Quail Mountain & x-country route via California Riding and Hiking Trail
15.3 mi · ▲ 2,609 ft · 6 hr 24 min
Quail Mountain & x-country route via California Riding and Hiking Trail is a 15.3-mile out-and-back near Joshua Tree, CA. The route reaches Quail Mountain at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It climbs 2,609 ft, with sections as steep as 30% grade. It scores 98/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Quail Mountain & x-country route via California Riding and Hiking Trail
15.3 mi · ▲ 2,609 ft · 6 hr 24 min
Elevation 4,650–5,818 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 34.03048, -116.34939
Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:22 AM · sunset 7:09 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 1 miBear right onto California Riding and Hiking Trail, heading SE.
- 4.8 miContinue straight onto x-country route, heading E.
- 1.8 miReach Quail Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.8 miContinue straight onto California Riding and Hiking Trail, heading W.
- 4.8 miBear left, heading NW.
- 1 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.0 mi in (~159 min). Leave by 4:09 PM for the 7:09 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:17 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- California Riding and Hiking Trail 2.6 mi · ▲ 417 ft
- Eureka Peak–Bigfoot Spur, 4 sights 3.8 mi · ▲ 1,127 ft
- California Riding and Hiking Trail 6.4 mi · ▲ 749 ft
- Eureka Peak–Bigfoot Trail, 4 sights 6.5 mi · ▲ 1,528 ft
- Covington Flats Crossover Road via California Riding and Hiking Trail 7.2 mi · ▲ 886 ft
- Covington Crest Viewpoint & Covington Crest Trail via California Riding and Hiking Trail 9.5 mi · ▲ 856 ft
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Hikes near Joshua Tree, California