The past week has seen high pressure over the region and markedly mild temperatures for November, especially at the highest elevations, where a new record high temperature for the month (55.4°F/13°C) was recorded at San Jacinto Peak on 9th.

The first jet stream-driven storm(s) of the season are now forecast starting later this week. Highly changeable, colder, and at times wintry, weather is now expected for 13th-21st November, with precipitation possible on any of those days, as multiple consecutive storm systems may impact Southern California.

Rain at mid elevations is tentatively forecast for 13th-14th, 16th-17th, and 19th-21st November, with at least 0.5 inch possible during each of those three precipitation events. One or more of these storm events may be colder than those earlier this winter, so snow levels may be lower, possibly as low as 7000 ft, although at this time forecasts are for only 1-3 inches of snow during each of the three storms even at elevations >10,000 ft.

With high pressure dominant since the storm on 1st November, temperatures rose steadily and hence snow melt was rapid. By Friday 6th November, trails were clear of snow, with only a few minor persistent sections remaining on the East Ridge Trail (further details in Trail Conditions below). Further light snowfall forecast for 13th-14th will likely change recommendations regarding traction devices.

Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain and Fern Basin are now closed for the season. The State Park campground at Stone Creek is also now closed for the winter.

Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. Dark Canyon campground did not reopen in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

The third snow-producing storm of this winter season impacted the San Jacinto mountains late on Saturday 31st October, with light rain and drizzle continuing into Sunday 1st November. With a warm subtropical air mass driving the storm, the freeze level was predictably high, snow dusting only down to 9650 ft, with two inches above 10,000 ft and 2.5 inches at San Jacinto Peak falling late on 31st. By the morning of 1st November, it was already drizzling as high as San Jacinto Peak, and large sections of the Peak Trail were already more slush than snow.

Mid elevations throughout the San Jacinto mountains received at least half-an-inch of rain, with many closer to one inch. The most rain recorded locally was 1.46 inches at Vista Grande (4700 ft, NWS data), with 1.22 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 0.76 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

With an additional 2.5 inches of snow at San Jacinto Peak on 31st, the Peak received a total of 4.25 inches of snow in October 2026, the most in the month of October for at least the past decade (the previous high was 1.5 inches in October 2025).

As described above, following ten days of high pressure and mild temperatures for November, much more variable weather is forecast for 13th-21st November (at least). Rain at mid elevations is tentatively forecast for 13th-14th, 16th-17th, and 19th-21st November, with at least 0.5 inch possible during each of the three precipitation events. Snow levels may be lower than during prior storms so far this winter, possibly as low as 7000 ft, although at this time forecasts are for only 1-3 inches of snow during each storm event even around the highest peaks.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,809 ft/3295 m) on Tuesday 10th November 2026 at 0740 the air temperature was 46.4°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 34.5°F (1°C), 23% relative humidity, and a light NNW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 10.9 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 9th November 2026 at 1430 the air temperature was 55.4°F (13°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 51.4°F (11°C), 38% relative humidity, and an intermittent SW breeze sustained at 0 mph gusting to 3.9 mph. The air temperature of 55.4°F (13°C) is the all-time record highest observed at the Peak in November.

At the Peak on Friday 6th November 2026 at 0820 the air temperature was 34.4°F (1°C), with a windchill temperature of 18.7°F (-8°C), 26% relative humidity, and a frigid NNE wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 23.3 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Trails cleared by 3rd November of the light snowfall that had accumulated on 31st October. Only the lightly traveled East Ridge route to San Jacinto Peak still retained 30% snow cover on 10th November. On the trail system, traction devices are not required at this time (although this advice may well change by Saturday 14th).

Hikers exploring off-trail among the 10,000+ ft peaks should note that significant, thin, icy snow cover remains on sheltered and north-facing slopes around Jean and Shirley peaks, and Marion Mountain, at this time, for which some hikers may find spikes useful.

Established springs and pipes are flowing steadily at this time, and hence flow rates and water availability are not expected to be discussed further this winter. Note that most ephemeral sources currently remain dry however.

Significant sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Jacinto mountains, although largely clear of blowdowns, remain in urgent need of brushing despite repeated reporting to USFS and PCTA. This includes Miles 155-157, 169-170 (Apache Peak area), 171-173, 179-183 (Saddle Junction to Strawberry Junction), and 185.5-190 (Fuller Ridge).

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this year on the upper Peak Trail. My work started in late May, and the entire 0.5 mile section of trail between 10,000 ft and the Miller Peak switchback had been widened to 3-4 feet by early November. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-15 inches wide in many places, which was problematic year-round, but especially in winter conditions and for pole users (example before-and-after photos in several prior reports since June).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain overgrown in places.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a painfully slow process and it is now certain that at least two years of work will be required to rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS and volunteer work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

The third snow-producing storm of this winter season impacted the San Jacinto mountains late on Saturday 31st October, with light rain and drizzle continuing into Sunday 1st November. With a warm subtropical air mass driving the storm, the freeze level was predictably high, snow dusting only down to 9650 ft, with two inches above 10,000 ft and 2.5 inches at San Jacinto Peak falling late on 31st. By the morning of 1st November, it was already drizzling as high as San Jacinto Peak, and large sections of the Peak Trail were already more slush than snow. I recorded a YouTube short from the Peak just after 0900 on 1st to give a feel for conditions (linked here).

Mid elevations throughout the San Jacinto mountains received at least half-an-inch of rain, with many closer to one inch. The most rain recorded locally was 1.46 inches at Vista Grande (4700 ft, NWS data), with 1.22 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 0.76 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

With temperatures rising steadily during and following the storm, and even the highest elevation snow so wet on settling, melting has been rapid. By Friday 6th, trails are clear of snow, with only a few minor persistent sections remaining on the East Ridge Trail.

Multiple precipitation events in September and October have had a positive impact on the water situation at all elevations. I do not anticipate describing water availability and flow rates for springs, creeks and pipes for the remainder of the year.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and has ranged widely in the San Jacinto and northern Santa Rosa mountains (per CDFW). Most recently this individual was in the Dark Canyon area. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Boulder Basin campground is now closed for the season. Forest Service campgrounds at Marion Mountain and Fern Basin are scheduled to close for the season on 8th November. The State Park campground at Stone Creek is also now closed for the winter.

Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. Dark Canyon campground did not reopen in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Rachel passed across Southern California on 10th-11th October, with remnant precipitation persisting into 12th. Cumulative storm totals included 3.31 inches of rain at San Jacinto Peak (plus 0.25 inch of snow), 4.02 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 3.77 inches in Idyllwild (at 5500 ft). Snow dusted down to 9400 ft, and 0.25 inch of snow above 9900 ft, the bulk of which had melted by 13th.

A low pressure system moving steadily eastwards across California drew additional tropical moisture northwards (including remnants of Tropical Storm Trudy) on 21st-23rd October. Light rain fell on 21st-22nd (totaling 0.25 inch in Idyllwild at 5500 ft), which then turned to light snow on the afternoon of 22nd at higher elevations. Snow dusted down to 6400 ft on Marion Mountain Trail visible early on 23rd and a consistent one inch depth everywhere above about 9000 ft. Snow was much more sparse on the sun-exposed eastern and southern slopes, with the dusting only down to 8400 ft. By the late afternoon of 23rd, the movement of the low pressure system across the state resulted in further storm cells, this time originating from the north rather than south-west. A dusting of 0.25 inch of snow was evident in the early morning of 24th down to about 9800 ft, with a scant 0.5 inch above 10,500 ft.

The storm system on 31st October to 1st November is described in detail in the introduction above. With an additional 2.5 inches of snow at San Jacinto Peak on 31st, the Peak received a total of 4.25 inches of snow in October 2026, the most in the month of October for at least the past decade (the previous high was 1.5 inches in October 2025).

High pressure dominates for the next ten days, with unseasonably warm temperatures at mid elevations, and seasonally cool (but benign) weather at upper elevations. The first jet stream-driven storm system is possible in mid November. Details remain unclear at this time, but there are slim chances for light precipitation on one or more days from 13th November onwards.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,809 ft/3295 m) on Friday 6th November 2026 at 0820 the air temperature was 34.4°F (1°C), with a windchill temperature of 18.7°F (-8°C), 26% relative humidity, and a frigid NNE wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 23.3 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 3rd November 2026 at 0840 the air temperature was 44.9°F (7°C), with a windchill temperature of 37.1°F (3°C), 33% relative humidity, and a steady due West wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 11.6 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 1st November 2026 at 0910 the air temperature was 30.8°F (-1°C), with a windchill temperature of 17.1°F (-8°C), 100% relative humidity, and a strengthening WNW wind sustained at 10 mph gusting to 17.0 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 29th October 2026 at 0900 the air temperature was 44.6°F (7°C), with a windchill temperature of 34.9°F (2°C), 11% relative humidity, and a light SSW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 10.7 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Trails have cleared of the light snowfall that had accumulated on 31st October. All trails below 9800 ft are clear, and the eastern side high country routes (e.g., Wellman and Peak trails) were functionally melted by Tuesday 3rd November, other than the lightly traveled East Ridge route to San Jacinto Peak which retained 50% snow cover on 6th. Only upper Deer Springs Trail, which is more heavily forested and less sun-exposed, retained limited, thin, snow patches until about 5th November, but nowhere are any traction devices required at this time.

As discussed in the introduction, established springs and pipes are flowing steadily at this time, and hence flow rates and availability are not currently described. Note that most ephemeral sources remain dry however.

Significant sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Jacinto mountains, although largely clear of blowdowns, remain in urgent need of brushing despite repeated reporting to USFS and PCTA. This includes Miles 155-157, 169-170 (Apache Peak area), 171-173, 179-183 (Saddle Junction to Strawberry Junction), and 185.5-190 (Fuller Ridge).

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this year on the upper Peak Trail. My work started in late May, and the entire 0.5 mile section of trail between 10,000 ft and the Miller Peak switchback had been widened to 2-4 feet by early November. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-15 inches wide in many places, which was problematic year-round, but especially in winter conditions and for pole users (example before-and-after photos in several prior reports since June).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain overgrown in places.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a painfully slow process and it is now certain that at least two years of work will be required to rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS and volunteer work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

UPDATE Sunday 1st November 2026 at 1400: light rain started at 1700 yesterday evening with 1.10 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 0.73 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft) so far, although rain recenly stopped at the latter. Snow falling late on Saturday 31st dusted as low as 9650 ft, with two inches above 10,000 ft and 2.5 inches at San Jacinto Peak. However the air temperature is rising, it was drizzling at the Peak until about 1330, and large sections of the Peak Trail were already more slush than snow by early morning. I recorded a YouTube short from the Peak just after 0900 to give a feel for conditions (linked here).

---

Another minor storm system is forecast for 31st October-1st November, with 0.5-1.1 inch of rain expected for mid elevations in the 24 hour period from late afternoon on 31st throughout Sunday 1st. Given extremely warm atmospheric and near-shore sea surface temperatures, unsurprisingly the freeze level is forecast to be very high, a phenomenon that has become all too familiar in recent winters. Although 1-5 inches of snow are possible, such depths may only be recorded above 10,000 ft, and even then snow may be admixed with rain, while any dusting of snow may only be recorded down to 9000 ft.

Although strictly speaking the first snowfall of the season was the fraction of an inch that impacted that highest elevations on 12th October, recent days (22nd-23rd) saw the first meaningful snow storm of the season for the San Jacinto mountains. A low pressure system moving steadily eastwards across California drew additional tropical moisture northwards (including remnants of Tropical Storm Trudy). The circulating air mass, and hence precipitation type, grew steadily colder during the multi-day period. This first produced light rain on Tuesday 20th with 0.08 inch at San Jacinto Peak, but interestingly no measurable precipitation at nearby Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft).

