Mt. San Jacinto was one of the first big peaks I bagged as a teenager and I’m still drawn to it many years later. This route starts at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram — a treat in itself — and although it’s the “easiest” route it’s by no means easy. This out-and-back trail travels 11 miles round trip with 3000 feet of vertical elevation climbed. At an elevation of 10,834 feet above sea level, Mt. San Jacinto offers amazing 360-degree views and an alpine environment that surprises first-time visitors.
Time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 3020 ft
Dogs: No
When to go: Summer
Why bother backpacking this what you could hike in a day? Why not!? It’s a beautiful setting for sleeping under the stars, and gives you a chance for an early morning start to the summit of San Jacinto. And it’s a great way to dip your toes in the waters if you’re new to backpacking, or just trying out some new gear.
Getting to the Trail
Start by driving to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram, about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. There is free parking at the tram station. Buy your tram ticket and get ready to ride to the top!
The tram itself is pretty cool. It’s one of the largest rotating trams in the world, and climbs nearly 8,000 feet in the short 20 minute ride. At the top is the Mountain Station, replete with gift shop, cafe, restaurant, lockers, restrooms and yes, tourists aplenty. Many people ride the tram just for the experience or to escape the heat of Palm Springs below. Most of them don’t go far from the tram station.
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- SoCal Hikers riding the tram
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- Looking back down at the Valley Station
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- Palm Springs down in the valley
Trail Description
Exit the tram station, walking down the concrete switchbacks to Long Valley and follow the signs for Round Valley. If you’re here for a day hike, you can stop at the seasonal Long Valley ranger station and get your self-issued permit. If you’re here overnight, you’ve already got your permit in hand, right? Yep, you’ll need to apply in advance, and by snail-mail. Here’s the details (PDF).
Continue past the ranger station, paying close attention to the trail signs. The trail mainly follows a seasonal creek up the valley. In the spring, it’s lively and bubbling. With the current low rain levels this year the creek was bone dry.
A few weeks after we backpacked here, some friends were hiking this as a day hike. As shown here, it was bone dry on their way up (and the skies were blue and cloudless). Before they reached the summit, the weather had changed with a vicious monsoon thunderstorm. Not only were they forced to cut their hike short, but this creek had become a raging torrent. The lesson? Be prepared for changes to the weather, including cold, rain and (depending on the month) even snow.
Continuing on the trail, you’ll pass a couple of junctions, but the trail is well-marked. Stick to the signs towards Round Valley (or the summit) and you’ll be in good shape. Soon, we got our first glimpse of the meadow in Round Valley.
At 2.3 miles, you’ll reach the far end of the Round Valley meadow. There is a seasonal ranger station as well as a water source. Be sure to filter or purify the water from this source.
The campsites in Round Valley are well spaced to provide a sense of privacy, but you’ll see and hear other people. It’s not complete solitude. There are also several pit toilets that serve the area, but BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper).
Why backpack this trail that most people hike as a day hike. Because we were able to sit back and enjoy the quiet beauty of this wonderful valley. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner, drank some boxed wine, and gazed at the stars above. And in the morning, we had a great breakfast and still were on the trail before the first tram reached Mountain Station, giving us fewer people and cooler temperatures for the climb to the summit.
Round Valley to the Summit of San Jacinto
We left our campsite setup and slack-packed to the summit. Start by retracing your steps to the trail junction at the Round Valley water source, then take the trail up the valley towards Wellman’s Divide. This trail climbs steadily on a well-engineered trail for a mile, finally reaching the stunning southern vistas of the divide.
There is a junction at the divide marked by a trail sign. Be sure you head north towards San Jacinto Peak.
The trail runs diagonally across the east flank of Jean Peak, pausing briefly at a flat cleft at 10,000 feet before continuing north on the east side of San Jacinto. The trail have very little shade and direct sun all morning. Sun protection is essential.
One more mile in this direction and the trail switches back, heading south west for .3 miles to Saddle Junction. Here the trail meets up with the Marion Mountain Trail that starts outside of Idyllwild, and turns north again for the final push to the summit.
We paid a visit to the hut on San Jacinto, then boulder-hopped the remaining 100 yards or so to the 10,834′ summit of San Jacinto. Distance from the tram to the summit: 5.5 miles. But because we had backpacked to Round Valley first, it was only 3.5 miles for us.
We were one of the first groups of hikers to reach the summit, but soon after the first hikers off the tram started arriving, and a steady stream began to arrive.
