Location: Riverside County, about 13 miles northeast of Borrego Springs, 182 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Riverside County, San Diego County

USGS Topo: Fonts Point 7½

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

Nearby Peaks: Villager Peak

Distance: 12 miles round trip cross-country

Gain: 5500' total, 4800' out plus 700' on return

Time: 10-12 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, very strenuous

Navigation: Moderate

Route Finding: Moderate

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Route: Trail and moderately steep desert terrain.

Original: Byron Prinzmetal, January 2002

DRIVING ROUTE 3

• Drive east on I-10 to the 86S expressway in Indio.
• Drive south toward El Centro on SR 86S Expressway for about 35.5 miles to Salton City.
• Turn west on the Borrego-Salton Seaway (S22).
• Continue 14.8 miles to a parking area on the right (just past the 32 mile marker) and a dirt road on the left (south). Park in this area on either side of the road. There is a call box numbered S22-319 on the north side of the road. The road on the south of S22 is signed "Thimble Trail". This is a good car camping spot.
• It is also possible to reach the trailhead by driving east on S22 from Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs for about 13.1 miles.

HIKING ROUTE 3

• From the parking area (960'), hike northeast 1.25 miles into and then past the mouth of Palo Verde Canyon.
• Notice a side canyon coming into Palo Verde Canyon from your right (east). Hike into this canyon over a dry waterfall staying generally on the south side of the canyon. Find an obvious miner's trail and hike generally east on this trail for about a mile until you enter Smoke Tree Canyon.
• When you enter Smoke Tree Canyon the canyon splits. One canyon heads east toward the Natural Rock Tanks and the other heads north-northwest. A ridge separates these two canyons. The ridge runs generally north-northeast for the first 1/2 mile and then it bends east after crossing a saddle.
• Hike this ridge for about 1.3 miles until it intersects at 3300' another ridge that runs northwest.
• Hike this ridge northwest for about 1.4 miles as it goes over "Pyramid Peak" (3480'+, not named on topo, but has a register can) and over / down several bumps until you intersect Route 1 at the saddle (3600'+).
• Continue on Route 1 for about a mile to the summit.