Light rain fell on 21st-22nd (totaling 0.25 inch in Idyllwild at 5500 ft), which then turned to light snow on the afternoon of 22nd at higher elevations. We ascended San Jacinto Peak on both 23rd and 24th, the former via Marion Mountain and Deer Springs trails, descending Devil’s Slide Trail, and the latter using the Peak, Wellman, and Devil’s Slide trails.

With cloud pushing up onto the western slope of the mountains, snow was much more widespread on that side of the range on 22nd, with a dusting down to 6400 ft on Marion Mountain Trail visible early on 23rd and a consistent one inch depth everywhere above about 9000 ft. Snow was much more sparse on the sun-exposed eastern and southern slopes, with the dusting only down to 8400 ft. I uploaded a short video report from San Jacinto Peak at 0900 on the morning of Friday 23rd (linked here).

By the late afternoon of 23rd, the movement of the low pressure system across the state resulted in further storm cells, this time originating from the north rather than south-west. Consequently the San Jacintos were in the “shadow” of the San Bernardino Mountains, the latter receiving far more snow as a result. A dusting of 0.25 inch was evident in the early morning of 24th down to about 9800 ft, with a scant 0.5 inch above 10,500 ft.

With temperatures rising steadily in the wake of the low pressure system, and with the snow so thin especially on the less sheltered east slope, melting has been very rapid. Almost all trails are already functionally clear of snow, with only a few minor persistent sections on upper Deer Springs Trail.

Precipitation events in September and October have had a positive impact on the water situation at all elevations. Consequently I do not anticipate detailing water availability and flow rates for springs, creeks and pipes for the remainder of the year.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and has ranged widely in the San Jacinto and northern Santa Rosa mountains (per CDFW). Most recently this individual was in the Dark Canyon area. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground did not reopen in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year. Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures in the first nine days of October were far above seasonal at mid elevations, more typical of midsummer conditions. In contrast, temperatures at the highest elevations were distinctly autumnal, especially on the breeziest days.

Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Rachel passed across Southern California on 10th-11th October, with remnant precipitation persisting into 12th. The pattern of rainfall was detailed in the previous Report, but cumulative storm totals included 3.31 inches at San Jacinto Peak (plus 0.25 inch of snow), 4.02 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 3.77 inches in Idyllwild (at 5500 ft). With such a mild, subtropical origin, Rachel was not expected to generate significant snowfall. Temperatures finally fell markedly in the early hours of 12th October, by which time the bulk of the precipitation had passed. Nevertheless, we received the first snow of the season, with a dusting down to 9400 ft, and 0.25 inch of snow above 9900 ft, the bulk of which had melted by 13th. Even the highest elevations were functionally clear by Thursday 15th.

Strong Santa Ana winds were a feature of high and mid elevations on 15th-17th October. The wind gust of 41.5 mph recorded at San Jacinto Peak on 15th October is the twelfth strongest I have ever recorded at that location.

The minor rain and snow storm on 20th-23rd October is described above. Total snow accumulation at San Jacinto Peak was 1.5 inches, with up to about one inch consistently down to 9000 ft on the western side of the mountain range. Total rain in Idyllwild was 0.25 inch, although locations to the immediate west and north recorded much greater rainfall (e.g., 1.06 inches at Vista Grande at 4700 ft; NWS data).

The first possible seasonal jet stream flow across our region is tentatively forecast for 30th October to 3rd November. At this time moderate precipitation (rain at mid elevations, potentially a few inches of snow in the high country) is possible on one or more days throughout that period, most likely focused around 1st November.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,809 ft/3295 m) on Monday 26th October 2026 at 0835 the air temperature was 42.8°F (6°C), with a windchill temperature of 37.0°F (3°C), 9% relative humidity, and a light WNW wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 7.6 mph.

At the Peak on Saturday 24th October 2026 at 0900 the air temperature was 25.4°F (-4°C), with a windchill temperature of 7.9°F (-13°C), 87% relative humidity, and a frigid NNE wind sustained at 17 mph gusting to 22.2 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 23rd October 2026 at 0850 the air temperature was 28.1°F (-2°C), with a windchill temperature of 17.6°F (-8°C), 100% relative humidity, and a light WSW wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 7.3 mph.

At the Peak on Wednesday 21st October 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 37.7°F (3°C), with a windchill temperature of 23.2°F (-5°C), 37% relative humidity, and a stiff due South wind sustained at 16 mph gusting to 24.9 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Trails have already functionally cleared of the light snowfall that accumulated on 22nd-23rd. All trails below 9000 ft are clear, and the eastern side high country routes (e.g., Wellman and Peak trails) were fully melted by Monday 26th. Only upper Deer Springs Trail, which is more heavily forested and less sun-exposed, retains limited, very thin, snow patches, but nowhere are any traction devices required at this time (this advisory may change on Sunday 1st November).

As discussed in the introduction, established springs and pipes are flowing steadily (or stronger) at this time, and hence flow rates and availability are not currently detailed.

Significant sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Jacinto mountains, although largely clear of blowdowns, remain in urgent need of brushing despite repeated reporting to USFS and PCTA. This includes Miles 155-157, 169-170 (Apache Peak area), 171-173, 179-183 (Saddle Junction to Strawberry Junction), and 185.5-190 (Fuller Ridge).

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this year on the upper Peak Trail. After five months of work, almost the entire 0.5 mile section of trail between 10,000 ft and the Miller Peak switchback has been widened to 2-4 feet by mid October. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-15 inches wide in many places, which was problematic year-round, but especially in winter conditions and for pole users (example before-and-after photos in several prior reports since June).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that 2-3 years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

UPDATE Friday 23rd October 2026 at 1230: the light snowfall yesterday evening was more widespread than forecast on the western slope, with a dusting down to 6400 ft on Marion Mountain Trail (and likely on other west slope trails), with a consistent one inch depth everywhere above about 9000 ft. Snow is much more sparse on the sun-exposed eastern and southern slopes, with the dusting only down to 8400 ft (e.g., no hint of snow near Saddle Junction), and the Peak and Wellman trails rapidly clearing of already thin snow below 9900 ft. I uploaded a short video report from San Jacinto Peak at 0900 this morning, linked here. Spikes may be useful in the high country this weekend, especially on western slope trails above 9000 ft and around the high peaks, as further light rain and possible snow flurries are forecast this evening, complicated by freeze-thaw cycles over the next 24-48 hours.

UPDATE Thursday 22nd October 2026 at 1910: Precipitation today has been light and intermittent, with 0.26 inch of rain in Idyllwild (at 5500 ft) since yesterday evening. Precipitation totals immediately west and north of the San Jacinto mountains have been far more impressive. The high country remained above the rain clouds until about 1300, at which point light periodic sleet and snow started, with 0.5 inch settling above 9000 ft and a dusting down to 8500 ft. Further light precipitation is forecast for tomorrow afternoon, with potentially up to a further inch of snow at the highest elevations.

---

Light precipitation – a combination of the jet stream drawing tropical moisture northwards – is forecast for 21st-22nd October. Rainfall for mid elevations is expected to be in the 0.3-0.5 inch range, largely on Thursday 22nd, with 0.5-2.0 inches of snow possible for the high country, potentially dusting down to 9000 ft. The first wave of tropical moisture on Tuesday 20th produced 0.08 inch of rain at San Jacinto Peak, but interestingly no measurable precipitation at nearby Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft).

Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Rachel passed across Southern California on 10th-11th October, with remnant precipitation persisting into 12th. The pattern of rainfall is detailed in the Weather section below, but cumulative storm totals included 3.31 inches at San Jacinto Peak (plus 0.25 inch of snow), 4.02 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 3.77 inches in Idyllwild (at 5500 ft). Generally mid elevations on the western side of the mountain range received the most rain, with Vista Grande (4700 ft) leading the way with an impressive 5.88 inches (based on NWS data), but almost all locations in the Riverside County mountains recorded at least two inches, even as low as 2500 ft at Sage.

With such a mild, subtropical origin, Rachel was not expected to generate significant snowfall. Temperatures finally fell markedly in the early hours of 12th October, by which time the bulk of the precipitation had passed. Nevertheless, we received the first snow of the season, with a dusting down to 9400 ft, and 0.25 inch of snow above 9900 ft, the bulk of which had melted by 13th. Trails were generally unaffected, other than uppermost Deer Springs Trail (photo below), and some of the rocks immediately around San Jacinto Peak, areas that were functionally clear by Thursday 15th.

Obviously, this event had a positive impact on the water situation at both mid and upper elevations. Consequently, at this time I am not detailing water availability and flow rates for springs and pipes, until there is evidence that rates are declining to the point of being problematic once again.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and has ranged widely in the San Jacinto and northern Santa Rosa mountains (per CDFW). Most recently this individual was in the Dark Canyon area. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground did not reopen in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year. Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures in the first nine days of October were far above seasonal at mid elevations, more typical of midsummer conditions. In contrast, temperatures at the highest elevations were distinctly autumnal, especially on the breeziest days.

With the arrival of Tropical Storm Rachel, periodic light rain started just after 1300 on Saturday 10th October, but then turned persistently heavy from dusk onwards. By 0700 on Sunday 11th October, 2.19 inches of rain had fallen in Idyllwild (at 5500 ft), with 1.5-2.2 inches recorded at almost all mid and upper elevation locations throughout the San Jacinto mountains. I hiked to San Jacinto Peak in the afternoon of Sunday 11th initially through light rain to 9000 ft, above which the cloud was patchy at best. Rainfall largely stopped at all elevations by early afternoon. Unsurprisingly it was too warm for snow, but rainfall totals in the preceding 24 hours were impressive, with 3.55 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 3.04 inches at San Jacinto Peak.

Further showers overnight transitioned into steady drizzle in Idyllwild on the morning of Monday 12th October, with an additional 0.45 inch of rain increasing the storm total at 5500 ft to 3.57 inches by 0700. The high country had been largely above the cloud (or at least above the rain) since midday on 11th, with a storm total of about 2.6 inches in Long Valley (8500 ft). During the course of the three day event, temperatures dropped markedly, and the highest peaks (>10,000 ft) received a dusting of 0.25 inch of snow in the early hours of Monday 12th, before further light rain fell on the snow, largely encasing it in ice. Most snow melted later on 12th, with little remaining on trails by the next day (and almost none by 15th).

Strong Santa Ana winds were a feature of high and mid elevations on 15th-17th October. The wind gust of 41.5 mph recorded at San Jacinto Peak on 15th October is the twelfth strongest I have ever recorded at that location.

There is a an increasingly confident forecast for further light precipitation and cold temperatures on 21st-22nd October, this time from the scattered remnants of Tropical Storm Simon being drawn north by the jet stream. Although rainfall is expected to be limited at mid elevations (0.2-0.4 inch), low cloud, strong south then south-west winds and a fresh dusting of snow (0.5-2 inches) are provisionally forecast in the high country, potentially as low as 8500 ft.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,809 ft/3295 m) on Wednesday 21st October 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 37.7°F (3°C), with a windchill temperature of 23.2°F (-5°C), 37% relative humidity, and a stiff due South wind sustained at 16 mph gusting to 24.9 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 19th October 2026 at 0850 the air temperature was 39.0°F (4°C), with a windchill temperature of 32.7°F (0°C), 73% relative humidity, and a very light WSW breeze sustained at 1 mph gusting to 4.6 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 15th October 2026 at 0910 the air temperature was 33.0°F (1°C), with a windchill temperature of 11.3°F (-11.5°C), 68% relative humidity, and a wild NE wind sustained at 28 mph gusting to 41.5 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 13th October 2026 at 0850 the air temperature was 36.3°F (3°C), with a windchill temperature of 22.3°F (-5°C), 14% relative humidity, and a moderate NW wind sustained at 15 mph gusting to 22.9 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The first snowfall of the season on 12th October was so thin (0.25 inch) that most had melted by later that day, especially from trails. However, the snow was rained on after it fell, causing it to ice up, and in the least sun-exposed areas it persisted throughout Tuesday 13th (photo above). The only notable impact was on uppermost Deer Springs Trail, but much of this will have melted off by later on 13th. Some hikers may find spikes are useful for the next day or two.

