Along the California Riding and Hiking Trail

Hiking the California Riding and Hiking Trail through Joshua Tree National Park had been high on my to-do list. I got the required wildness permit and opened invitations for any of my hiking buddies to join me.

My good friend Ted H. said he would love to join me, along with one of his long-time hiking buddies. The basic plan was for me to drive to various spots along the trail and cache the water we would need along our trek. After that, I would spend the night car camping at Blackrock Campground, which is conveniently located next to the western end of the trail. With my gear packed into the Subaru, I left for Joshua Tree in the morning, hoping to have a relaxing day. I pre-ordered a sandwich from Jersey Mike’s along the way. Not 15 minutes into the drive, Anita calls me to let me know I forgot to pack my eggs in the cooler. Thankfully she was headed in my general direction, so at least I did not have to drive all the way home. With that crisis averted, I again headed northward, just a little behind schedule. Around Menifee, something clicked in my head, “did I pack my hiking boots?!” Normally I wear them out the door when I go hiking, but I was in my regular shoes for some comfort. I found a place to pull over and check, and sure enough I forgot them! Anita was working in East County, so she could not help me this time. Back to San Diego I went. I called Jersey Mike’s to put my sandwich away, as I would be delayed in picking it up. With my hiking shoes acquired, I got back on the road. Given the delay I did swap the order of the water caches, just in case I had further unexpected delays.

Stop one was now the end of Upper Covington Flats Road. Since this was about a ten-mile drive along a dirt road, it made sense to do this while I had daylight. The rest of the caches would be near easily accessible roads. The road was in good shape, and a few pools of water from the recent rains did offer a little fun to the drive (and the need for a car wash later). A lone Prius sat at the trailhead, as I tuck 3 gallons of water under some brush. Each cache would have a gallon for each of us. Next, I headed to what would be our last cache, near the parking area for Arch Rock. I wanted to place these jugs a little further from the trailhead, as this spot is heavily trafficked, and did not want someone to accidentally use our water. From there I drove westward to Geology Road for what was planned for our water for the end of day 2. The final cache was to be placed at the trailhead to Juniper Flats. With our water safely tucked away, I drove back toward Blackrock, making a stop at Stater Bros. to grab a steak to grill, some firewood, and an orange juice for the morning.

The sun had set, so it took a little bit to find my campsite. I quickly unloaded, set up the Luno, and started a fire. The winds made it chilly, so I was glad to have a fire to warm up. I grilled my steak, this time just right. I enjoyed it, along with a nice salad and fine beer from The Bruery. Tomorrow was going to be the start of a big adventure, so I turned in just as the moon was rising over the hills to the east.

It was chilly when I woke up and quickly cooked my eggs. I packed up my car camping gear and drove over to the backcountry parking area. The plan was for Mark to drive over the eastern terminus of the trail, and get picked up by Ted and Andrea. The original plan was to start at around 8. Unfortunately, Mark got a late start leaving his campsite. Adding to the mix, the cell network was completely down, so we had no method of communication with each other. Finally, just before 10, they returned from the car shuttle set up and we could hit the trail.

I carried 3.75 liters of water as we set off the trail. I did consider having Andrea drive us down Covington flats and just starting from there, so we would have time to easily make the planned campsite. The others felt that we should be ok, so we stuck to the original plan. The recent rains compacted the sandy section, making the hiking a bit nicer. This first section was a steady climb, the wind was making the day chilly. Both San Jacinto and San Gorgonio’s snow-capped summits peaked into view from time to time.

After about 6 miles, we found a spot out of the wind and had a snack break. I had hoped to film a lot more on the trip, but that 2-hour delay scuttled that plan. Once we reached Upper Covington Flats, we each strapped our gallon of water to our packs and continued on (after another snack). The sun was setting and it was pretty clear that we were not going to make the planned campsite. There was another possible site that was only 2.8 miles further, so that became our new destination.