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- Mrs SoCal Hiker at the summit
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- The view west
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- The view east
From here, we retraced our steps down to Round Valley. On our way down, we were stopped by SoCal Hiker reader Josh — who thanked us for the site and shared how he was in the process of completing the Six-Pack of Peaks.
A bit further still we ran into Oshie (@purpleosh— another friend of SoCal Hiker that we knew through Twitter. She was training for a big Sierra backpack trip.
We reached our camp, packed up and headed to the tram. By the time we got there, the day had warmed up considerably. We were thankful for our early start.
This route up San Jacinto from the tram is a very popular hike, both as a day hike or as an overnight backpack. I’ve done it both ways, many times, and really encourage you to give the backpacking option a try.
Overview of the Trail from the Tram to Round Valley to San Jacinto Peak
Mount San Jacinto via the Tram Trail Map
PRO TIP: I track all my hikes using GaiaGPS. It’s the best solution for staying on the right trail, it works even when you don’t have cell service, and there are versions for iOS and Android. The app is free, and you can get a discounted membership for maps here.
Mt San Jacinto Photo Gallery
Click on any photo to view a larger version. You can also leave comments on any photo.
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- Mrs SoCal Hiker at the summit
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- The view west
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- The view east
Mt San Jacinto Hiking & Backpacking Tips
- If you want to camp overnight, you’ll need to get a permit in advance from the ranger station in Idyllwild. Call the station with the dates you’re interested in, fill in the the downloadable permit application, then mail in your check with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Yes, it’s all done by mail, so allow sufficient time.
More Mt San Jacinto Resources
- Looking for an even more challenging route to the summit of San Jacinto? Try the Marion Mountain Trail which starts near Idyllwild.
- The tram runs year round, and makes a great intro to snowshoeing in the winter.
- Weather at Mountain Station (at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram)
- GPS user? Download the GPX file.
Nice recap, I need to do this hike again! It was one of the first hikes I ever did in this area and I almost passed out.
It’s a fun hike and great weekend getaway. The difference in temperatures, weather and climate between Palm Springs and the top is amazing.
I really need to find some time to do this. My kids would love it I think.
Traci, I took my daughter backpacking at Round Valley when she was still in diapers.She wasn’t even walking yet. And she loved it.
Echoing, Sir Jeff – definitely a good backpacking trip for those beginning to get into it and an ice breaker for those in hiatus! Met a few new backpackers at Round Valley.
Hi Jeff! I hiked this peak when I first started hiking. (Before I knew to save my hiking tracks) Do you happen to have a GPX file for this route?
Roxane, I added a link to the GPX file for this route near the bottom of the post. Thanks for the reminder. 😉
Loved this hike. Found a great campsite at Round Valley but just a note that there was no water at the Ranger Station. Easily found the spicket but it was bone dry. Glad we humped plenty of water but most we talked to had to hike down to the stream to fill canteens. May 31, 2015
I really want to do this one. I did Baldy last weekend. Is this one I could go alone?
Awesome, Jennifer! Yes, you can definitely do this one solo. You won’t really be “alone” because it’s a very popular trail. Take plenty of water (the section from Wellman Divide to the saddle junction is pretty exposed). And have a great hike!
Thanks for this great overview. Am thinking of taking my 13 year old on his first backpack and this looks great. Is there a time of year you recommend?
Carolyn, anytime between June and October is pretty good. Earlier in the season there is usually some water available at Round Valley. It’s dry right now, but if you’re prepared to carry all the water you’ll need, you’ll be fine.
Check the weather forecast beforehand. There are times when the weather can be cold or even snow in June or October.
How is this as a day hike compared to Baldy (via Manker Flats out-and-back)?
We’re heading here next weekend, Oct 9-11. Does anyone know if there is water in Round Valley? I don’t mind filtering it from a stream or other source.
Anyone know how late the tram runs?
Last Tram up 8:00 p.m.; last Tram down 9:45 p.m.
http://www.pstramway.com/hours.html
I’m trying to figure out what the weather will be like at the end of May, do you have idea of the typical highs and lows?
I’m planning a hike at the end of May after a conference in Palm Springs, so thank you for your great article and advice. Alex (Boston, MA)
Do we have to take a bear canister?
Should I expect water at Round valley June 18, 2016?
Are bear canisters required?