As discussed in the introduction, established springs and pipes are flowing steadily (or stronger) at this time, and hence flow rates and availability are not currently detailed.

Significant sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Jacinto mountains, although largely clear of blowdowns, remain in urgent need of brushing despite repeated reporting to USFS and PCTA. This includes Miles 155-157, 169-170 (Apache Peak area), 171-173, 179-183 (Saddle Junction to Strawberry Junction), and 185.5-190 (Fuller Ridge).

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this year on the upper Peak Trail. After five months of work, almost the entire 0.5 mile section of trail between 10,000 ft and the Miller Peak switchback has been widened to 2-4 feet by mid October. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-15 inches wide in many places, which was problematic year-round, but especially in winter conditions and for pole users (example before-and-after photos in several prior reports since June).

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that 2-3 years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is functionally clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in February storms. By March the Trail Report had cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

UPDATE Monday 12th October 2026 at 0900: Periodic showers overnight transitioned into steady drizzle in Idyllwild this morning, with an additional 0.45 inch of rain increasing the storm total at 5500 ft to 3.57 inches by 0700 (although it continues to rain steadily). Mid elevations on the western side of the mountain range have received the most precipitation, with Vista Grande (4700 ft) leading the way with an impressive 4.90 inches by 0500 this morning (NWS data). The high country has been largely above the cloud (or at least above the rain) with barely an additional 0.1 inch of rain in Long Valley in the past 24 hours, for a storm total of about 2.6 inches. Temperatures have dropped markedly however, and the highest peaks received a dusting of snow overnight.

UPDATE Sunday 11th October 2026 at 1930: I hiked to San Jacinto Peak this afternoon, initially through light rain to 9000 ft, above which the cloud was patchy at best. Rainfall largely stopped at all elevations by early afternoon. Unsurprisingly it was too warm for snow, but rainfall totals in the past 24 hours were impressive, with 3.55 inches at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 3.04 inches at San Jacinto Peak. With an additional 0.93 inch in Idyllwild in the past 12 hours, the storm total (so far) at 5500 ft was 3.12 inches. The mid elevations are forecast to experience further drizzle tonight and tomorrow from a lifted marine layer, but the high country is forecast to be above the cloud.

UPDATE Sunday 11th October 2026 at 0730: periodic light rain started just after 1300 yesterday, but then turned persistently heavy from dusk onwards. By 0700 this morning, 2.19 inches of rain had fallen in Idyllwild (at 5500 ft), with 1.5-2.2 inches recorded at almost all mid and upper elevation locations throughout the San Jacinto mountains. Rainfall intensity at all elevations is forecast to drop markedly by late morning. Although precipitation is forecast to turn to light snow in the high country later this morning, the freeze level is predicted to be above 11,000 ft (well above the elevation of San Jacinto Peak!) so any dusting may be confined to the highest peaks.

---

Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Rachel is now expected to pass immediately east of the San Jacinto mountains, with significant precipitation, strong winds, and a dramatic cooling forecast for 10th-13th October. Rainfall at mid elevations may exceed two inches, largely falling on 11th but continuing lightly on 12th. Windchills well below freezing, moderate rain, and even light snow (3-6 inches above 10,000 ft, dusting down to 8000 ft) are currently predicted for the high country on 11th-13th October.

The conditions on 11th-13th October are forecast to be similar to those which last winter resulted in multiple significant hypothermia cases in the San Jacinto high country, many of which I was involved in dealing with. The coincidence of a storm with a holiday weekend typically further complicates the situation. Hikers – especially those from the Tramway where such conditions are generally not anticipated – may well be ascending through rain, before encountering strong winds, frigid windchills, and possible snowfall at the highest elevations. Being fully prepared for the challenging combination of both wet weather and winter conditions will be critical (at a minimum, having fully wind- and waterproof clothing, plus multiple dry layers, hats, and gloves stored in a truly waterproof pack system, is very strongly advised). A clear understanding that turning around may well be the safest option in such conditions is also invaluable.

Temperatures in early October have been far above seasonal at mid elevations, more typical of midsummer conditions, and are expected to remain that way until Friday 9th. In contrast, temperatures at the highest elevations now feel distinctly autumnal, especially on the breeziest days (see my recent observations from San Jacinto Peak in the Weather section below).

Despite moderate tropical rains in early September, water flows have largely returned to their late August levels (sample photos below). Obviously this situation may change markedly if there is significant precipitation next week. At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow, albeit weakly. Ephemeral sources are dry, while “perennial” water sources remain at low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (flow rate 1.0 L/min on 3rd October), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail (3.0 L/min on 28th), and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing. Wellman’s Cienega is flowing weakly, especially from mid morning onwards (flow rate 1.5L/min at dawn, 0.5L/min by late morning on 5th October). The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is dry.

Water is flowing weakly but reliably in Tahquitz Creek near its source at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is dry. Willow Creek is now dry where it is crossed by Willow Creek Trail but there is gentle flow immediately upstream; it is also just flowing further downstream where it is crossed by the so-called King Trail (discussed below). Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. The North Fork of the San Jacinto River is dry where it crosses Seven Pines Trail and further downstream where it crosses Dark Canyon Road. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing weakly, but both Cedar and Apache springs are no longer reliable.

Be rattlesnake aware. Observations have become less frequent with temperatures generally cooling, but sun-exposed areas (especially below 8000 ft) such as Devil’s Slide Trail, South Ridge Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, and around Suicide Rock, continue to record rattlesnakes on warm days in early October. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (per CDFW). Most recently this individual was in the Dark Canyon area. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground did not reopen in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year. Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

After persistently hot weather in July and August, cooler conditions prevailed from 30th August into early September. Temperatures were around seasonal for the first few days of September, before rising yet again to above average. Tropical Storm (briefly Hurricane) Marie tracking offshore far to the south-west of our region generated moderate rainfall on 6th September. Drizzle on 7th then turned into a dramatic but brief thunderstorm with heavy hail in the high country on Tuesday 8th. This moisture, while still very much tropical in origin, was not directly associated with Marie, but was being drawn north directly from Baja.

Dry, mild weather continued for much of September, until some localized thunderstorms on 24th as described in the previous Report. With the exception of further brief cooling on 27th-29th, temperatures for the remainder of September and throughout the first week of October have been well above seasonal.

Cooler temperatures, with windchills likely well below freezing in the high country, are forecast for 11th-13th October as the dissipation of Tropical Storm Rachel may draw strong southerly, moisture-laden winds across Southern California. Heavy cloud cover, strong winds, and an increasing likelihood of moderate precipitation, including light snow around the highest peaks, are currently forecast for 10th-13th October, as described in more detail in the introduction.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,809 ft/3295 m) on Monday 5th October 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 46.7°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 35.6°F (2°C), 82% relative humidity, and a cool ESE wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 17.9 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 2nd October 2026 at 0845 the air temperature was 48.9°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 37.2°F (3°C), 54% relative humidity, and a steady ESE wind sustained at 17 mph gusting to 25.3 mph.

At the Peak on Wednesday 30th September 2026 at 0640 the air temperature was 38.8°F (4°C), with a windchill temperature of 27.9°F (-2°C), 64% relative humidity, and a fresh due North wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 16.2 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 29th September 2026 at 0940 the air temperature was 42.9°F (6°C), with a windchill temperature of 34.5°F (1°C), 66% relative humidity, and a very light NNW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 5.2 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 28th September 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 38.8°F (4°C), with a windchill temperature of 24.1°F (-5°C), 100% relative humidity, and a chilly WSW wind sustained at 14 mph gusting to 24.0 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraphs in the introduction above.

Significant sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Jacinto mountains, although largely clear of blowdowns, remain in urgent need of brushing despite repeated reporting to USFS and PCTA. This includes Miles 155-157, 169-170 (Apache Peak area), 171-173, 179-183 (Saddle Junction to Strawberry Junction), and 185.5-190 (Fuller Ridge).

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this year on the upper Peak Trail. About 90% of the 0.5 mile section of trail between 10,000 ft and the Miller Peak switchback had been widened to 2-4 feet by early October. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-15 inches wide in many places, which was problematic year-round for pole users but especially in winter conditions (example before-and-after photos in most prior reports since June).

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that 2-3 years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is functionally clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in February storms. By March the Trail Report had cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Temperatures are generally trending above seasonal (well above seasonal for overnight lows), although cooler weather on 27th-29th September included extensive cloud in the San Jacinto mountains, remnants from a distant and dissipating Tropical Storm Odalys. There was no measurable precipitation at mid or upper elevations, but the ground and vegetation in the high country was extensively damp from misty cloud on 28th.

Conditions have warmed rapidly from 30th September onward, and temperatures in the first ten days of October are expected to be far above seasonal, more typical of midsummer conditions at mid elevations. Temperatures at the highest elevations now feel distinctly autumnal, especially on the breeziest days, but have actually been averaging somewhat above seasonal, a trend that will continue for the first half of October.

Tropical moisture from the south generated welcome thunderstorms in the middle of the day on Thursday 24th September, although the impacts were highly localized. Idyllwild (at 5550 ft) received only 0.03 inch of rain, although a torrential downpour was reported in Mountain Center (4500 ft). There was minimal evidence of rainfall throughout the trails at mid elevations, but intense rain above 9000 ft included 0.48 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and a brief but spectacular mixed rain/hail storm above 9900 ft produced 0.98 inch at San Jacinto Peak, with widespread accumulations of hail remaining into the following morning (photos below).

Despite the moderate tropical rains in early September, water flows quickly returned to their late August levels. Even with the additional high country rainfall on 24th, water sources have weakened further (some sample photos below).

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow, albeit weakly, rates having continued to drop markedly even in September. Ephemeral sources are dry, while “perennial” water sources remain at very low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (flow rate 1.0 L/min on 3rd October), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail (3.0 L/min on 28th), and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing. Wellman’s Cienega is flowing weakly, especially from mid morning onwards (flow rate 0.5L/min on 2nd October). The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is dry.

Water is flowing weakly but reliably in Tahquitz Creek near its source at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is dry. Willow Creek is now dry where it is crossed by Willow Creek Trail but there is gentle flow immediately upstream; it is also just flowing further downstream where it is crossed by the “King Trail”. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. The North Fork of the San Jacinto River is dry where it crosses Seven Pines Trail and further downstream where it crosses Dark Canyon Road. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing weakly, but both Cedar and Apache springs are no longer reliable.

The scheduled annual maintenance closure of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway started Tuesday 8th September, with a tentative reopening on Monday 5th October 2026.

Be rattlesnake aware. As temperatures have cooled, observations have become less frequent, but sun-exposed areas (especially below 8000 ft) such as Devil’s Slide Trail, South Ridge Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, and around Suicide Rock, will continue to record rattlesnakes on warm days throughout early October. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (per CDFW). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground has not reopened in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

After persistently hot weather in July and August, cooler conditions prevailed from 30th August into early September. Temperatures were around seasonal for the first few days of September, before rising yet again to above average.

