Joshua Tree Park "Hidden Valley" 4 - panoramio.jpg
David Balmer · CC BY 3.0

Turtle Rock–The Hat, 4 rocks is a 5-mile out-and-back near Panorama Heights, CA. The route passes Pretzel Rock, Turtle Rock, The Hat and Discount Dyno Boulder. It is mostly level, with 164 ft of elevation gain. It scores 85/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi4,062 – 4,213 ft5.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Playhouse approach 34.02236, -116.17331
Nearest town Panorama Heights, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Turtle Rock–The Hat, 4 rocks

5 mi · ▲ 164 ft · 1 hr 45 min

Elevation 4,062–4,213 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Playhouse approach · 34.02236, -116.17331

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 98°F / low 74° · precip 1% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 5:58 AM · sunset 7:45 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Hemingway-Playhouse Connector, heading W.
  2. 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
  3. 150 ftSharp right, heading N.
  4. 400 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  5. 500 ftContinue straight onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading N.
  6. 450 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  7. 250 ftBear right, heading W.
  8. 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
  9. 1.2 miPass Pretzel Rock.
  10. 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  11. 150 ftReach Turtle Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 100 ftPass The Hat.
  13. 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  14. 150 ftPass Discount Dyno Boulder.
  15. 0.5 miTurn right onto Old Lost Horse Road Trail, heading SW.
  16. 1.1 miSharp right, heading N.
  17. 0.6 miBear left, heading NE.
  18. 300 ftTurn right onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading N.
  19. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  20. 400 ftSharp left, heading N.
  21. 150 ftSharp right onto Hemingway-Playhouse Connector, heading NE.
  22. 0.2 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

27% sand2% paved2% dirt69% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 98°F74°
Feels like79°Precip1%Wind6 mphUV9Humidity14%
Hourly temperature
100°70°
Sunrise 5:58 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:45 PM
Wed 95°68°
Thu 97°77°
Fri 98°80°
Sat 100°82°
Sun 95°79°
Mon 94°75°

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Playhouse approach Trailhead