The water jug made a rhythmic sound as I hiked down the trail. As I came to the location of the campsite, it was clearly not going to work. The site sat on the crest above a valley and the winds were howling. I was actually being pushed from time to time. Setting up camp here was not an option. So, we dropped down and found a spot that was a bit more sheltered. We each found a spot to pitch our respective tents. I did not repeat what happened on San Gorgonio, so I made sure all my tent stakes were highly secured. I set up my camp chair I opted to bring and cooked up dinner. The winds made it too chilly to sit around and chat, so after I ate, I retreated to my tent and listened to an audiobook. The tent would feel the wind, but it held firm. I drifted off to a little sleep, as the winds would wake me briefly. Around midnight, the winds calmed down and I drifted into a nice slumber. I woke up just before sunrise to answer nature’s call and caught a nice morning sky. I crawled back under my quilt for a little more rest before really starting the day.

I emerged from my tent around 7, and I cooked up some oatmeal and a nice hot cup of coffee. As I was packing up I could not locate my tent stake bag. My guess was I left it out and the winds blew it away. I did scout the surrounding brush, but no luck. I was ready to hit the trail at about 8, however, we did not hit the trail until 9. Thankfully without the wind, it was quite pleasant. From time to time we would see trail runners race past along the trail above us.

The trail continued descending for a while before we would have two steep climbs that would have us enter Juniper Flats proper. I reached the crest and found a nice rock to wait for Ted and Mark to rejoin me. I soaked in the view and the silence. Once back together, Ted and I set off together, with Mark keeping his own pace. The plan was to rejoin at the Juniper Flats trailhead and top off our water from the cache I left on Friday. As I was descending, I felt a couple of hot spots forming. At the trailhead, I put some KT blister tape on where I thought they were.

After a nice lunch, I went solo, as Mark was just pulling in as I was set to head out. I again was concerned about our timing to reach the next planned site and the water as well. I tossed my empty water jug into the recycling at Ryan Campground and motored on. I could feel my feet, but I hoped the blister tape would do its job. I had a slight climb leaving Ryan Campground, but then the trail leveled out.

My feet started to hurt more, so I stopped under the shade of a Juniper tree and took a look at them. A quarter-sized blister had formed on the balls of each foot. This was not good. I applied more KT tape, but I suspected that I might have to call it. My best guess is I actually was hiking too fast to make up for our delayed starts and created the friction to cause them to form. I began thinking of options. I could camp early and then hike to Geology Road in the morning. I could attempt to make it to the planned site, and either backtrack to Geology Road and get picked up, or if the feet were up to it, limp to Arch Rock and bail there. Hiking to the end was no longer an option. As I drew nearer to Geology Road, I began messaging Anita about driving out to pick me up. I actually hoped to hitch a ride from someone who could take me back to my car, but first I needed to tell Ted and Mark of my plan to bail here. So I set up my chair and waited. I actually had a cell signal, so I called Anita and gave her the details for plan B if I could not hitch a ride.

After about 30 minutes they reached the trailhead. I told Ted where the water was at Arch Rock, and began looking for someone returning from driving Geology Road. Sure enough, the first car stopped and had room for me and my gear, and was headed in the right direction. I said my farewells to Ted and Mark. My rescuers kindly drove me back to my car. Once back out of the park, I texted Anita that she could return home, as she had preemptively started out to meet me. I tossed my gear into my car and bid farewell to my rescuers.

My adventure was not quite over. I opted to fuel up at the Morongo gas station and grab dinner at In-n-Out. As I entered the traffic circle, a Mercedes Benz SUV cut in front of me, causing me to slam my brakes and unfortunately, my burger and fries flew off the seat onto the floor. I lost about half my fries, but the burger was still intact. Thankfully that was the last of the misadventures.

I did hear from Ted that they completed the hike, but he too had blisters that slowed him down.

Apart from the blisters, everything else felt good. My game plan is to drive to the eastern terminus and hike in the other direction, camping where I had hoped to this time. I’ll cache at Arch Rock to save a little water weight. After camping overnight, I will continue to Geology Road and make a U-turn. I’ll have another cache there, again to save just a bit of pack weight. The final stats for me were:

Day 1: 11.4 miles in 5:30

Day 2: 14.4 miles in 6:40

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

Climbing Mastodon Peak

After packing up our campsite, we headed out for a short hike to Mastodon Peak. I had done this loop hike before, but this time I opted to hike it in the opposite direction. So, once we reached the junction, we turned left toward the peak. Informational signs dotted the trail from time to time, highlighting plants and animals that might be spotted.