Tropical Storm (briefly Hurricane) Marie tracking offshore far to the south-west of our region generated moderate rainfall on Sunday 6th, with impressive totals of 1.17 inches at San Jacinto Peak, 0.97 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 0.55 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft). Very light patchy drizzle on 7th then turned into a dramatic but brief thunderstorm with heavy hail in the high country on Tuesday 8th. This moisture, while still very much tropical in origin, was not directly associated with Marie, but was being drawn north directly from Baja. At San Jacinto Peak, a further 0.41 inch fell in just an hour in the afternoon on 8th.

Dry, mild weather continued for much of September, until the localized thunderstorms on 24th as described above. With the exception of brief cooling on 27th-29th, forecast temperatures for the remainder of September and well into the first week of October are expected to be well above seasonal. At this time there is no significant precipitation forecast for this region from the several hurricanes/tropical storms active in the eastern Pacific to our south and south-west.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,809 ft/3295 m) on Friday 2nd October 2026 at 0845 the air temperature was 48.9°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 37.2°F (3°C), 54% relative humidity, and a steady ESE wind sustained at 17 mph gusting to 25.3 mph.

At the Peak on Wednesday 30th September 2026 at 0640 the air temperature was 38.8°F (4°C), with a windchill temperature of 27.9°F (-2°C), 64% relative humidity, and a fresh due North wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 16.2 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 29th September 2026 at 0940 the air temperature was 42.9°F (6°C), with a windchill temperature of 34.5°F (1°C), 66% relative humidity, and a very light NNW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 5.2 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 28th September 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 38.8°F (4°C), with a windchill temperature of 24.1°F (-5°C), 100% relative humidity, and a chilly WSW wind sustained at 14 mph gusting to 24.0 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 25th September 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 57.1°F (14°C), with a windchill temperature of 44.6°F (7°C), 65% relative humidity, and an intermittent SSW breeze sustained at 0 mph gusting to 3.3 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraphs in the introduction above.

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this year on the upper Peak Trail. About 90% of the section of trail between 10,000 ft and the Miller Peak switchback had been cleared by early October. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-15 inches wide in many places, which was problematic year-round but especially in winter conditions (example before-and-after photos in most prior reports since June).

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that 2-3 years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Temperatures were once again well above seasonal in the second week of September, but are now trending around (or even somewhat below) seasonal for the next week, before rising again in the last few days of the month. Temperatures at the highest elevations now feel distinctly autumnal, especially on the breeziest days, but are actually somewhat above seasonal for September. There is no significant precipitation forecast for the remainder of September at this time.

Following tropical rains in early September (described in detail in the previous Report) water flows temporarily increased. However within days, ephemeral sources such as those on Devil’s Slide Trail had returned to their prior condition, and recent history suggests water sources will largely return to their late August flows by late September.

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow, albeit weakly, rates having dropped dramatically since July. Ephemeral sources are dry, while “perennial” water sources remain at low flow rates for the time of year, regardless of recent rains. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (flow rate 0.7 L/min on 31st August), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail (6.5L/min), and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, but some of these sources may still dry this autumn without further rainfall. Wellman’s Cienega is flowing weakly, especially from mid morning onwards (flow rate 1.0L/min early on 16th September). The remnant puddle of water at Hidden Lake is on pace to dry later in September. The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is functionally dry.

Water is flowing weakly but reliably in Tahquitz Creek near its source at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is dry. Willow Creek is flowing very gently where it is crossed by Willow Creek Trail, and further downstream where it is crossed by the “King Trail” (see below). Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. The North Fork of the San Jacinto River is dry where it crosses Seven Pines Trail and further downstream where it crosses Dark Canyon Road. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing gently, but both Cedar and Apache springs are very weak and no longer reliable.

The scheduled annual maintenance closure of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway started Tuesday 8th September, with a tentative reopening on Monday 5th October 2026.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). As temperatures have cooled, observations have become less frequent, especially above 8000 ft, but sun-exposed mid elevation areas such as Devil’s Slide Trail, South Ridge Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, and around Suicide Rock, continue to record rattlesnakes on warm days throughout September (photo below).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (per CDFW). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground has not reopened in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

July and August in the San Jacinto mountains were both dominated by persistent hot, dry weather. Overnight low temperatures were typically even further above average than daytime highs especially at mid elevations, with lows in Idyllwild (recorded at 5550 ft) remaining above average for a remarkable 57 consecutive days between 4th July and 30th August. Cooler conditions prevailed from 30th August into early September. Temperatures were around seasonal for the first few days of September, before rising yet again to above average.

Tropical Storm Marie (briefly Hurricane Marie) tracking offshore far to the south-west of our region generated cloudy conditions and moderate rainfall. The bulk of the rain fell on Sunday 6th, starting in the pre-dawn hours and largely petering out by early afternoon, with impressive totals of 1.17 inches at San Jacinto Peak, 0.97 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 0.55 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

Very light patchy drizzle on 7th then turned into a dramatic but brief thunderstorm with heavy hail in the high country on Tuesday 8th. This moisture, while still very much tropical in origin, was not directly associated with Marie, but was being drawn north directly from Baja. At San Jacinto Peak, a further 0.41 inch fell in just an hour in the afternoon on 8th, with 0.15 inch at Wellman’s Cienega.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,811 ft/3295 m) on Wednesday 16th September 2026 at 0635 the air temperature was 45.9°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.1°F (2°C), 24% relative humidity, and a fresh SSW wind sustained at 13 mph gusting to 19.4 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 15th September 2026 at 0955 the air temperature was 51.1°F (11°C), with a windchill temperature of 40.8°F (5°C), 35% relative humidity, and a stiff SSW wind sustained at 15 mph gusting to 21.0 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 11th September 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 54.1°F (12°C), with a windchill temperature of 46.4°F (8°C), 70% relative humidity, and a cool due West wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 9.1 mph.

At the Peak on Wednesday 9th September 2026 at 0630 the air temperature was 50.6°F (10°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 46.6°F (8°C), 77% relative humidity, and a light SE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 6.8 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 8th September 2026 at 0950 the air temperature was 52.9°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 49.6°F (10°C), 77% relative humidity, and a barely discernable SW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 4.1 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraphs in the introduction above.

The first comprehensive trail trimming in 20+ years is being undertaken by the Trail Report this summer on the upper Peak Trail. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-12 inches wide in places, which is problematic year-round but especially in winter conditions (example photos below and in prior reports since June).

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that 2-3 years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Tropical moisture was a very welcome feature of 6th-8th September. The bulk of the rain fell on Sunday 6th, starting in the pre-dawn hours and largely petering out by early afternoon. This was generated by Tropical Storm (at that time Hurricane) Marie far to our south-west and produced impressive totals of 1.17 inches at San Jacinto Peak, 0.97 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 0.55 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

Very light patchy drizzle on 7th then turned into a dramatic but brief thunderstorm with heavy hail in the high country on Tuesday 8th. This moisture, while still very much tropical in origin, was not directly associated with Marie, but was being drawn north directly from Baja. At San Jacinto Peak, a further 0.41 inch fell in just an hour in the afternoon on 8th (photo below), with 0.15 inch at Wellman’s Cienega.

Immediately following the recent rains, water flows temporarily increased compared to those described in recent prior reports. However within three days, the ephemeral sources on Devil’s Slide Trail had returned to their prior condition, and recent history suggests water sources will largely return to their late August flows within a week or so (even sooner below 8000 ft).

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow, albeit weakly, rates having dropped dramatically since July. Ephemeral sources are dry, while “perennial” water sources remain at low flow rates for the time of year, regardless of recent rains. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (flow rate 0.7 L/min on 31st August), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail (6.5L/min), and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, but some of these sources may still dry this autumn without further rainfall. Wellman’s Cienega is flowing weakly, especially from mid morning onwards (flow rate 1.3L/min on 9th September, but only 0.6L/min by 11th). The remnant puddle of water at Hidden Lake is on pace to dry later in September. The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is functionally dry.

Water is flowing weakly but reliably in Tahquitz Creek near its source at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is dry. Willow Creek is flowing very gently where it is crossed by Willow Creek Trail, and further downstream where it is crossed by the “King Trail” (see below). Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. The North Fork of the San Jacinto River is dry where it crosses Seven Pines Trail and further downstream where it crosses Dark Canyon Road. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing gently, but both Cedar and Apache springs are very weak and no longer reliable.

The scheduled annual maintenance closure of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway started Tuesday 8th September, with a tentative reopening on Monday 5th October 2026.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). As temperatures have cooled, observations have become less frequent, especially above 8000 ft, but sun-exposed mid elevation areas such as Devil’s Slide Trail, South Ridge Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, and around Suicide Rock, continue to record rattlesnakes on warm days throughout September (photo below).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (per CDFW). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground has not reopened in 2026 due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late last year, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly better condition than in 2025, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

July and August in the San Jacinto mountains were both dominated by persistent hot weather, with temperatures well above seasonal averages at mid and upper elevations for at least seven of the nine weeks of those two months combined. Overnight lows were typically even further above average than daytime highs especially at mid elevations, with low temperatures in Idyllwild (recorded at 5550 ft) remaining above average for a remarkable 57 consecutive days between 4th July and 30th August.

Cooler conditions prevailed from 30th August into early September. Temperatures were around seasonal for the first few days of September, before rising yet again to above average. Temperatures at the highest elevations now feel distinctly autumnal, especially on the breeziest days, but actually generally remain somewhat above seasonal for September.

Tropical Storm Marie (briefly Hurricane Marie) tracking offshore far to the south-west of our region generated cloudy conditions, cooler temperatures, stronger winds, and moderate rainfall, mainly on Sunday 6th September, as described above.

The remainder of the first half of September is expected to be relatively hot (for September) and humid, with overnight low temperatures in particular well above seasonal. There are possibilities for further minor rainfall depending upon the track of additional tropical flow from western Mexico, notably on 10th.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,811 ft/3295 m) on Friday 11th September 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 54.1°F (12°C), with a windchill temperature of 46.4°F (8°C), 70% relative humidity, and a cool due West wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 9.1 mph.

At the Peak on Wednesday 9th September 2026 at 0630 the air temperature was 50.6°F (10°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 46.6°F (8°C), 77% relative humidity, and a light SE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 6.8 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 8th September 2026 at 0950 the air temperature was 52.9°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 49.6°F (10°C), 77% relative humidity, and a barely discernable SW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 4.1 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 6th September 2026 at 0940 the air temperature was 46.4°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 40.3°F (5°C), 100% relative humidity, and an unexpectedly weak SW wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 8.1 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 3rd September 2026 at 0855 the air temperature was 46.7°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.9°F (3°C), 39% relative humidity, and a steady WSW wind sustained at 13 mph gusting to 16.6 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraphs in the introduction above.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley was cleared of the handful of blowdowns from last winter by the Trail Report.

The first comprehensive trail trimming in decades is being undertaken by the Trail Report this summer on the upper Peak Trail. Unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-12 inches wide in places, which is problematic year-round but especially in winter conditions (example photos below and in prior reports since June).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers earlier this year cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from last winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in late July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that 2-3 years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail routes. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

UPDATE Monday 7th September: as forecast, spin-off from Hurricane Marie far to our south-west generated light rain largely on Sunday 6th, with an impressive 1.17 inch at San Jacinto Peak, 0.97 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft), and 0.55 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft). Water flows have temporarily doubled or even quadrupled compared to those described below, but past experience suggests this will be very short-lived. By Tuesday 8th, springs along Devil’s Slide Trail had already stopped flowing again.

