California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (951) 659-2607. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov.

© 2002 California State Parks (Rev. 2018)

Our MissionThe mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Mount San Jacinto

State Park and Wilderness

John Muir once

remarked that the view

from Mount San Jacinto

was “the most sublime

spectacle to be found

anywhere on this earth.”

Mount San Jacinto State Park25905 Highway 243 (mail: P.O. Box 308)

Idyllwild, CA 92549(951) 659-2607

www.parks.ca.gov/msjsp

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKSP.O. Box 942896

Sacramento, CA 94296-0001For information call: (800) 777-0369

(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service

www.parks.ca.gov

View of San Jacinto Range from San Gorgonio Pass

hen you enter Mount San Jacinto State Park, you come into the heart of the wilderness, high in the San Jacinto Mountains. This 14,000-acre park can be reached via Highway 243 from Idyllwild or by tram from Palm Springs. Granite peaks, sub-alpine forests, and mountain meadows offer the best opportunity to enjoy a primitive high-country experience south of the Sierra Nevada range.

San Jacinto Peak — a giant, often snow-capped crag marked by great upthrusts of weathered granite — rises 10,834 feet above sea level. It is the highest peak in the San Jacinto Range and in the California State Park System.

Several other peaks within the park exceed 10,000 feet in elevation. Much of the rest of the park, standing at more than 6,000 feet, is cool and comfortable in the summer. Average summer temperatures during the day are in the 70s with nights dropping into the 50s. During the winter the ground is often snow covered and temperatures can range from the 40s during the day to single digits at night.

From the Tramway Mountain Station, you can see the greens of Palm Springs golf courses, the agricultural areas in the Coachella Valley, and the windmill farm. The vistas from the park sweep into the desert hundreds of miles, extending southeast to the Salton Sea and beyond into the Imperial Valley.

The northeast face of the San Jacinto Range plunges down 9,000 feet in less than four miles — among the steepest and most spectacular escarpments in North America.

W

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, one of the world’s largest and longest single-lift passenger tramways, carries passengers 2.5 miles from the Valley Station in Chino Canyon to the Mountain Station, on the edge of the Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness. After a lift of nearly 6,000 feet, visitors find themselves in a world quite different from the

valley below. A range of hiking trails beckons those who are prepared to explore forests interspersed by small meadows.

For questions regarding the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, please call (888) 515-8726 or visit their website at pstramway.com. You can also email your question(s) to pstramway@pstramway.com.

PARK HISTORyThe Cahuilla, Native Californians, used the area for seasonal hunting. They traversed its wooded canyons and protected valleys, gathering food and other resources. Their trails still cross the mountain, and several bedrock mortars can be seen in or near the park. The mortars date back hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, giving evidence of long-term human habitation.

European settlers at first used the high country much as the native people had, hunting the abundant deer. Later, loggers began to harvest the hillsides of pine while domestic sheep and cattle grazed the fragile mountain meadows.

In 1897 President Grover Cleveland created the San Jacinto Forest Reserve to help contain and control these practices. The Reserve became the San Jacinto Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in 1930.

When the California State Park System was established in 1927, a state park at San Jacinto became a priority. The first 12,695 acres for the park were deeded to the California State Park Commission in 1933 and were opened to the public in 1937.

The aerial tramway was authorized by California’s Legislature in 1945 and completed in 1963.

Visitors to the park can now take a 15-minute tram ride and experience a series of biotic communities; they range from desert scrub at the Valley Station to a mixed conifer forest dotted with wildflowers at the Mountain Station. From Idyllwild, trails of varying difficulty travel through conifer forests, past lush meadows, and across rocky outcrops into San Jacinto’s high country wilderness.

The park became part of the 280,071-acre Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument in October of 2000.

The park’s Rustic Historic District had the honored distinction of being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

NATURAL HISTORySimilar to the Sierra Nevada, the San Jacinto

Mountains rest on a major fault block with a distinct westward tilt. The entire San Jacinto region — bounded on the west by the San Jacinto Fault and on the north and east by the San Andreas Fault — is seismically active and slowly rising in elevation.

In 2002, 255 acres of Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness were designated as the Hidden Divide

Natural Preserve. This classification provides the highest level of protection possible to Hidden Divide’s sensitive wildlife, plant species, and distinctive natural features.

The park’s varied landscapes shelter white-headed woodpeckers, Steller’s jays, and mountain chickadees. Noisy Clark’s nutcrackers and red crossbills feed on the seeds of the forest’s pine species — Jeffrey, sugar, and lodgepole pines.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIESA short walk from the tram station takes you into Long Valley, which has a ranger station, a picnic area, restrooms, a self-guided nature trail, and the Desert View Trail overlooking Coachella Valley.

Snow normally covers the wilderness from November through April. High winds and sub-freezing temperatures are common. For current weather and trail conditions, call (760) 327-0222.

CampingDeveloped campsites are available in Mount San Jacinto State Park at Idyllwild and Stone Creek campgrounds. Reservations are recommended; visit www.parks.ca.gov or call (800) 444-7275 up to six months in advance. Summer weekends fill quickly. Sites accommodate motor homes or trailers up to 24 feet long. Winter camping demands

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Steller’s jay

preparation and good equipment. In the San Bernardino National Forest, developed campsites may be reserved by calling United States Forest Service (USFS) at (877) 444-6777.

Hike-in CampingA Wilderness Camping Permit is required. California State Parks and the USFS manage the two wilderness areas in the San Jacinto Mountains. Camping permits must be obtained from the agency that administers the area where you plan to camp. This permit serves as a hike-through pass within all state park and US Forest Service boundaries. For weekend camping in one of the four state wilderness campgrounds, obtaining a camping permit in advance is highly recommended. Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness permit applications are available at www.parks.ca.gov/msjsp. Allow at least two weeks before your visit for valid permits to be issued and returned to you. For USFS camping info and permits, visit www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf.

