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 Sep 20: sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 6:46 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
Sunrise 6:32 AMSunset 6:46 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.3 mi in (~144 min). Leave by 4:01 PM for the 6:46 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:15 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
- Lucky Boy Vista–Elton Mine, 4 sights 10.5 mi · ▲ 246 ft
- Cap Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 sights 14.9 mi · ▲ 446 ft
- Chongo Boulder–Barker Dam Nature, 4 sights 5.5 mi · ▲ 165 ft
- Chongo Boulder–Peyote Cracks - East, 5 cliffs 3.2 mi · ▲ 55 ft
- Wall Street Mill Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 53 ft
- Playhouse Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 cliffs 6.9 mi · ▲ 271 ft
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Hikes near Pinto Wye, California