---

Forecasts for tropical moisture this weekend now have high confidence for cloudy and breezy conditions on 5th-7th September, with a high probability of accompanying light precipitation mainly in the morning of Sunday 6th. Hurricane Marie is now well developed off western Mexico, but is expected to drop to tropical storm strength as it moves north-west far off the Baja coast. Hikers and campers heading into the high country over the long holiday weekend should thoroughly consult forecasts and be fully prepared for changeable (and possibly severe) weather conditions. The storm track thereafter still remains unclear; if the remnants of Marie recurve in a more northerly direction, our region could experience periodic light rain, possibly associated with thunderstorms, throughout next week, currently forecast as most likely on Thursday 10th.

July and August in the San Jacinto mountains were both dominated by persistent hot weather, with temperatures well above seasonal averages at mid and upper elevations for at least seven of the nine weeks of those two months combined. Overnight lows were typically even further above average than daytime highs especially at mid elevations, with low temperatures in Idyllwild (recorded at 5550 ft) remaining above average for a remarkable 57 consecutive days between 4th July and 30th August.

Cooler conditions since 30th August have been welcome, with temperatures forecast to be around seasonal for the first few days of September, before rising yet again to slightly above average for the remainder of the first half of September. Temperatures at the highest elevations now feel distinctly autumnal on the breeziest days, but actually generally remain somewhat above seasonal for September.

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow, albeit weakly, with rates have dropped dramatically since July (sample photos below). Ephemeral sources are all dry, while “perennial” water sources are at very low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (flow rate 0.7 L/min on 31st August), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail (6.5L/min), and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, but some of these sources may dry in September without new rainfall. Wellman’s Cienega is now flowing extremely weakly, especially from mid morning onwards, and filtering any significant volume of water is very slow (flow rate 0.35 L/min on 31st August). The tiny puddle of water at Hidden Lake is on pace to dry by early September. The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is now dry.

Water is flowing weakly but reliably in Tahquitz Creek near its source at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is dry. Willow Creek is flowing very gently where it is crossed by Willow Creek Trail, and further downstream where it is crossed by the “King Trail” (see below). Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. The North Fork of the San Jacinto River is dry where it crosses Seven Pines Trail and further downstream where it crosses Dark Canyon Road. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing gently, but both Cedar and Apache springs are very weak and no longer reliable.

The scheduled annual maintenance closure of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway starts 8th September, with a tentative reopening on 5th October 2026.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). As temperatures cool observations will become less frequent, but sun-exposed mid elevation areas such as Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, and around Suicide Rock, can continue to record rattlesnakes on warm days into September.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (per CDFW). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in slightly condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance and/or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Following temperatures largely above seasonal at all elevations since 4th July, a major heatwave persisted for nearly three weeks from 23rd July to 10th August. As is increasingly common with the heating climate, throughout the heatwave overnight low temperatures averaged 10-15°F above seasonal at mid elevations (i.e. 65-70°F in Idyllwild).

Temperatures fell markedly starting 11th August, and were even slightly below seasonal at mid elevations briefly on 12th-15th. From 18th onwards, temperatures were again above seasonal at all elevations until 30th August, with, predictably, overnight low temperatures remaining well above average throughout that period, especially at mid elevations. Temperatures dropped closer to seasonal at all elevations starting 31st August.

At this time there is a tentative forecast of tropical moisture over the holiday weekend. Tropical Storm Marie (briefly Hurricane Marie) tracking offshore south-west of our region is increasingly likely to generate cloudy conditions, cooler temperatures, stronger winds, and possibly light-to-moderate rainfall, on 5th-8th September, now expected to be most likely and heaviest on 6th. Rainfall in the high country (potentially 0.5 inch) may be accompanied by strong winds and rapidly falling temperatures, with windchill values approaching freezing. Next week (7th-11th September) is expected to be relatively warm but often cloudy at all elevations, with possibilities for minor rainfall depending upon the track of the remnants of Marie.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Sunday 6th September 2026 at 0940 the air temperature was 46.4°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 40.3°F (5°C), 100% relative humidity, and an unexpectedly weak SW wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 8.1 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 3rd September 2026 at 0855 the air temperature was 46.7°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.9°F (3°C), 39% relative humidity, and a steady WSW wind sustained at 13 mph gusting to 16.6 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 31st August 2026 at 0850 the air temperature was 48.8°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 41.9°F (6°C), 49% relative humidity, and a cool WNW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 13.2 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 27th August 2026 at 0815 the air temperature was 57.9°F (14°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 54.1°F (12°C), 54% relative humidity, and a light SSE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 7.6 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 24th August 2026 at 0730 the air temperature was 53.5°F (12°C), with a windchill temperature of 48.6°F (9°C), 54% relative humidity, and a steady SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 10.5 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April. Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraph in the introduction above.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

The first comprehensive trail trimming in 20+ years is being undertaken by the Trail Report this summer on the upper Peak Trail, where unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-12 inches wide in places, which can be especially problematic in winter conditions (example photos below and in prior reports since June).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from this past winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail on 25th-26th July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that a couple of years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

There was a brief interlude between heatwaves, but hot weather returned after a week of near seasonal temperatures in mid month. The new heatwave that started on 18th August has been slightly less severe than the previous one – that persisted for almost three weeks in late July and early August – but well above average temperatures are forecast to continue until the end of August. Even with the modest cooling in mid August, the overnight low temperature in Idyllwild (recorded at 5550 ft) has remained above the seasonal average every day since 4th July, a remarkable sequence of nearly eight weeks, and one that looks likely to continue for another few days.

Hikers must be prepared for hot weather at all elevations until 30th August. Please give considerable extra thought to factors that will make your hike safer in such conditions, such as route choice, start time, appropriate clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements.

There is an increasingly encouraging but provisional forecast for tropical (not monsoonal) moisture in the first 7-10 days of September, but this depends on the evolution of storms off the Pacific coast of Mexico to our south and south-west. Reliability of this forecast will continue to improve over the course of the next few days.

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow (example photos below) although flow rates have dropped dramatically since July. Ephemeral sources are all dry, while “perennial” water sources are at very low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (flow rate 0.8 L/min on 20th August), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, but some of these sources may dry in September without new rainfall. Wellman’s Cienega is now flowing very weakly, especially from mid morning onwards, and filtering any significant volume of water is slow (flow rate 0.5 L/min on 24th August). Hidden Lake still has a tiny pool of water but is on pace to dry by early September. The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is now dry. Water is flowing gently but reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is dry. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing gently, but both Cedar and Apache springs are very weak and no longer reliable.

The scheduled annual maintenance closure of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway starts 8th September, with a tentative reopening on 5th October 2026.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded as high as 9350 ft on Wellman Trail.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past seven years. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Following temperatures largely above seasonal at all elevations since 4th July, a major heatwave persisted for nearly three weeks from 23rd July to 10th August. As is increasingly common with the heating climate, throughout the heatwave overnight low temperatures averaged 10-15°F above seasonal at mid elevations (i.e. 65-70°F in Idyllwild).

Temperatures fell markedly starting 11th August, and were even slightly below seasonal at mid elevations on 12th-15th. From 18th onwards, temperatures are forecast to be above seasonal at all elevations until the end of August, with, predictably, overnight low temperatures remaining well above average throughout that period, especially at mid elevations (i.e. in Idyllwild and at most trailheads).

At this time there is no significant precipitation predicted for the remainder of August, although there is a very tentative forecast of tropical moisture in early September. Some forecasts suggest back-to back tropical storms tracking offshore south-west of our region could generate cloudy conditions, cooler temperatures, stronger winds, and possibly light-to-moderate rainfall, on 1st-4th then again on 6th-8th September.

The air temperature of 65.7°F recorded on 6th August was the highest recorded at the Peak in 2026, the highest ever recorded at the Peak in the month of August, and tied for the fifth highest temperature ever reliably recorded at San Jacinto Peak.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Thursday 27th August 2026 at 0815 the air temperature was 57.9°F (14°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 54.1°F (12°C), 54% relative humidity, and a light SSE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 7.6 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 24th August 2026 at 0730 the air temperature was 53.5°F (12°C), with a windchill temperature of 48.6°F (9°C), 54% relative humidity, and a steady SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 10.5 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 20th August 2026 at 0845 the air temperature was 56.7°F (14°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 51.4°F (11°C), 68% relative humidity, and a cool WSW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 10.9 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 13th August 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 51.3°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 43.0°F (6°C), 71% relative humidity, and a gentle SSW wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 8.8 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April. Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraph in the introduction above.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

The first comprehensive trail trimming in 20+ years is being undertaken by the Trail Report this summer on the upper Peak Trail, where unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-12 inches wide in places, which can be especially problematic in winter conditions (example photos below and in prior reports since June).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from this past winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail on 25th-26th July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that a couple of years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Thankfully the challenging heatwave that had impacted much of the American west since 23rd July ameliorated around the San Jacinto mountains starting 10th August. Daytime high temperatures have now dropped to near seasonal for August, and will actually briefly be slightly below average for a few days this week at mid elevations. Overnight lows are forecast to be cooler this week than for the past month, but will nevertheless remain above average into late August. High country temperatures are forecast to be seasonal this week, i.e. feeling pleasantly cool, before rising again from 18th August onward.

Monsoonal and/or tropical precipitation remains a slim possibility on some days over the next 2-3 weeks, most likely on 23rd-26th (although so far this summer rainfall forecasts have almost universally failed in these mountains). Hikers should be prepared for the possibility of rapidly changing weather conditions in the high country in summer during tropical or monsoonal rains, the latter generally most prevalent in the afternoons. Thunderstorms with lightning, intense precipitation, and rapid temperature drops may occur in the high country even when such storms are not forecast for lower elevations.

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow (many example photos below) although flow rates dropped dramatically in July. Ephemeral sources are now all dry, while “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley (current flow rate 1L/min), the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, but some of these sources may dry by September. Wellman’s Cienega is now flowing very weakly, especially from mid morning onwards, and filtering any significant volume of water is now extremely slow. Hidden Lake still has a tiny pool of water but will dry by early September. The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is now dry. Water is flowing reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is now functionally dry. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing gently, but both Cedar and Apache springs are very weak and should not be considered reliable.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded as high as 9350 ft on Wellman Trail.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past seven years. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Following temperatures largely above seasonal at all elevations since 4th July, a major heatwave persisted for nearly three weeks from 23rd July to 10th August. As is increasingly common with the heating climate, throughout the heatwave overnight low temperatures averaged 10-15°F above seasonal at mid elevations (i.e. 65-70°F in Idyllwild).

Temperatures fell markedly starting 11th August, and will actually be slightly below seasonal at mid elevations on 12th-15th. From 18th onwards, temperatures are forecast to be slightly above seasonal at all elevations into late August, with, predictably, overnight low temperatures remaining above average for the next two weeks.

At this time there is no significant precipitation in the forecasts, although there is a possibility of monsoonal rain in the last full week of August.

The air temperature of 65.7°F recorded on 6th August is the highest recorded at the Peak in 2026, is the highest ever recorded at the Peak in the month of August, and is tied for the fifth highest temperature ever reliably recorded at San Jacinto Peak.

