Keys View to Inspiration Peak
in Joshua Tree National Park
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With its vast view of Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, and Mount San Jacinto, Keys View is the principal overlook in Joshua Tree National Park. The excellent vantage more than justifies the 7-mile drive from Park Boulevard, but why stop there? Keys View is also the starting point for a short trek to Inspiration Peak. Leave the crowds behind and visit this 5,550-foot summit, which is just 0.6 miles (and 425 vertical feet) away.
Keys View
The trailhead is unmarked, but easy to locate. Look for the path heading west from the southwest corner of Keys View (if you are looking at the information panel about the San Andreas Fault, turn right and you will see the path headed uphill). There are a few switchbacks built into the trail, but mostly it is a straight shot up the rocky slope, climbing 400 feet over 0.3 miles to a crest in the ridge. This is the halfway point, and while the views from here are quite good, keep hiking west to Inspiration Peak, a highpoint in the Little San Bernardino Mountains with a vertical southern face.
The trail up Inspiration Peak
The trail drops down across a saddle, losing 100 feet, before climbing again to the summit. While a bit faint in places, the unmaintained trail is not too hard to follow. As you reach the peak, have a look over your shoulder. The cars and people at Keys View now look minuscule within the larger desert landscape.
The snowcapped summits of Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio
The views from Inspiration Peak are truly panoramic. To the southwest Mount San Jacinto rises above Palm Springs. To the west is an even taller mountain, the 11,499-foot Mount San Gorgonio (the highest point in Southern California). And unlike Keys View, Inspiration Peak also looks northward over the park toward Ryan Mountain and the Wonderland of Rocks.
After taking in the views, return the way you came for a 1.2-mile round trip hike. For those interested in extending the hike, a clear path continues west along the ridge.
To get to the trailhead: From Park Boulevard 10.3 miles west of the intersection with Pinto Basin Road, take Keys View Road south for 7 miles to road’s end at Keys View (passing the turnoff for Lost Horse Mine).
Use the map below to create your own directions:
View Inspiration Peak GPS in a larger map
Or View California Desert Hikes in a larger map
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Camping
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There are nine campgrounds with 500 total sites spread throughout the park to facilitate your visit. |
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Created by Seth Smigelski
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