Skull Rock–Face Rock, 6 sights is a 14.4-mile out-and-back near Pinto Wye, CA. The route passes Face Rock before reaching Skull Rock at the turnaround, 7.2 miles in. It climbs 1,470 ft, with sections as steep as 40% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 92/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,229 – 4,623 ft · steepest grade: 40%14.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Queen Valley Road 34.02485, -116.14044
Nearest town Pinto Wye, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Skull Rock–Face Rock, 6 sights
14.4 mi · ▲ 1,470 ft · 5 hr 32 min
Elevation 4,228–4,623 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Queen Valley Road · 34.02485, -116.14044
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 98°F / low 78° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 5:58 AM · sunset 7:45 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Queen Valley Road, heading NE.
- 3.7 miBear left onto Desert Queen Mine Road, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Queen Valley Road, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Pine City Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Desert Queen Mine Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 2.1 miTurn right onto Split Rock Trail, heading SE.
- 0.9 miBear right onto Face Rock Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miPass Face Rock.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SE.
- 50 ftReach Skull Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Split Rock Trail, heading N.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 2.1 miTurn left onto Desert Queen Mine Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Pine City Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Queen Valley Road, heading N.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Desert Queen Mine Road, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right onto Queen Valley Road, heading N.
- 3.6 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
71% dirt29% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 98°F78°
Feels like80°Precip0%Wind3 mphUV9Humidity14%
Hourly temperature
100°75°
Sunrise 5:58 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:45 PM
Tue
98°74°
Wed
94°67°
Thu
98°78°
Fri
99°80°
Sat
99°81°
Sun
94°78°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.6 mi in (~17 min). Leave by 7:08 PM for the 7:45 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:15 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 Queen Valley Road Trailhead
- Little Hunk - Northeast Face & Barker Dam Nature 1.9 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Poker Face & Barker Dam Nature 2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Snickers North Face & Barker Dam Nature 2.1 mi · ▲ 112 ft
- Mounds - Eff Eight–Mounds - Deep Throat, 3 cliffs 2.1 mi · ▲ 83 ft
- Little Hunk - West Face (Trespasser's Wall)–Barker Dam Nature, 3 sights 2.1 mi · ▲ 28 ft
- Wall Street Mill Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 53 ft
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Hikes near Pinto Wye, California