Limited monsoonal precipitation is tentatively forecast for the region on 15th-16th August. Extremely limited light rain associated with a monsoonal storm cell on the afternoon of Sunday 9th produced 0.02 inch of rain in Idyllwild, with a trace of rain (<0.01 inch) in the high country on both 10th and 11th August.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Thursday 13th August 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 51.3°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 43.0°F (6°C), 71% relative humidity, and a gentle SSW wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 8.8 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 11th August 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 65.1°F (18°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 54.7°F (12°C), 58% relative humidity, and a very light ESE breeze sustained at 1 mph gusting to 4.4 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 6th August 2026 at 0805 the air temperature was 65.7°F (19°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 63.5°F (18°C), 37% relative humidity, and a barely discernable ESE breeze rarely gusting to 1.6 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 3rd August 2026 at 0755 the air temperature was 58.2°F (15°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 54.1°F (12°C), 35% relative humidity, and a refreshing WSW wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 13.2 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April. Current water conditions are summarized in the paragraph in the introduction above.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

The first comprehensive trail trimming in 20+ years is being undertaken by the Trail Report this summer on the upper Peak Trail, where unmanaged chinquapin overgrowth had narrowed the trail to just 10-12 inches wide in places, which can be especially problematic in winter conditions (example photos below and in recent prior reports).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from this past winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail on 25th-26th July, although it was much more limited on the State Park section, and the upper switchbacks closer to Hidden Divide remain badly overgrown in places.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that a couple of years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in decades, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

The challenging heatwave enveloping most of the American west since 23rd July persists, and is forecast to continue throughout early August, with temperatures remaining well above seasonal, even for midsummer, until 10th August. Overnight low temperatures will be 10-15°F above historical averages at mid elevations (e.g., Idyllwild and most trailheads) for at least two weeks. After 10th August, daytime high temperatures will drop to near seasonal, but overnight lows are forecast to remain slightly above average into mid August (at least).

Hikers must be prepared for hot weather at all elevations into the second week of August. Please give considerable extra thought to factors that will make your hike safer in such conditions, such as route choice, start time, appropriate clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements.

Monsoonal and/or tropical precipitation is a slim possibility on some afternoons over the next 2-3 weeks (although so far this summer rainfall forecasts have largely failed). Hikers should be prepared for the possibility of rapidly changing weather conditions in the high country in summer during tropical or monsoonal rains, the latter generally most prevalent in the afternoons. Thunderstorms with lightning, intense precipitation, and rapid temperature drops may occur in the high country even when such storms are not forecast for lower elevations.

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow (many example photos below) although flow rates are now dropping dramatically. Ephemeral sources are now all dry, while “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as the pipe in Round Valley, the North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, and are expected to continue to do so throughout August (at a minimum). Wellman’s Cienega is now flowing very weakly, especially from mid morning onwards, and filtering any significant volume of water is now extremely slow. The Deer Springs crossing at PCT Mile 185.4 is very nearly functionally dry. Water is flowing reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is now functionally dry. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail is now functionally dry for hikers, but I continue to maintain a tiny pool suitable for thirsty dogs and wildlife. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak Spring is flowing gently, but both Cedar and Apache springs are weak and should not be considered reliable.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded as high as 9350 ft on Wellman Trail.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past seven years. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures have been around or above seasonal at all elevations for just over a month (since 4th July). A notable heatwave started Thursday 23rd July, with temperatures well above seasonal persisting throughout early August. Temperatures have been especially high from 30th July-7th August, with daytime highs approaching 100°F (38°C) in Idyllwild on 1st-3rd August. Throughout the heatwave, overnight low temperatures will average 10-15°F above seasonal at mid elevations (i.e. 65-70°F in Idyllwild). Limited monsoonal precipitation is tentatively forecast for the region on 6th-10th August, and possibly again around mid month.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Thursday 6th August 2026 at 0805 the air temperature was 65.7°F (19°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 63.5°F (18°C), 37% relative humidity, and a barely discernable ESE breeze rarely gusting to 1.6 mph. The air temperature of 65.7°F is the highest recorded at the Peak in 2026, and is tied for the fifth highest temperature ever reliably recorded at San Jacinto Peak.

At the Peak on Monday 3rd August 2026 at 0755 the air temperature was 58.2°F (15°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 54.1°F (12°C), 35% relative humidity, and a refreshing WSW wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 13.2 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 31st July 2026 at 0735 the air temperature was 61.0°F (16°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 56.5°F (13°C), 27% relative humidity, and a steady SE wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 10.0 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 27th July 2026 at 0815 the air temperature was 54.6°F (13°C), with a windchill temperature of 47.3°F (8.5°C), 45% relative humidity, and a stiff SW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 23.6 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Thorough trail trimming is being undertaken by the Trail Report this summer on the upper Peak Trail, where chinquapin overgrowth has not been cut back for at least a couple of decades (example photos below).

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring cleared Willow Creek Trail of blowdowns from this past winter. Brush trimming work was undertaken on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail on 25th-26th July.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that a couple of years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

A challenging heatwave is forecast starting Thursday 23rd July, with temperatures above – often far above – seasonal persisting for at least ten days into the first week of August. Overnight low temperatures in particular will be 10-15°F above historical averages at mid elevations (e.g., Idyllwild and most trailheads) for at least two weeks.

Hikers must be prepared for hot weather at all elevations from 23rd July into early August, if choosing to hike in the mountains given the challenging conditions expected. Please give considerable extra thought to factors that will make the hike safer, such as route choice, start time, appropriate clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements.

Monsoonal and/or tropical precipitation is tentatively forecast on some afternoons over the next 2-3 weeks. Hikers should be prepared for the possibility of rapidly changing weather conditions in the high country in summer during tropical or monsoonal rains, the latter generally most prevalent in the afternoons. Thunderstorms with lightning, intense precipitation, and rapid temperature drops may occur in the high country even when such storms are not forecast for lower elevations.

At this time main springs and creeks largely continue to flow (many example photos below) and water availability is not generally a major issue for campers or hikers. Ephemeral sources are now all functionally dry, while “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, the pipe in Round Valley, the Deer Springs and North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, and are expected to continue to do so into August (at a minimum). Water is flowing reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is damp but with no reliable water source from which to filter. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail continues to just trickle. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak, Cedar, and Apache springs are all flowing gently.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded as high as 9350 ft on Wellman Trail.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past seven years. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see, for example, my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual was fitted with a satellite collar in April 2026, and in just one month ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Following relatively cool weather for the first couple of days of July, temperatures have been generally around or somewhat above seasonal at all elevations since 4th. A notable heatwave is forecast starting Thursday 23rd July, with temperatures well above seasonal likely to persist into early August. Overnight low temperatures are expected to be 10-15°F above seasonal at mid elevations for the last ten days of the month.

Monsoonal and/or tropical precipitation is tentatively forecast for the region on 23rd-24th July (at least). Light monsoonal rain on Monday 13th July generated 0.16 inch at San Jacinto Peak, 0.15 inch in Little Round Valley, an impressive (but highly localized) 0.35 inch at Wellman’s Cienega at 9300 ft, but only 0.06 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

The air temperature of 64.6°F (18°C) recorded at San Jacinto Peak on Thursday 9th July was the warmest day recorded at that location in 2026 to date, and is tied for the sixth highest air temperature ever reliably recorded at the Peak.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Thursday 23rd July 2026 at 0755 the air temperature was 61.4°F (16°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 54.7°F (12°C), 59% relative humidity, and a pleasantly cooling ESE wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 12.3 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 20th July 2026 at 0820 the air temperature was 53.5°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 49.6°F (10°C), 78% relative humidity, and a light ENE breeze sustained at 3 mph gusting to 6.5 mph, under almost completely cloudy skies (with a cloud base near 11,500 ft).

At the Peak on Friday 17th July 2026 at 0800 the air temperature was 51.7°F (10°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 46.6°F (8°C), 72% relative humidity, and a steady SW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 9.1 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 16th July 2026 at 0825 the air temperature was 63.8°F (18°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 55.1°F (12°C), 63% relative humidity, and an occasionally gusty SSW breeze sustained at 1 mph gusting to 12.2 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail clear of blowdowns from this past winter. Brush trimming work is scheduled on both the USFS and State Park sections of the trail in the last week of July.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that a couple of years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Monsoonal and/or tropical precipitation is tentatively forecast for the region on several days between 12th-25th July, currently most likely on 22nd-25th. Hikers should be prepared for the possibility of rapidly changing weather conditions in the high country in summer during tropical or monsoonal rains, the latter generally most prevalent in the afternoons. Thunderstorms with lightning, intense precipitation, and rapid temperature drops can occur in the high country even when such storms are not forecast for lower elevations.

After relatively cool weather in the first few days of July, midsummer temperatures returned from 4th onwards, and hikers should be prepared for seasonally hot weather, but temperatures above average on 15th-16th. Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements (the latter especially if your planned route does not intersect with known water sources).

The air temperature of 64.6°F (18°C) recorded at San Jacinto Peak on Thursday 9th July was by far the warmest day recorded at that location in 2026 to date, and is tied for the sixth highest air temperature ever reliably recorded at the Peak. Temperatures will generally average cooler at the highest elevations for the next two weeks due to periodic cloud and stormy weather in the region.

At this time main springs and creeks continue to flow (example photos below) and water availability is not generally a significant issue for campers or hikers. Ephemeral sources are now all functionally dry, while “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, the pipe in Round Valley, the Deer Springs and North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, and are expected to continue to do so throughout July (at a minimum). Water is flowing reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is damp but with no reliable water source from which to filter. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail continues to just trickle. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak, Cedar, and Apache springs are all flowing gently.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded as high as 9350 ft on Wellman Trail.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains in the past decade, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past seven years. Of these, one with an ear tag has been here since 2017 and was seen repeatedly in 2025 (see my video from 14th September 2025 linked here). Another individual has had a satellite collar since April 2026, and in just one month ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak south into the Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Following relatively cool weather for the first couple of days of July, temperatures have since been seasonal or well above seasonal at all elevations. Temperature are forecast to be especially hot around Wednesday 15th July.

There are possibilities for light monsoonal/tropical precipitation any day in the next two weeks, but most likely next week, around 21st-25th July. Although forecast to be light, the rain may be associated with thunderstorms, and therefore could be intense and highly localized.

Light monsoonal rain on Monday 13th July generated 0.16 inch at San Jacinto Peak, 0.15 inch in Little Round Valley, an impressive (but highly localized) 0.35 inch at Wellman’s Cienega at 9300 ft, but only 0.06 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

With cloudy and potentially stormy weather, daytime high temperatures will average a little cooler for the remainder of July than on 5th-10th, however overnight low temperatures are expected to be consistently 5-10°F above average due to the humidity and the heat trapping effect of the cloud. Due to changes in the upper atmosphere, higher elevations (>9000 ft) are often disproportionately cooler than mid elevations during periods of monsoonal/tropical conditions.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Friday 17th July 2026 at 0800 the air temperature was 51.7°F (10°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 46.6°F (8°C), 72% relative humidity, and a steady SW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 9.1 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 16th July 2026 at 0825 the air temperature was 63.8°F (18°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 55.1°F (12°C), 63% relative humidity, and an occasionally gusty SSW breeze sustained at 1 mph gusting to 12.2 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 12th July 2026 at 0830 the air temperature was 51.6°F (11°C), with a windchill temperature of 43.2°F (6°C), 78% relative humidity, and a pleasantly cool SE breeze sustained at 8 mph gusting to 16.4 mph. Occasional very light drizzle accompanied heavily overcast skies.

At the Peak on Thursday 9th July 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 64.6°F (18°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 62.4°F (17°C), 13% relative humidity, and a very light WNW breeze sustained at 2 mph gusting to 4.0 mph. This was by far the warmest day recorded at the Peak in 2026 at that time, and also the sixth highest air temperature ever reliably recorded at San Jacinto Peak.

