Arid mountains (Unsplash).jpg
Jon Grogan jongrogan110 · CC0

Banana Cracks - West Face & Chongo Boulder via Keys Ranch Road is a 4.4-mile out-and-back near Panorama Heights, CA. The route passes Chongo Boulder before reaching Banana Cracks - West Face at the turnaround, 2.2 miles in. It is mostly level, with 162 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi4,085 – 4,216 ft4.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 34.02280, -116.15634
Nearest town Panorama Heights, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Banana Cracks - West Face & Chongo Boulder via Keys Ranch Road

4.4 mi · ▲ 162 ft · 1 hr 33 min

Elevation 4,085–4,217 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 34.02280, -116.15634

Weather Aug 4: 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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  3. 50 ftTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading NW.
  4. 0.1 miPass Chongo Boulder.
  5. 0.8 miTurn left, heading NW.
  6. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
  7. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  8. 50 ftBear right, heading SW.
  9. 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  10. 0.6 miTurn left onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading S.
  11. 450 ftBear right onto Mindless Mound Approach, heading S.
  12. 50 ftReach Banana Cracks - West Face, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  13. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  14. 50 ftContinue straight onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading S.
  15. 400 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  16. 0.6 miTurn left, heading E.
  17. 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
  18. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  19. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  20. 0.4 miTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading N.
  21. 0.9 miTurn left, heading S.
  22. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  23. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

65% dirt35% 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 1.6 mi in (~40 min). Leave by 6:45 PM for the 7:45 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:41 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead