Thousand Palms (12.2010) - panoramio.jpg
Martin Haeusler · CC BY-SA 3.0

Hidden Palms Viewpoint–McCallum Pond, 7 sights is a 15.5-mile out-and-back near Willis Palms, CA. The route passes McCallum Pond before reaching Hidden Palms Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It climbs 1,969 ft. It scores 69/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi240 – 1,299 ft16.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Shadow Mountain Lane 33.82625, -116.34476
Nearest town Willis Palms, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Hidden Palms Viewpoint–McCallum Pond, 7 sights

15.5 mi · ▲ 1,969 ft · 6 hr 9 min

Elevation 240–1,298 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Shadow Mountain Lane · 33.82625, -116.34476

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:00 AM · sunset 7:44 PM

  1. Start on Tchoupitoulas Lane, heading N.
  2. 0.6 miTurn left onto Amite Lane, heading S.
  3. 0.4 miTurn left, heading E.
  4. 1 miTurn left, heading N.
  5. 0.4 miTurn left onto Willis Palms Loop, heading N.
  6. 1.4 miSharp right onto Herman's Hike, heading SE.
  7. 2 miContinue straight onto Moon Country Trail, heading E.
  8. 0.7 miPass McCallum Pond.
  9. 150 ftTurn right, heading E.
  10. 0.4 miBear right onto McCallum Trail, heading SE.
  11. 150 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  12. 0.5 miTurn left, heading SE.
  13. 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
  14. 150 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  15. 0.2 miBear right onto Indian Palms Trail, heading SE.
  16. 50 ftTurn left onto Pushwalla Palms / Hidden Palms Trail, heading SE.
  17. 50 ftBear left onto Pushwalla Palms Trail, heading S.
  18. 350 ftReach Hidden Palms Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  19. 400 ftBear right onto Pushwalla Palms / Hidden Palms Trail, heading SE.
  20. 50 ftTurn right onto Indian Palms Trail, heading S.
  21. 100 ftBear left, heading SW.
  22. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  23. 150 ftBear right, heading NE.
  24. 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  25. 450 ftContinue straight onto McCallum Trail, heading NW.
  26. 0.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
  27. 200 ftBear left, heading NW.
  28. 0.4 miTurn left onto Moon Country Trail, heading NW.
  29. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Herman's Hike, heading W.
  30. 1.9 miSharp left onto Willis Palms Loop, heading SE.
  31. 1.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
  32. 0.4 miTurn right, heading S.
  33. 1 miTurn right onto Amite Lane, heading W.
  34. 0.4 miTurn right onto Tchoupitoulas Lane, heading N.
  35. 0.5 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

36% sand2% dirt62% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:00 AMSunset 7:44 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.5 mi in (~139 min). Leave by 5:05 PM for the 7:44 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:51 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

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