At the Peak on Monday 6th July 2026 at 0815 the air temperature was 53.7°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.7°F (9°C), 56% relative humidity, and an erratic SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 13.4 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail clear of blowdowns from this past winter.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that a couple of years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

After relatively cool weather in late June into early July, midsummer temperatures returned from 4th July onwards, and hikers should be prepared for hot weather, especially on 8th-11th and 14th-16th. Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements (the latter especially if your planned route does not intersect with known water sources).

The air temperature of 64.6°F (18°C) recorded at San Jacinto Peak on Thursday 9th July was by far the warmest day recorded at that location in 2026 to date, and is tied for the sixth highest air temperature ever reliably recorded at the Peak.

Monsoonal and/or tropical precipitation is tentatively forecast to impact the region on 13th-18th July, currently most likely on 13th and around 17th. Hikers should be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions in the high country in summer during tropical or monsoonal rains, the latter typically in the afternoons. Thunderstorms with lightning, intense precipitation, and rapid temperature drops can occur in the high country even when such storms are not forecast for lower elevations.

At this time main springs and creeks continue to flow (example photos below) and water availability is not generally a significant issue for campers or hikers. Ephemeral sources are now all functionally dry, while “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates for the time of year. Key sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, the pipe in Round Valley, the Deer Springs and North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing, and are expected to continue to do so throughout July (at a minimum). Water is flowing reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is damp but with no reliable water source from which to filter. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail continues to just trickle. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak, Cedar, and Apache springs are all flowing gently.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing the unprecedented survival of our dog Anabel after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded as high as 9350 ft on Wellman Trail.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have seen at least one annually for the past seven years. One 10+ year-old dark chestnut-colored adult with a right ear tag was seen multiple times between Fern Valley and the Willow Creek drainage in July-September 2025 (see for example my video from 14th September available here). This individual was relocated to the San Jacintos from Indio in May 2017. A smaller, paler, six-year-old individual was trapped at the State Park Stone Creek campground in April 2026 and fitted with a satellite collar plus colored tags in both ears. In May it ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak to south of Highway 74 into the northernmost Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). My brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (linked here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) likely show other individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures were generally pleasantly cool for the second half of June, other than some brief warming on 23rd-25th when temperatures were more typical of midsummer. The first half of July is forecast to again be hotter, with temperatures generally above average for midsummer, especially in the second week of the month at higher elevations. There is an increasing possibility of the first tropical precipitation of the season in the afternoons of 12th-17th July. Although forecast to be light, the rain may be associated with thunderstorms, and therefore can be locally and briefly intense.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Thursday 9th July 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 64.6°F (18°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 62.4°F (17°C), 13% relative humidity, and a very light WNW breeze sustained at 2 mph gusting to 4.0 mph. This was by far the warmest day recorded at the Peak in 2026 to date, and is the sixth highest air temperature ever reliably recorded at San Jacinto Peak.

At the Peak on Monday 6th July 2026 at 0815 the air temperature was 53.7°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.7°F (9°C), 56% relative humidity, and an erratic SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 13.4 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 2nd July 2026 at 0835 the air temperature was 47.5°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 39.6°F (4°C), 21% relative humidity, and a steady due West wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 12.7 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail clear of blowdowns from this past winter.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging (for use by USFS work crews), although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation, not around them.

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June this year – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Unsurprisingly it is proving to be a very slow process and it is possible that at least two years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, flagging in this area which has been placed to guide USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Temperatures in the second week of June were above average for the month, but since then cooler, seasonal temperatures have prevailed. Although broadly seasonal temperatures for June are forecast to continue for the remainder of the month, hikers should generally be prepared for hot weather, especially on 23rd-25th June and in the first week of July, when temperatures are forecast to be briefly much warmer. Please give extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements (the latter only if your planned route does not intersect with known water sources).

At this time main springs and creeks continue to flow (some example photos below) and water availability is not generally a significant issue for campers or hikers. Ephemeral sources are almost universally dry however, and all “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates for early summer. Key sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, the pipe in Round Valley, the Deer Springs and North Fork crossing of Deer Springs Trail, and the creek in Little Round Valley, are flowing. Water is flowing reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is dry between those two locations). Strawberry Cienega is damp but with no reliable water source from which to filter. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail continues to just trickle. On the Desert Divide, Live Oak, Cedar, and Apache springs are all flowing moderately.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing our dogs’ survival after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded up to 9350 ft.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to six individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have seen at least one annually for the past seven years. One 10+ year-old dark chestnut-colored adult with a right ear tag was seen multiple times between Fern Valley and the Willow Creek drainage in July-September 2025 (see my video from 14th September available here, and images from late August in a prior Report linked here). This individual was relocated to the San Jacintos from Indio in May 2017. A smaller, paler, six-year-old individual was trapped at the State Park Stone Creek campground in April 2026 and fitted with a satellite collar plus colored tags in both ears. In May it ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak to south of Highway 74 into the northernmost Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). My brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (linked here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) likely show other individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground will not reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all year.

Following superficial grading late in 2025, Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. South Ridge Road is in poor condition (although not as bad as 2019) and generally requires a high clearance or AWD/4WD vehicle to reach the South Ridge trailhead at the top of the road.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures were largely above seasonal for the first half of June, but have been pleasantly cool since 17th. Warming on 23rd-25th June will briefly result in temperatures more typical of midsummer, especially at mid elevations, before dropping back for the final four days of June to below seasonal. Above 10,000 ft elevation temperatures will remain somewhat consistent for the remainder of the month, feeling relatively cool. The first week of July is forecast to again be hotter, with temperatures more typical of midsummer. There is, unsurprisingly, no significant new precipitation in the forecasts.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Wednesday 24th June 2026 at 0755 the air temperature was 50.4°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 43.2°F (6°C), 73% relative humidity, and a steady SW wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 15.1 mph. Overnight drizzle measured 0.02 inch at the Peak.

At the Peak on Sunday 21st June 2026 at 0725 the air temperature was 51.6°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 46.8°F (8°C), 10% relative humidity, and a light WSW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 9.5 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 16th June 2026 at 0745 the air temperature was 54.1°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 48.2°F (9°C), 59% relative humidity, and a pleasantly cool SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 13.2 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail clear of blowdowns from this past winter.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging, although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation (not around them).

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail started in June – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. It is possible that two years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, any flagging in this area which has been placed for USFS work crews to follow.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

Temperatures on 10th-16th June were more typical of midsummer, and above average for the month. Although cooler, seasonal temperatures are forecast for 18th-21st, hikers should generally be prepared for hot weather, especially from 22nd June onwards. Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements (the latter only if your planned route does not intersect with known water sources).

At this time main springs and creeks continue to flow and water availability is not generally a significant issue for campers or hikers (multiple example photos below). Many ephemeral sources are already dry however, and many “perennial” water sources are at low flow rates. The four very minor precipitation events since early March had no impact on medium- and long-term water conditions.

Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing our dogs’ survival after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded up to 9350 ft.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, 5-6 individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have seen at least one annually for the past seven years. One 10+ year-old dark chestnut-colored adult with a right ear tag was seen multiple times between Fern Valley and the Willow Creek drainage in July-September 2025 (see my video from 14th September available here, and images from late August in a prior Report linked here). This individual was relocated to the San Jacintos from Indio in May 2017. A smaller, paler, six-year-old individual was trapped at the State Park Stone Creek campground in April 2026 and fitted with a satellite collar plus colored tags in both ears. In May it ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak to south of Highway 74 into the northernmost Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). My brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (linked here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) likely show other individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Dark Canyon campground is not expected to reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) remains open.

The gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243 on Black Mountain Road (4S01) reopened on Wednesday 20th May. Following superficial grading late in 2025 the road is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. Picnic benches at many of the yellow post sites were replaced with new, immovable models in March.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

With multiple waves of low pressure during May, that month was often pleasantly cool, with temperatures frequently somewhat below seasonal. Since the beginning of June, temperatures have been largely near or above seasonal, and temperatures are forecast to warm further for the next week (to at least 16th) to well above seasonal, with overnight low temperatures at mid elevations in particular well above seasonal for mid June. There is, unsurprisingly, no significant new precipitation in the forecasts.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Tuesday 16th June 2026 at 0745 the air temperature was 54.1°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 48.2°F (9°C), 59% relative humidity, and a pleasantly cool SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 13.2 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 12th June 2026 at 0610 the air temperature was 51.6°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.1°F (8°C), 56% relative humidity, and a light SSE wind sustained at 5 mph gusting to 8.4 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 9th June 2026 at 0915 the air temperature was 50.1°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 43.5°F (6°C), 57% relative humidity, and a steady WNW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 11.4 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails were functionally clear of snow by late April.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail clear of blowdowns from this past winter.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked largely along the former trail route with orange flagging, although it is not recommended to follow this in some areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation (not around them).

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail starts this month – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Two years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or (as described above) attempt to follow, any flagging in this area which is critical for USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

The last of three brief, weak low pressure systems across Southern California in May produced pleasantly cool conditions on 26th-30th, but sadly again there was no measurable accompanying precipitation above 5000 ft. Temperatures have now abruptly risen to above seasonal for the first few days of June at all elevations (especially overnight low temperatures). Temperatures are forecast to fluctuate either side of June averages in the second week of the month at mid elevations, but are tentatively forecast to be well above seasonal at higher elevations.

At this time main springs and creeks are flowing and water availability is not a significant issue for campers or long distance hikers (multiple example photos below). It is disconcerting however to see all ephemeral and many “perennial” water sources already at low flow rates, and the four very minor precipitation events since early March did nothing to improve medium- and long-term water conditions.

Fire lookouts at Tahquitz Peak and Black Mountain reopened on Sunday 17th May and Saturday 23rd May, respectively. Note that the railings at Tahquitz Peak lookout are in urgent need of repair work and should not be considered safe at this time.

Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin reopened in late May. Dark Canyon campground is not expected to reopen this year due to staffing/budget issues, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) remained open all winter. The State Park Stone Creek campground reopened in early May.

The gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243 on Black Mountain Road (4S01) reopened on Wednesday 20th May. Following superficial grading late in 2025 the road is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. Picnic benches at many of the yellow post sites were replaced with new, immovable models in March.

Be rattlesnake aware. This year rattlesnakes became active 1-2 months earlier than normal at both mid and upper elevations. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing our dogs’ survival after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded up to 9350 ft.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, 5-6 individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have seen at least one annually for the past seven years. One 10+ year-old dark chestnut-colored adult with a right ear tag was seen at least six times in multiple locations in Fern Valley and the Willow Creek drainage in July-September 2025 (see my video from 14th September available here, and images from late August in a prior Report linked here). This individual was relocated to the San Jacintos from Indio in May 2017. A smaller, paler, six-year-old individual was humanely trapped at the State Park Stone Creek campground in April 2026 and fitted with a satellite collar plus colored tags in both ears. In the past month it has ranged remarkably widely from 8500 ft on the north side of San Jacinto Peak to south of Highway 74 into the northernmost Santa Rosa Mountains (thank you to CDFW for this information). My brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (linked here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) may show other individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

High pressure returned to the region by the second week of May, with temperatures consequently rising rapidly to above seasonal, and were far above seasonal for May on 10th-12th, before dropping markedly on 16th-18th as low pressure again briefly impacted Southern California. Temperatures were then around seasonal for a week before another brief trough of lower pressure cools conditions significantly on 26th-30th May. There is, unsurprisingly, no significant new precipitation in the forecasts. Above seasonal midsummer temperatures are forecast for the first week of June, with overnight low temperatures at mid elevations in particular well above seasonal for June. Thereafter temperatures closer to seasonal for the month are forecast until mid June.

