Hike Joshua Tree’s Tallest Trail, Ryan Mountain

If you live in Southern California and love the outdoors, chances are that you probably been to Joshua Tree National Park . In addition to its rock climbing opportunities, great valley, night sky, and the joshua trees, SoCal’s favorite national park also has some high peaks for hikers to explore.

If you look the park’s map, Ryan Mountain sits almost centrally in the middle of the entire park. The peak offers you a great 360 view of the valley below and different parts of the park. This easy trail should be on your list for your next visit to Joshua Tree!

overview

Location: Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California

Trail: 3 miles round trip with 1,000 ft of elevation gain

Condition: This is a popular day hike and the trail is well maintained and easy to follow.

How To Get There: From the town of joshua tree, you will take Park Blvd from the visitor center and continue driving into the park. The trail to Ryan Mountain comes after Hidden Valley and Ryan Campground.

Nearby Interesting Attractions: Yucca Valley Desert Christ Park, Noah’s Purifoy Art Museum, Mojave National Preserve, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Other Trails In The Park

The hike is pretty easy for such a great view. There is usually a lot of parking at the lot but Joshua Tree can definitely get crowded.

From the parking lot, you will be able to easily identify the trailhead with a sign. You will then start your trek up the mountain. This shadeless trail can get really hot later in the day especially during summer time, early fall and late spring. The best time to hike this will be in the morning of fall or spring. Winter is generally good at Joshua Tree but it can be pretty cold.

The trail offers you a fantastic view of the valley below right from the start. Reaching the peak is just a cherry on top. One benefit of this park is that the trees aren’t big enough to really block your view.

The summit is pretty large, which give you a lot of opportunities to find solitude. Although this hike can be popular, there’s space for everyone.

I hope you enjoy hiking this as much as I did. it’s definitely one of the best hikes in Joshua Tree that all first time park visitors should do.