Mount San Jacinto
About this peak
John Muir called the view from San Jacinto “the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth,” and it towers above Palm Springs with an alpine environment right in SoCal. The Marion Mountain route from near Idyllwild is the shortest way up without the tram, about 11.4 miles round trip with 4,689 feet of gain, mostly under pine forest and finishing with a boulder scramble past the stone hut. The summit is inside a State Park wilderness, so a free day-use wilderness permit is required and dogs are not allowed.
Know before you go
Hazards
Steep and relentless: about 11.4 miles and 4,689 feet of gain, with the summit above 10,800 feet. Snow and ice can linger into late spring and return in fall; early in the season only hikers with crampons make the summit, so carry traction and trekking poles. Seasonal creeks run in spring or after rain and are mostly dry by late summer, so carry plenty of water and a filter. The last stretch is a boulder scramble. Ask the Idyllwild Ranger Station about conditions and the Marion Mountain Road gate, which closes when the road is snowy.
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More peaks in this challenge
Sorted by elevation. Bars show summit elevation against the highest peak.
- San Gorgonio 11,503 ft
- Mount San Jacinto (you are here) 10,834 ft
- San Bernardino Peak 10,649 ft
- Mount Baldy 10,064 ft
- Mount Baden-Powell 9,406 ft
- Cucamonga Peak 8,859 ft
- Sawmill Mountain 8,822 ft
- Ontario Peak 8,696 ft
- Strawberry Peak 6,164 ft
- Mount Wilson (San Gabriel Mountains) 5,713 ft
- Santiago Peak 5,689 ft
- Sitton Peak 3,273 ft