We cruised along some washes, making our way up toward the peak and the abandoned mine that sits just below the summit. As we gained some elevation, the views became expansive. Off to the southwest, the northern end of the Salton Sea became visible. After inspecting the mine, we looped around the peak and followed the use trail to the summit. We soaked in views for bit before scrambling back down to rejoin the main trail.

We spied a couple of hikers heading out to the Lost Palms Oasis, a trail I haven’t explored yet. Our loop took us down to the Cottonwood Spring, before turning northward and back toward the campground.

Exploring Arch Rock Trail

Rather than attempt to find parking at the trailhead in the White Tank campground, my son and I parked at the Twin Tanks parking lot and started our hike from there. The trail headed briefly south before crossing Pinto Basin Road. The California Riding and Hiking Trail also crosses at this junction (with luck I will be on it this February).

The flat and wide trail heads off to the east for about 0.4 miles to the junction to the spur trail to Heart Rock. After another 0.2 miles, we waited in a brief queue before snapping our photos in front of the clearly heart-shaped stone. Returning to the junction, we then made our way over to Arch Rock. Ben scrambled up, while I made my way to the other side to snap the photo. After we were done, we retraced our route back to the car and then headed down to set camp at Cottonwood Campground for the night.

Keys Peak

While backpacking the Boy Scout Trail in Joshua Tree with my good friend Ted Hoelter, I hoped to summit Keys Peak which is on the Lower Peaks Committee list. After hiking about 4 miles along the trail, we found a nice spot to set up camp for the night. Keys Peak was just a short walk to our east. Once camp was set up, we headed over to the base of the peak.

I found the benchmark and register. We snapped our photos and took advantage of cell service to check in with our spouses. The sun was setting and there was a light breeze, so I was eager to climb back down and start thinking about dinner. Coming down, I quickly found the string of cairns that guided us back to the desert floor. This little excursion was .5 miles with just over 325 feet of gain. Back at camp, we enjoyed our dinner under the evening skies before turning in.

Boy Scout Trail

With my usual hiking partners busy, I decided to take a backpacking trip in Joshua Tree National Park. My friend Ted from Santa Barbara, who had joined me when I hiked Santa Cruz Island, was able to join me. We opted to hike the Boy Scout Trail, which would be a nice 8-mile hike, allowing us to explore both the upper Mojave desert with its Joshua Trees and then the lower Mojave desert, with cacti and yuccas. In addition, I hoped to summit two peaks on the Lower Peaks Committee list that are near the trail–Keys Peak and Mount Mel. We were doing this trip as a point-to-point hike, starting at the Keys West Trailhead and working our way down to the Indian Cove Trailhead. I arrived first at the Indian Cove Backcountry parking area and waited for Ted to arrive. Another hiker was getting ready to head off and planned on following the same route, but as a day hike. Since there is cell coverage at this trailhead, he had called for a cab to drive him to the other trailhead. This also could be an option for those who can’t or don’t want to set up a car shuttle. Ted eventually arrived, after getting a late start, and having to get a pass from the ranger station ($30). I took a short nap in the car while I waited. Once Ted arrived, I transferred my hiking gear into his car and he tossed his backpack into mine. With that, we headed back into town to grab lunch before setting off.

After enjoying a nice burger and soda at JT’s Country Kitchen, we drove back into the park via the West Entrance. This is the main entrance to the park from the north, so be prepared to wait a bit to pass by the ranger station. Since I have a National Parks Annual Pass, I was able to bypass some of the waiting. We drove south toward the Keys West parking lot. This is a large lot but can fill up. Sure enough, upon arriving, there was not a spot to be found. The Boy Scout Trail is also a popular day hiking site, so we decided to wait for some returning hikers and then take their spot. After about 10 or 15 minutes, a couple did return and I was able to take their spot. Two other cars were waiting behind me. I had grabbed two backcountry permits (free) while waiting at the other trailhead and had them filled out.

NOTE: Permits are no longer free for backpacking in Joshua Tree. You need to obtain them from Recreation.gov or from the Park Headquarters in Twentynine Palms.