I’m getting ready to hike the trail on Monday June 20. I’ve heard it is going to be very hot in the Desert . . . hopefully the climb to 10800 will not be too hot. I’m really excited about this adventure. thanks for such good information on this site.
Thanks, Jeff, for sharing this! Did a day-hike up Mt. San Jacinto over 4th of July weekend 2 years ago. It started out gorgeous (and a great reprieve from the heat below) and just when we turned around from the top it started raining… then HAILING! Needless to say we were under-prepared for that and began running down, worried about losing the trail. When we got to the bottom it was sunny and warm again and we were hanging out at the tram cafe covered it mud…. maybe not how we planned it but still had a blast! I hope to go back and camp there.
great. though
Arrived late to the tram gate but they adjusted my departure to the next tram which left about 15 minutes later (thank you tram people). Checked in at the Ranger Station (9:33am) for the free day use permit and picked up the free park map. Found about 2 inches snow in the woods and lots of ice, some melting on the trail to San Jacinto peak. Temps around 45. After a few wonderful vista breaks, reached peak at about 1:45, had lunch and departed around 2pm. Felt a significant temp drop and found frozen puddles on the trail by 2:30pm. My reasonable ice skating experience came in handy for the trip down. I’ll bring some mini-crampons next time. Arrived at the tram around 5:30pm under a starry night sky.
Hoping to day hike to the peak at the very end of March. Hikers in my group are worried about snow near the top. Is this something we need to be concerned about? I thought snow would be gone by late March/early April. Thank you!
Julie, were you able to hike this? How was it? Would you say its a kid friendly backpacking trip?
May 2017, Is there water at Round Valley? Thanks!
Jarrod, yes, as of May 2017 there is water at Round Valley. There is also snow above 8000′.
I will be camping there in a few weeks- would you recommend snow shoes at this point, or is the snow at a moderate amount?
Thank you!
Hi Danae! Check the hike logs for San Jacinto to get the latest conditions. People have been getting up there recently without snowshoes, but some have used microspikes. All that is likely to change with the storm this weekend, so expect conditions to worsen. Might be a GREAT time to snowshoe!
I have really wanted to go backpacking on this trail but am having trouble figuring out how to reserve or bid for days. Any help?
I want to do this hike with my teenage daughters over Spring Break – will it be too cold and/or snowy? April 1 is our hike date. What does anyone think?
Hi Jill! It will likely be at or below freezing at night, and there is likely to be at least some snow around. Check the webcam for Long Valley — if there is snow there, there will definitely be snow higher up. And call the ranger station before you go to confirm conditions. This time of year conditions change daily.
I am planning a small group multi-day backpacking trip with San Jacinto as the main attraction on one day. Is there enough to do if we set up a base camp at round valley for 2 nights and maybe hike to and camp at another location 1 additional night before hiking back to the tram and heading down? Any suggestions are welcome
Curtis, personally, I think so. I’ve done the same. Reach Round Valley and setup camp, then on day 2 hike San J. Day 3 you could move to another camp or just do some other exploration. This is also one of my favorite places to take new backpackers.
Thanks, Jeff! Yes, a few of the crew will be new. None of us will be extremely experienced or even in excellent shape. I’m working on that between now and the trip, tentatively in August!
Hi Jeff!
Planning on doing this as an overnight backpacking trip in Sept. You mention camping out and water at Round Valley, you think water will be available during that time? I
Can curvy ladies do this hike? ha! I am pretty active, but not use to hiking in 10,000 ft. mountains. ;D
PS. We are taking the tram and hiking, staying overnight in Round Valley. Then hiking to the peak the next morning.
I am interested in doing this hike with overnight with my 13 yo son on a weekend this coming September. Is it still possible to get a permit for camping for then? Is it safe to assume there will be no water?
Lastly what time would we need to head out Saturday to do the hike in order to camp before it gets dark. We are not too speedy. Lastly, do you do private consulting for planning back packing trips?
Thank you
Lana
Hi Lana!
For the permit, call the San Jacinto Ranger District at 909-382-2921 and they can help you sort out permit options. Generally speaking, it’s harder to get permits for holidays and weekends.
There is typically no water in September at the spigot in Round Valley, so plan accordingly.
The sun sets in nearby Idyllwild at 7:00 PM on September 10th, so if you get to camp by then, you should have enough light to setup your tent. Cooking dinner in dim light is easier that pitching a tent, so setup the tent first.
Happy to consult! Shoot me an email at jeff@socalhiker.net and we can set something up.