Fountain Peak | Mojave National Preserve

hiking california los angeles hikespeak national park

Fountain Peak
in Mojave National Preserve

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Fountain Peak

Beyond the trails maintained by the park, there are numerous peaks in Mojave National Preserve that can be reached with off-trail hiking and scrambling. One worthy candidate is Fountain Peak.

Fountain Peak is located near Mitchell Caverns whose parking lot in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area provides a serviceable base camp. Before setting out, download this USGS topographical map of Fountain Peak. Making your own trail is a rewarding feeling, but hiking off-trail should only be attempted with preparation and precaution.

Head north through the cactus-filled desert to the gully that runs down the eastern side of Fountain. From there, start up the wash and/or the ridgeline. As mentioned, there is nothing even resembling a trail, so the path is yours for the making.

Approaching the summit via the main wash directly to the east will eventually lead hikers to a position that required about forty feet of near vertical climbing. Obviously, this is not the suggested route. Before things get to steep, gain the ridgeline to the left of the wash and approach the summit from there.

Fountain Peak Mojave
Looking west from the summit onto the Kelso Dunes

The terrain is slow going and scrambling is required in several places, but the views from 6,996 feet made it all worthwhile. From the parking lot to the summit is about 5 miles round trip with 2700 feet of elevation gain.

To get to the trailhead: From Barstow, head east on the 40 freeway. Take exit 100 and start north on Essex Road. Take this road for 16 miles to roads end at Mitchell Caverns.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

View Fountain Peak GPS in a larger map
Or view California Desert Hikes in a larger map

Photos

These photos were taken in February of 2008. Click to enlarge.

Nearby Trails

	Teutonia Peak The 4-mile round trip hike crosses a Joshua tree forest to summit a short peak with a great view of Cima Dome.
	New York Peak This 7 to 9-mile round trip hike summits the highest point of the New York Range in the northeast corner of the preserve.
	Lava Tube This short 0.6-mile hike drops below the surface into an old lava tube.
	Petroglyphs near Seventeen Mile Point This quarter-mile path visits ancient engravings in the volcanic rock at the western rim of the cinder fields just off Kelbaker Road.
	Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Trail This 1.5-mile loop takes visitors through a landscape of pocketed rocks. Ringbolts allow fun passage through narrow canyons.
	Kelso Dunes This 3-mile round trip hike climbs 470 feet to the highest point in this 45 square mile dune field.
	Silver Peak This 8.5-mile hike summits a 6.365-foot peak in the Granite Mountains.
	Amboy Crater This 3-mile round trip hike travels up and into this ‘Mojave National Preserve adjacent’ crater.
	Hikes in the California Desert Explore more trails in Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Mojave National Preserve.