We had left one at our destination and had the other ready to deposit at the backcountry board in this location. We took advantage of the primitive pit toilet before setting off. Another thing to note, there is no water at this trailhead.

The trail sets off to the north. Soon you will see a mileage sign to the three main destinations from this trailhead; Willow Hole Trail (1.2 miles), the Big Pine Trail (3.7 miles), and Indian Cove (7.7 miles). What is interesting is the mileage sign next to the parking lot lists the Indian Cove at 7.5 miles. Since I had created markers for the turn-offs to each of the side peaks, I wanted to make sure my tracking app was working. For some reason, it was not recording the distance. After relaunching the app a few times, then finally rebooting my phone, it started working. I could have enabled tracking on my Garmin InReach Mini, but I like to only use that for communication with my wife or in a real emergency.

Off to the west, we could see the snow-capped summit of San Gorgonio, Southern California’s highest peak. The trail is nice and flat for almost the first 3.5 miles, so we were able to cruise along. This area is also a popular climbing area, and we would pass signs indicating various climbing access trails to spots like “Brownie Girl Dome” and “Hidden Dome”. The first real junction that you need to look for is the Willow Hole Trail. Stay to the left to keep on the Boy Scout Trail. As you cruise along the trail, enjoy the Joshua Trees that will dot the landscape.

I knew at a certain point the trail would begin to pass into rockier terrain and we would no longer find a suitable campsite. In addition, there are some rules that we needed to observe. Besides the “stand 1 mile from a road and 500 feet from the trail”, we were also not allowed to camp on the east side of the trail. (NPS rules). We could see the terrain becoming less sandy, and the plant life began to change as well.

NOTE: There are now designated dispersed campsites that you have to camp at to reduce the impact on the area. See https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/the-boy-scout-trail-zone.htm

Off to my right, I could see Key Peak in the afternoon sun. We had been seeing several possible camping sites but decided to keep heading north just a bit. Not really finding anything else suitable, we retraced our route about .1 mile to a nice area near Keys Peak. We picked spots about 20 yards apart, so our snoring did not bother each other. Once camp was set up, we headed over to the base of the peak.

I looked at the western face and felt that we could tackle it straight on until near the summit where the rocks looked larger and we would stay to the right for the last bit. While I spotted one cairn near the start, I did not see the next one. No matter, the terrain did not provide any issues. About halfway up, something shiny caught my eye, and I found a mylar balloon caught in a bush, so I headed over to collect it. Once the trash was packed away, I headed back toward my original route. As I expected, toward the top, there were a few Class 2 sections to scramble through, but soon we were on the summit. I found the benchmark and register. We snapped our photos and took advantage of cell service to check in with our spouses. The sun was setting and there was a light breeze, so I was eager to climb back down and start thinking about dinner. Coming down, I quickly found the string of cairns that guided us back to the desert floor. This little excursion was .5 miles with just over 325 feet of gain.

As the sun’s light began to fade, I sat back and enjoyed the changing light upon the rocks around us. We each had our dinners and some beers we had packed in as well. It was getting colder, so we each retreated to our tents for the night. Ted had brought a tripod and DSLR in hopes of getting some nice star shots later once the sliver of moon had set. I did not have the best night’s sleep, as I needed just a bit more warmth. I woke before the sun crested the hills to the east, and Ted was up soon thereafter. Ted took a bit longer to get ready, so I scrambled up the mound of boulders to our west for a look around. Once we were done with breakfast, we finished packing and headed back onto the trail.

We came to the intersection with the Big Pine Trail that could take us to the west and eventually to the main road, but we continued working our way northward. The trail was getting rockier and rockier. There were a few boulders to work our way down, but nothing serious. It was more about having a backpack on versus a standard daypack. Along the way, we passed an old water basin from a nearby mine.

The trail markers kept us on the trail, although the route was very easy to follow. We had begun the descent toward the canyon that we would eventually follow out. Ted commented that we certainly picked the right direction, as climbing this with a full pack would take some effort. The next point of interest was the Boy Scout Viewpoint. This spot gave us an epic view toward the east. After capturing the panoramic view, we would descend through a series of switchbacks until we reached another wash. Here the trail made a hard right turn and began heading eastward.

While trail markers would still guide us through the wash, there really is only one route to take. Various cacti would dot the sides of the wash and canyon walls, including some very beautiful and colorful barrel cacti. We still had some shade, so the temperatures were pleasant as we worked through the wash and the narrow slots. I kept an eye on our track for the turn-off to climb Mount Mel. I wasn’t certain if I was going to do it as the poor sleep had not left me overly eager to scramble up the rocky slopes to this summit. Once at the turn-off, I looked at it and decided to skip it. It is close enough to the other trailhead that returning another time was not going to be an issue.

Finally, the trail left the wash, then hugged the side of the hill before exiting into the wide flat desert. From here we had a long gradual downhill hike back to the car. This trailhead only holds about 6-7 cars, and there were a few open spots. There are no facilities, but both the ranger station and Indian Cove campground do. We changed our shirts and shoes and headed back to go get my car. Along the way, we grabbed lunch at the Crossroad Cafe. They had a one-hour wait, but that gave us time to go into the park, get my car and be back in time. After lunch, Ted and I said our goodbyes until our next adventure.

Day 1: 3.93 miles, 1:35 with maybe 200 or so feet of gain.

Day 2: 4.45 miles, 2:09 with 1,280 of loss.

Mount Inspiration

After grabbing lunch, it was time to enter the park proper to summit my third peak of the day, Mount Inspiration. As I sat in the slow-moving line of cars to enter, I enjoyed my burrito. Once in the park, I drove on toward Keys View. Along the way, I passed full parking lots and tons of people enjoying the park. I hoped I would be able to find a spot in the parking lot once I got there. One advantage of this destination is most do not stay that long, so I should not have to wait long for a spot to open. Thankfully, just as I pulled up, a spot opened and I grabbed it. I had tried to do the peak a couple of times before but was never able to work out the logistics.

The trail begins at the northwest corner of the parking lot. I could see a few folks atop the first section of the trail enjoying the views. I worked my way up the trail with no trouble. Once I was at the top I could see the use trail continuing off to the northwest. It dropped down to a small saddle before working its way up toward South Mount Inspiration. Here I met two hikers returning from the summit. They were also working on the Sierra Club Hundred Peaks Section (HPS) list. One of them had about 70 done! We chatted a bit before parting ways, and I noted a section they mentioned gave them trouble.

The use trail continued to be really good until it reached a small bump en route. I scanned the terrain and spotted it working its way around it to the east. This is where I think those two hikers had the trouble they mentioned. Also along the way, I passed a metal shed. I have no clue as to what it is — some more research is going to be needed.

Once on the summit, I found the primary mark, and reference mark #2. Try as I might, reference mark #1 could not be located. I also found the register tucked under a small rock pile. The label box made for a nice photo. The skies had become hazy, so those snow-capped mountains from earlier in the day were not nearly as visible.

On my way back, I made the small detour to the top of South Mount Inspiration just because. Soon, the parking lot came back into view, and shortly thereafter I was back at my car. With that, three more HPS peaks were now complete. Next week, I will attempt my 98th peak on the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list.

Eureka Peak

Had I not wanted to have a low-key day, I might have connected my trip up Warren Peak to Eureka Peak, but I was not interested in that kind of mileage. Instead, I drove down Covington Flat road toward Warren Peak. This was a nicely groomed dirt road, better than some roads I have driven in San Diego. I had the window down and enjoyed the 25-minute drive.

I parked at the end of the road, with one other car parked nearby. Since the peak was only about 1/10th of the mile from the parking area, I just grabbed my wind shell and trekking poles.

The actual peak is almost barren, sans one lone plant. I could not find any marks nor a register but was not surprised. The views were lovely, but the wind made it chilly, so once again I did not linger. As I drove back toward town to grab lunch, several cars passed me. While some were off-road friendly, I hoped the Honda Civic and Tesla did not encounter any issues.

