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Snowshoeing in Mount San Jacinto State Park

March 27, 2013 By Jeff Hester 3 Comments

Another view to the desert below

Hiking in the snow? Many people hang up their boots during winter. But with a little equipment, you can hike even in deep snow. How? Snowshoeing!

I was new to snowshoeing, and not really sure what it would be like. I’ve gone downhill skiing and snowboarding. Is there a learning curve? The short answer is that snowshoeing is as easy as hiking.

Trail Details
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: ~1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: 183 ft
Dogs: No
When to go: Winter, after snow

Living in Los Angeles, we can’t walk out the front door and start snowshoeing. Snowshoeing will require some driving to get to the mountains. There are plenty of places in local mountains with snow, but you also need to check on driving requirements (are chains required?) and snow conditions. For our first foray into snowshoeing, we chose a really easy option — taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tram up to Mount San Jacinto State Park. We checked weather and the Long Valley webcam to make sure there was plenty of snow, then gathered our gear for adventure.

Getting There

Driving out to Palm Springs was a snap. We fueled up at Starbucks early on a Sunday morning, hopped on I-10 and headed east towards Palm Springs. We arrived at the Valley Station a bit before 8am, checked our gear one last time and bought our tickets for the tram. There was no line for the early trams, but we noticed it got much more crowded later in the day. My advice? Go early. You’ll get the best parking, no lines and lighter crowds. The first tram up is 8am on weekends and holidays; 10am on weekdays. Adult tickets were $24 each.

Looking down to the Valley Station

Looking back down at the dry, dusty desert floor, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll be tromping around in the snow in a few minutes.

Once you get to the Mountain Station, take a quick bio-break (no one appreciates yellow snow) and head out into the winter wonderland. Our snowshoes used bindings very similar to skis, with ratcheting straps to lock in your hiking boots.

Ready to snowshoe!

How To Snowshoe

Do you know how to walk? You’re 99% of the way there. Snowshoeing is just like hiking, but with a slightly wider stance. You need to exercise some caution so you don’t step on your snowshoes, but otherwise it’s really easy.

Snowshoeing is like hiking

Being first-timers, we decided a good place to start was the easy, 1.5 mile Valley View loop. It gives you some great views of the Coachella valle, and gave us a chance to get use to navigating the snow-covered terrain.

View of the Coachella Valley

The loop takes in five views down to the valley below, all the way out to the Salton Sea. The route was short, but a great way to get comfortable and gain confidence on our snowshoes.

When we got back to the Mountain Station, we decided we wanted to do a bit more. We headed out to the Long Valley Ranger Station, filled out a permit and trekked out toward Round Valley and back. Anything beyond the Ranger Station will require a wilderness permit, but there’s no cost. Just stop in the station and fill one out. The permits are important, especially during the winter season. They help the rangers keep track of the folks venturing out into the wilderness, and makes sure they return when planned. Which is also why it’s important that you remember to return your permit at the station when you get back — it let’s them know you made it back safely.

Return Permits Here

Advanced Options

Next time? We’re going to tackle Mt. San Jacinto. It’s a full-day affair on snowshoes, since you can’t move at the same speed as you could when hiking.

Trail Map

© OpenStreetMap contributors
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Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to view a larger version. You can also leave comments on any photo.

Looking down to the Valley Station
Palm Springs Aerial Tram
Signs of snow on the way up
Snowshoes on!
Ready to snowshoe!
Snowshoeing is like hiking
Meet Jeff!
View of the Coachella Valley
Cairn
Virgin snow
Salton Sea glimmering in the distance
Another view to the desert below
Clear blue panorama
Wow
Following in the footsteps of the SoCal Hiker
Return Permits Here
We loved snowshoeing!
Tram bearings display
Tram ride, fish-eye view

Essential Resources for Snowshoeing at San Jacinto State Park

  • Palm Springs Aerial Tram tickets and information.
  • Weather forecast at the Mountain Station.
  • Is there snow? Check the Long Valley webcam.

Related

Filed Under: State Parks, Trail Guides Tagged With: Mt. San Jacinto, Riverside County, snowshoeing, State Park, winter

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Jeff H

About Jeff Hester

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. Josh says

    March 28, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    Nice post! I did my first snowshoeing this year in Yosemite, it was a really cool experience as well!

    Reply
  2. Jeff Hester says

    March 28, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Oh man, snowshoeing in Yosemite must have been amazing! I’ll add that to my to-do list.

    I was really blown away by how dang easy snowshoeing was. I expected at least a LITTLE learning curve, but nope. The toughest part was just strapping them on my feet.

    Reply
  3. Nancy RNancy R says

    December 16, 2016 at 5:47 am

    Had plans to do that soon at that location. Enjoyed the write up and photos.

    Reply

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About Jeff Hester

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking trails throughout Southern California--and occasionally beyond. I personally hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more...

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