Search
Close this search box.
Peak San Jacinto
Group N/A
Trailhead Marion Mtn Trail

Ok, so we took Marion Mnt Trail on the South/West side of the mountain because we wanted a very early start (to beat the heat) instead of the classic Tramway trail because the first tram did not go up until 8am. Everyone in my group has hiked to the peak via the Tramway trail before and we all know that character of that trail…. but let me tell you… Marion Mtn Trail is NO JOKE! It is very steep, rugged, unclear in areas, and there are narrow pathways through bushes that poke. And did I mention rattleSNAKES and LOTS of mosquitos!?!? Oh my…
On a good note, most of the trail was shaded, there are beautiful meadows and streams, cute campgrounds, and this trail has MUCH less human traffic than the Tramway trail. The path was enjoyable in those aspects.
One more thing – we started at the Marion Mnt Campground. The trailhead said 5.25 miles to the peak. We hiked about a mile or so when we found another sign. This time the peak was 5.5 miles away… Not sure how the math worked out on the signage, but my best estimate is about 6-7 miles from the MMCampground to the peak.

Weather was warm, skys were very clear. There weren’t as many lady bugs at the peak this time, maybe it’s later in the season.

Despite all my ranting, Jacinto really is an amazing mountain with a lot of character. Can’t help but feel proud and accomplished after completing peaks like Jacinto. When I get grumpy and tired on a trail, I try to pause my thoughts, breath in the crystal clean air, and remind myself to admire the amazing beauty our SoCal mountains hold. This is supposed to be fun, right? 😉

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.