Warren Peak

After the intense effort of last weekend’s peaks, I wanted to spend some time taking it a bit easier. While I did have some friends planning to hike Mile High via Rattlesnake Canyon, a route that looks very interesting, that was going to be a bit more than I wanted. So, instead, I opted to head out to Joshua Tree and try to knock off some of the peaks on the Sierra Club Hundred Peaks Section (HPS) list. Since it is high desert season, I knew I needed to get to the trailhead early for my first peak, Warren Point. The trail begins from the Black Rock Campground, & I got one of the last spots at the trailhead parking area when I arrived at 7:30. I grabbed my gear and set off through the campground.

The trail was very well marked and clearly well-traveled by the number of footprints in the dirt. After a short bit, the West Side Loop Trail connected with the Black Rock Canyon Trail and continued south. This trail eventually reached the Panorama Loop. As tempting as it was to add this onto the adventure, I was hoping to cross three peaks off the list today, so I took the fork leading up to Warren Peak.

The trail would start to turn westward as it made its way up toward the peak. The peak finally revealed itself near the junction to the spur out to Warren View. The path now became a bit steeper, and I met two hikers returning from the summit. As I approached the summit, the winds had picked up a bit, so I tossed on my wind shell before reaching the top. The trail had curved behind the peak, so the scrambling I thought I might have to do never materialized.

I found the primary mark and the register. This is a fairly popular peak, given its closeness to the campground, so the register was at best a year old. The views of San Jacinto and San Gorgonio were spectacular from the summit. I did not linger too long, as the wind was a touch chilly and I had two more peaks to visit.

On my return, I passed quite a few groups of hikers making their way up the trail. For the most part, the trail is nice and wide, so I had no concerns. I opted to stay on the Black Rock Canyon trail the entire way back to the car. When I got to the car, every parkable area was taken. I was able to carefully back out and head to my next destination, Eureka Peak.

Barker Dam Loop

Barker Dam Loop Trail is another very popular trail for those visiting Joshua Tree National Park. Built by ranchers in 1900 by C.O. Barker to provide water to his cattle. In 1949, William Keys raised the dam to hold more water. Now the reservoir serves as a water source for the nearby bighorn sheep (assuming it has water).

From the parking lot head north along the trail, passing through a narrow canyon. The trail will turn west and skirt the southern edge of the water. Given the recent droughts, it is unlikely you will find any water here. Once you are done exploring the dam, continue westward along the trail for a short bit until it turns southward. The trail will turn eastward, but just south of this junction, there are some petroglyphs that you can view.

These have been enhanced to make them more visible to visitors. After viewing the petroglyphs, continue westward to rejoin the trail you used when leaving the parking lot. The entire loop is about 1.5 miles and should take about an hour.

Wall Street Mill

This trailhead is located near the trailhead to Barker Dam. If you want, you can hike the flat 1/2 mile connector trail if you don’t care to drive over to the other trailhead. This is an easy 3-mile out and back to the remains of the Wall Street Mill. Many hikers also include a short detour to explore the ruins of the Wonderland Ranch.

From the trailhead, follow the wide sandy path eastward. After about .1 of a mile, you will reach a junction, off to your left you will spot the ruins of the Wonderland Ranch. It is hard to miss, as its remaining walls are bright pink. Feel free to explore the ruins, just leave any of the artifacts, such as tin cans or other items, there. There is a trail heading north that will take you into the Wonderland of Rocks but instead look for the trail heading eastward. You should pass by the ruins of an old truck, slowly rusting under the desert sun.

Once you rejoin the main path, it will keep working its way eastward. You should now be able to see an old windmill used to draw water from underground. There used to be another historical artifact located along the trail, but vandals damaged it and the NPS removed the original and replaced with a metal version. This was a stone marker that William Keys inscribed the following:

Here is where Worth Bagly bit the dust at the hand of W. F. Keys, May 11, 1943.

Key served seven years at San Quentin Prison before being paroled. With the help of Earl Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason novels, Keys was able to prove the killing was in self-defense and was pardoned. The trail will turn northward, and the Wall Street Mill will be a short distance away.

While the mill itself is fenced off to both preserve it and keep visitors safe, you can still see most of the equipment. There is a nice information sign nearby that explains how the mill worked. You can also find another abandoned car nearby as well. Once you are done exploring the area, retrace your route back to your car. Round-trip the hike is about 1.9 miles along and is relatively easy.