Banana Cracks - East Face–Mindless Mound, 3 cliffs is a 5.1-mile out-and-back near Panorama Heights, CA. The route passes Chongo Boulder and Banana Cracks - East Face before reaching Mindless Mound at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It climbs 298 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 76/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,085 – 4,213 ft · steepest grade: 16%5.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 34.01834, -116.15965
Nearest town Panorama Heights, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Banana Cracks - East Face–Mindless Mound, 3 cliffs
5.1 mi · ▲ 298 ft · 1 hr 51 min
Elevation 4,085–4,213 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 34.01834, -116.15965
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 98°F / low 77° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 5:58 AM · sunset 7:45 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 0.4 miPass Chongo Boulder.
- 50 ftBear left onto Keys Ranch Road, heading NW.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading S.
- 450 ftSharp left onto Mindless Mound Approach, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Approach to Banana Cracks East Face, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Approach to Red Bull, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Mindless Mound.
- 250 ftReach Banana Cracks - East Face, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Approach to Banana Cracks East Face, heading N.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Mindless Mound Approach, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading E.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading N.
- 0.8 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
67% dirt33% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 98°F77°
Feels like80°Precip0%Wind6 mphUV9Humidity13%
Hourly temperature
100°75°
Sunrise 5:58 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:45 PM
Tue
98°75°
Wed
94°68°
Thu
98°78°
Fri
99°81°
Sat
99°81°
Sun
94°78°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.8 mi in (~44 min). Leave by 6:41 PM for the 7:45 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:45 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Hunk Rock - East Face–Chongo Boulder, 3 cliffs 3.6 mi · ▲ 145 ft
- Chimney Rock–Chongo Boulder, 3 cliffs 4.1 mi · ▲ 80 ft
- Lower Freeway Wall & Chongo Boulder via Keys Ranch Road 4.9 mi · ▲ 162 ft
- Chimney Rock–Chongo Boulder, 3 cliffs 10 mi · ▲ 605 ft
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Hikes near Panorama Heights, California