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, Los Angeles and Vicinity
- Forest Service: San Bernardino National Forest
- USGS Topo: San Jacinto Peak 7½
- HPS:
Route(s),
waypoints and
explanation of usage
Nearby Peaks: Jean Peak, Marion Mountain
ROUTE 1 - Marion Mtn Trail
(USFS Adventure Pass required)
- Distance: 10 miles round trip on trail and cross-country
- Gain: 3800'
- Time: 7 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, strenuous
Original: Joe Young, January 2000
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Take I-10 to Banning. Exit at 8th Street (SR 243 to Idyllwild). Turn
right at end of off-ramp. Note odometer and go as follows:
- At 0.2 mile, turn left.
- At 0.7 mile, turn right on to San Gorgonio Avenue.
- At 1.4 miles, keep left on SR 243.
- Drive south on SR 243 for 19 miles to a junction with a paved road,
Azalea Trail (NF-4S02).
- Turn left and proceed 1.6 miles to a wide dirt
parking area just before the Marion Mountain Campground entrance.
Trailhead is signed "Marion Mtn Trail." Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- From the parking area (6300'), proceed east up the very steep Marion
Mountain Trail to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2 miles.
- Turn
left. In about 0.4 mile there is a junction with the Seven Pines Trail. Continue straight (east) toward the Deer Spring Camp.
- In another 0.4 mile meet the junction with the Fuller Ridge Trail (PCT). Continue straight on the Deer Spring Trail.
-
Proceed 1 1/2 miles to Little Round Valley (9600').
- Upon entering the campground, head SSE and hike about 0.3 mile cross-country to the saddle just east of Drury peak.
- Turn west and hike up a gentle rocky slope. The summit block is attained via an easy second-class scramble.