California Riding and Hiking Trail is a 15.7-mile out-and-back near Pinto Wye, CA. It climbs 660 ft. It scores 88/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,331 – 4,547 ft16.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Desert Queen Mine Road 34.01803, -116.08245
Nearest town Pinto Wye, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
California Riding and Hiking Trail
15.7 mi · ▲ 660 ft · 5 hr 34 min
Elevation 4,330–4,547 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Desert Queen Mine Road · 34.01803, -116.08245
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 98°F / low 82° · precip 0% · wind 14 mph · sunrise 5:58 AM · sunset 7:45 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Desert Queen Mine Road, heading SW.
- 2.3 miTurn right onto California Riding and Hiking Trail, heading SW.
- 3.5 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading NW.
- 1.9 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 1.9 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
- 3.5 miTurn left onto Geology Tour Road, heading NE.
- 2.3 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
29% sand71% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 98°F82°
Feels like84°Precip0%Wind14 mphUV9Humidity16%
Hourly temperature
100°80°
Sunrise 5:58 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:45 PM
Tue
98°78°
Wed
94°71°
Thu
97°77°
Fri
98°80°
Sat
98°80°
Sun
94°77°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:25 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:45 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:12 PM.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
- 6.6 mi · out & back · via California Riding and Hiking Trail
- 4.9 mi · out & back · via California Riding and Hiking Trail
- 4.6 mi · out & back · via California Riding and Hiking Trail
- 4.7 mi · out & back · via California Riding and Hiking Trail
- 4.5 mi · out & back · via California Riding and Hiking Trail
- 4 mi · out & back · via California Riding and Hiking Trail
More from Desert Queen Mine Road Trailhead
- Desert Queen Mine Road–Pine City Trail, 3 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 139 ft
- Queen Valley Road 5.4 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Queen Valley Road 6.7 mi · ▲ 106 ft
- California Riding and Hiking Trail 13.1 mi · ▲ 679 ft
- Arch Rock–White Tank, 3 rocks 14.1 mi · ▲ 786 ft
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Hikes near Pinto Wye, California