Location: Riverside County, about 5 miles east-southeast of Idyllwild, 115 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Riverside County, Los Angeles and Vicinity

Forest Service: San Bernardino National Forest

USGS Topo: Idyllwild 7½, Palm View Peak 7½

HPS: Route(s), waypoints and explanation of usage

Nearby Peaks: Southwell Peak ("South" on USGS topos), Apache Peak

Distance: 14 miles round trip on trail and cross-country

Gain: 3600' total, 3200' out plus 400' on return

Time: 8-9 hours round trip

Rating: Class 3, strenuous

Navigation: Difficult

Original: John Backus, July 1987

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Go south on I-215 to the Ramona Expressway. Turn left (east).
• Go east and then southeast on the Ramona Expressway until it ends at SR 74. Turn left (east).
• Go east on SR 74 to Mountain Center.
• Continue east on SR 74 for 3.5 miles to Apple Canyon Road on the left. Turn left.
• Pass the entrance to the Hurkey Creek Campground on the left and continue 2.6 miles to a large parking area on the left. Park here. This is the parking area for the Spitler Peak Trail.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• The Spitler Peak Trail, 3E22, begins at a square post at the north end of the parking area. From the parking area (4950'), hike up the trail to where it meets the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on the ridge between Apache Peak and Spitler Peak.
• Turn left (north) and follow the trail to a trail junction just south of the two summits of Apache Peak. The PCT goes right.
• Keep left and hike up to the saddle between the two summits. Hike north along the main ridge until it descends again to the PCT north of Apache Peak.
• Continue on the PCT until you reach the saddle between Apache Peak and Antsell Rock (about 6900'), just west of the boundary of Sections 23 and 24. There is a trail junction (not obvious) near this saddle. The trail to the left goes down Apple Canyon about 2 miles to the Zen Center, then another 2 miles on a road to the Spitler Peak Trail trailhead. Continue northwest along the PCT.
• Go about 1/2 mile farther on the PCT to a minor gully where there should be a duck on the uphill (left) side of the trail.
• Leave the trail and go up the loose steep slope to a saddle between two rocky prominences. The one to the right (west) is the summit.
• From this saddle, go along a brushed-out trail along the left side of the summit prominence about 15 yards.
• Then follow a ducked class 3 route up the rocky face to the summit ridge and then left up to the summit.