Trail trailhead
Rattlers spotted: zero
Hiking Guy has a fuller account here, and we originally found it (with misleading photo of person perched on enormous rock that in fact one goes nowhere near!) here
I never knew there were proper peaks within Joshua Tree national park, but James cleverly found us this one. Because it was June, it clearly needed to be an early start, so we got up around first light and were at the trailhead for an 06:50 start. There’s plenty of shade on the west-facing side of the peak, and then the trail cuts through a saddle round to the east before the last stretch up to the summit.
It’s a beautifully made path heading more or less directly due south from Park Blvd, with several impressive sections of steps cut from the local rock. It makes for a very invigorating way to start a midsummer’s day, and to get more panoramic views of the park than are possible elsewhere—from an elevation of 5,457 feet (1,663 m).
What an enticing start!
And what a helpful instruction!
Westerly views to begin with…
…and then over the full expanse of the park to the east a little later.
Perfect chance for a spot of anthropomorphic fun. (Apparently our best guess about why Joshua trees are called Joshua trees is that they reminded people of the biblical Joshua, who, in a typically delightful tale, holds out his hand for long enough for his companions to trash an entire city and kill everyone who lived there. Occasionally, a 21st-century tourist snap is a mark of progress.)
A few minutes later (45 minutes from the trailhead, for us) and you’re at the summit!
Because there were quite a few other early hikers about, we went a little past the peak to find a secluded nook from which to enjoy the views, and some fluids.
Our trusty furry companions seemed to approve too.
Emily T. Troscianko 