Within the state wilderness boundaries, camping is permitted only in designated campsites .

NO OPEN FIRES ARE ALLOWED. Only camping stoves with an on/off switch are permitted.

Day HikingThe park’s extensive trail system was designed to minimize the impact on scenic and wilderness values. Popular hikes start from either the town of Idyllwild or the tram’s Mountain Station. The park’s most popular wilderness hike, a 4.5 mile loop takes you to Round Valley where you can see an alpine meadow and a historic ranger station built in the 1930’s. You can also hike from Long Valley to San Jacinto Peak, a strenuous round trip of about 12 miles with a 2,434-foot elevation gain.

All day hikers must have permits to enter the wilderness. Obtain day-use permits on the day of your trip by visiting one of the ranger stations shown on the map. These permits are honored by both agencies except

during the summer, when day-use permits to enter the wilderness via Devil’s Slide Trail can only be obtained from the USFS ranger station in Idyllwild.

ACCESSIBLE FEATURES Stone Creek Campground in Idyllwild has accessible camping and a trail. Idyllwild Campground near headquarters has accessible camping and showers. Parking, restrooms, and picnic areas are all accessible.

Mountain Station has an accessible elevator and viewpoint. The wilderness area terrain is extremely steep and rugged. People with mobility issues may want to access the backcountry from Stone Creek. Accessibility is continually improving; for updates, call the park at (951) 659-2607 or visit http://access.parks.ca.gov.

Emergency shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps located below San Jacinto Peak

Preserve plants and prevent erosion by staying on trails.

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PLEASE REMEMBER• Caution — All natural and cultural features

are protected by law and may not be disturbed or removed.

• Permits — You must have a permit to enter the wilderness. If you are under the age of 18 you must be with a parent or guardian or have a signed consent to obtain the permit.

• Litter — Pack out all trash.• Sanitation — In the state wilderness, use

the pit toilets in the campgrounds. In USFS areas, bury human waste at least eight inches deep and at least 200 feet from the nearest drainage, trail, or camp.

• Waste Water — Wash dishes and dispose of waste water at least 100 feet from any stream, spring, or faucet.

• Trails — Please stay on trails. Help preserve

plants and prevent erosion by not making or using shortcuts.

• Horses — Equestrians must pack in weed-free feed; grazing in the meadows is prohibited.

• Smoking — Smoking is permitted only in designated areas at the tram’s Mountain Station. At Idyllwild and Stone Creek, smoking is permitted only within designated campsites.

• Hunting — The wilderness is a state game refuge; possession of firearms, bows and arrows, slingshots, or other weapons is prohibited.

• Dogs — Except for trained service animals, all dogs are prohibited in the wilderness areas.

• Fires — All fires are prohibited in the wilderness areas. Camping stoves are permitted.

• Motor vehicles, bicycles, strollers, coolers, and any wheeled devices, except wheelchairs or walkers, are prohibited in the uneven terrain of the state and USFS wildernesses.

NEARBy STATE PARKS• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

200 Palm Canyon Drive Borrego Springs 92004 (760) 767-5311

• Lake Perris State Recreation Area 17801 Lake Perris Drive Perris 92571 (951) 940-5600

Weather can be unpredictable; bring warm clothing layers to prepare for sudden changes.

This park receives support in part through a nonprofit organization.

For more information contact: Mt. San Jacinto Natural History Association

P.O. Box 1424 Palm Springs, CA 92262

www.msjnha.org

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Cornell Peak9,750ft2972m

San Jacinto Peak10,834ft

3293m

Folly Peak10,482ft3195m

Miller Peak10,312ft3143m

Newton Drury Peak10,160ft3096m

Jean Peak10,670ft

3252m

Marion Mtn10,362ft

3164m

Suicide Rock7,528ft2295m

Red Tahquitz8,738ft2663m

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Castle Rocks8,600ft2621m

Landells Peak9,356ft2852m

Divide Peak

Tahquitz Peak8,828ft2691m

Lily Rock8,000ft2438m

S K U N KC A B B A G EM E A D O W

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© 2009 California State Parks (Rev. 2018)

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Contour Interval: 200 Feet

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Legend

State Park Wilderness

Tramway

Campground: Primitive

Campground: Group

Nature Trail

Campground

Accessible Feature

Food Services

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Intermittent Stream

Picnic Area

Restrooms

Showers

Ski Center

Viewpoint

Parking

Ranger Station

Trailhead

Road 4S01Ro

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Road 5S11

State Park Property

Fire Lookout

Locked Gate

Marsh

Natural Preserve

Trail: Round Valley Loop

LawlerLodge

StrawberryJunction

Little RoundValley

TamarackValley

RoundValley

Caramba

State Park Headquarters

US Forest ServiceRanger Station

Long Valley

Black Mountain

FullerRidge

Dark Canyon

Marion Mountain

Fern Basin

StoneCreek

ThousandTrails

Fuller Mill Creek

Upper TerminalMountain Station(accessible elevator available)

Valley StationTerminal

HumberPark

Idyllwild

SeasonalRanger Station

Idyllwild Nature Center

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to Hemet, ,Palm Desert

toPalm Springs

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Murrieta Temecula

MorenoValley

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SP

Agua TibiaWilderness

SanBernardino

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Cleveland NF

SanGorgonio

WildernessJoshua

Tree NP

CampPendleton

Lake Perris SRA

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to Los Angeles

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Mount San Jacinto SP

Mount San JacintoState Park and State Wilderness

Idyllwild County Park