Winter 2025/26 set a new low record for total snowfall for San Jacinto Peak, at a paltry 62.75 inches. Most regrettably, this breaks the prior record of 72.60 inches set just the previous 2024/25 winter. For reference, average annual snowfall at San Jacinto Peak in the past eight winters has been 104 inches. Average annual snowfall in Long Valley (at 8500 ft) was 119 inches in the 1970s (data for 1969-1980), at which time snowfall at San Jacinto Peak was approximately 180-200 inches annually.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Friday 5th June 2026 at 0815 the air temperature was 49.7°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 40.3°F (5°C), 29% relative humidity, and a stiff SW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 26.0 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 1st June 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 42.5°F (6°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.1°F (2°C), 38% relative humidity, and a mild SE wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 10.2 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 29th May 2026 at 0820 the air temperature was 31.0°F (-1°C), with a windchill temperature of 19.6°F (-7°C), 69% relative humidity, and a fresh NW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 10.1 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all high country trails are clear of snow (almost all were clear by late April).

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail clear of blowdowns from this past winter, with the final four trees remaining on the State Park side removed last week.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in strong winds that accompanied mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and perhaps dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures several hundred downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route is marked with cairns (and subtle flagging to aid USFS work crews) and descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026.

East from Laws the old Caramba Trail is initially heavily obscured by blowdowns and thick regrowth, but the easternmost 1.5 miles closest to Caramba camp is often well marked with cairns placed by myself and others. Much of the old trail rock work is visible in places. The first mile east of Laws is currently marked along the former trail route with orange flagging, although it is not recommended to follow this in most areas as it goes directly through blowdowns and obstructive vegetation (not around them).

Work to rehabilitate the original Caramba Trail starts in June 2026 – combining the Trail Report, other volunteers, and Forest Service employees – almost exactly 13 years after it burned in the Mountain Fire. Two years of work may be required to fully rehabilitate the old trail route. Please do not remove, move, or attempt to follow, any flagging in this area which is critical for USFS work crews.

The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with the agencies evidently no longer maintaining the route). In the past seven years we have removed 101 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Thankfully only two large blowdowns affected the trail this past winter, and both now have very easy workarounds. Although our work has restored this delightful trail to its best condition in well over 20 years, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail very unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without extensive experience of hiking this trail.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

The brief passage of weak low pressure across Southern California in mid May produced pleasantly cool, spring-like conditions on 16th-18th May, but with no significant accompanying precipitation above 5000 ft. Temperatures returned to around seasonal starting Tuesday 19th May, and are forecast to remain broadly stable for the remainder of May (but coolest on 26th-28th).

High country trails, including the PCT, were clear of snow by the end of April. No traction devices have been required anywhere on the trail system in the San Jacinto mountains since late April.

At this time main springs and creeks are flowing and water availability is not a significant issue for campers or long distance hikers. It is disconcerting however to see all ephemeral and many “perennial” water sources already at low flow rates, and the four very minor precipitation events in April-May did nothing to improve the medium- and long-term water conditions.

The fire lookout at Tahquitz Peak reopened for the season on Sunday 17th May and Black Mountain fire lookout reopens on Saturday 23rd May. Note that the railings at Tahquitz Peak lookout are in urgent need of repair work and should not be considered safe at this time.

Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin reopened by Thursday 21st May. There is no scheduled reopening date for Dark Canyon campground at this time, although Dark Canyon Road (the access to Seven Pines trailhead) has remained open all winter. The State Park Stone Creek campground reopened in early May.

The gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243 on Black Mountain Road (4S01) reopened on Wednesday 20th May. Following superficial grading late in 2025 the road is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. Picnic benches at many of the yellow post sites were replaced with new, immovable models in March.

Be rattlesnake aware. This year rattlesnakes became active 1-2 months earlier than normal at both mid and upper elevations. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing our dogs’ survival after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded up to 9350 ft.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, 5-6 individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past seven years. One large, dark chestnut-colored adult with a right ear tag was seen at least six times in multiple locations in Fern Valley and the Willow Creek drainage in July-September 2025 (see my video from 14th September available here, and images from late August in a prior Report linked here). This individual was relocated to the San Jacintos from Indio in May 2017. A smaller, much younger individual was humanely trapped at the State Park Stone Creek campground in April 2026, fitted with a satellite collar plus colored tags in both ears, and released elsewhere in the San Jacinto mountains. My brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (linked here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) show two other individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near wilderness campsites, or on trails.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

High pressure returned to the region by the second week of May, with temperatures consequently rising rapidly to above seasonal, and were far above seasonal for May on 10th-12th, before dropping markedly on 16th-18th as low pressure again briefly impacted Southern California. Temperatures are now forecast to rise and stabilize roughly around seasonal for the remainder of May under a moderate ridge of high pressure. Temperatures will be coolest on 26th-28th May under a brief trough of lower pressure. There is, unsurprisingly, no new precipitation in the forecasts.

Barring a highly improbable and very late snow, winter 2025/26 will set a new low record for total snowfall for San Jacinto Peak, at a paltry 62.75 inches. Most regrettably, this breaks the prior record of 72.60 inches set just the previous winter 2024/25. For reference, average annual snowfall at San Jacinto Peak in the past eight winters has now been 104 inches. Average annual snowfall in Long Valley (at 8500 ft) was 119 inches in the 1970s (data for 1969-1980), at which time snowfall at San Jacinto Peak was approximately 180-200 inches annually.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Friday 22nd May 2026 at 0800 the air temperature was 44.5°F (7°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.1°F (2°C), 44% relative humidity, and a very light NNE wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 6.5 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 18th May 2026 at 0820 the air temperature was 33.2°F (1°C), with a windchill temperature of 23.5°F (-5°C), 47% relative humidity, and a light WSW wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 7.6 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 14th May 2026 at 1730 the air temperature was 49.2°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 41.9°F (5°C), 41% relative humidity, and a light NNE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 9.1 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all major high country trails are clear of snow. This includes the often-treacherous 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail from Chinquapin Flat to Tahquitz Peak which is completely clear of snow and ice.

The East Ridge Trail [surveyed 22nd May] route from near Miller Peak to San Jacinto Peak, traditionally the last of the established trails to clear of snow, is now functionally clear, with just a couple of tiny icy snow drifts persisting from February.

Deer Springs Trail from the trailhead to Little Round Valley has already been cleared of the handful of blowdowns from this past winter by the Trail Report.

Trail maintenance work by USFS and State Park volunteers this spring has Willow Creek Trail almost clear of blowdowns from this past winter. The final four trees remaining on the State Park side were scheduled to be removed this past week.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in strong winds that accompanied mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and arguably dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures dozens of downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026. There is some optimism that work to rehabilitate the Caramba Trail may start in 2026, so if you see any flagging in this area please leave it in place.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.

The PCT and all major high country trails were clear of snow by 30th April. No traction devices have been required anywhere on the trail system in the San Jacinto mountains since late April.

Very light precipitation on the morning of 5th May included 0.22 inch of rain in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft), but nothing more than a hint of a dusting of snow everywhere above about 7500 ft (photo below). By mid morning, elevations above 9100 ft were above the cloud, with the emerging sunshine immediately melting any localized dustings of snow. High pressure returned to the region starting 7th May, with very warm and dry summer-like weather expected until 12th May, and above seasonal temperatures forecast to persist into late May.

At this time main springs and creeks are flowing and water availability is not a significant issue for campers or long distance hikers. It is disconcerting however to see most ephemeral and some “perennial” water sources already at low flow rates, and the four very minor precipitation events in April-May have not improved medium- and long-term water conditions.

Fire lookouts at Tahquitz Peak and Black Mountain reopen for the season on Sunday 17th May and Saturday 23rd May, respectively, having been functionally closed throughout 2025 for maintenance reasons. Note that the steps and railings at Tahquitz Peak lookout are in urgent need of major repair work, and should not be considered safe at this time. The State Park Stone Creek campground reopened this week.

The gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243 on Black Mountain Road (4S01) remains closed, but will reopen mid month. Following superficial grading late in 2025 the road is in better condition than last summer, but remains far rougher than in June 2020, the last time it was comprehensively graded. Picnic benches at many of the yellow post sites were replaced with new, immovable models in March.

Be rattlesnake aware. This year rattlesnakes became active 1-2 months earlier than normal at both mid and upper elevations. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my long read article linked here for further information describing our dogs’ survival after a July 2020 neurotoxic bite). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent higher elevation locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded up to 9350 ft.

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, 4-5 individually identifiable Black Bears have been observed in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past six years. One large, dark chestnut-colored adult with a right ear tag was seen at least six times in multiple locations in Fern Valley and the Willow Creek drainage in July-September 2025 (see my video from 14th September available here, and images from late August in a prior Report linked here). My brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (linked here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) show two other individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans in the high country, at or near campsites, or on trails.

Daily survey hikes by the Trail Report year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to the highest peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (but almost daily during and following storm conditions), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

High pressure returns to the region this week, with temperatures consequently rising rapidly to above seasonal, and will be far above seasonal for May on 10th-12th, before dropping somewhat late next week (but remaining above seasonal). There is, predictably, no significant precipitation in the forecasts.

The last notable low pressure system impacted the region starting 25th April. Light precipitation fell primarily on the evening of 25th continuing into the early morning of 26th. A consistent accumulation of one inch of snow fell everywhere above 8000 ft elevation, with a dusting as low as 6400 ft. Rainfall in Idyllwild was an impressive 0.83 inch. Despite only modest warming, all snow from that storm had melted within a few days.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft/3295 m) on Thursday 14th May 2026 at 1730 the air temperature was 49.2°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 41.9°F (5°C), 41% relative humidity, and a light NNE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 9.1 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 11th May 2026 at 0810 the air temperature was 52.6°F (11°C), with a windchill temperature of 43.9°F (6°C), 21% relative humidity, and a gusty SSW wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 15.6 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 7th May 2026 at 0635 the air temperature was 37.4°F (3°C), with a windchill temperature of 25.2°F (-4°C), 50% relative humidity, and a steady NE wind sustained at 15 mph gusting to 19.7 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The Pacific Crest Trail and all major high country trails are clear of snow. This includes the often-treacherous 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail from Chinquapin Flat to Tahquitz Peak [surveyed 10th May] which is completely clear of snow and ice.

The East Ridge Trail [surveyed 11th May] route from near Miller Peak to San Jacinto Peak has only 10% cover of drifted snow persisting from much earlier in the season. Nevertheless in places the old trail is partly obscured by snow drifts, and cautious navigation is recommended.

Deer Springs Trail [surveyed 1st and 7th May] is clear of snow to San Jacinto Peak. Even in Little Round Valley, no significant snow remained by the beginning of May (photo below).

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of treefall hazards, despite having been decimated by about 65 new blowdowns in strong winds that accompanied mid February storms. In February-March the Trail Report cut almost all of these, bringing to 235 the number of trees we have removed from this trail in the past seven years. The remaining four large cedars were removed by Forest Service at the end of March.

The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are euphemistically (and arguably dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned for more than a decade and no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown, largely with dense whitethorn which obscures dozens of downed trees, that hikers should not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust any particular app).

An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the abandoned trails (some local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route descends following former deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.15 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). Blowdowns from this winter have already been removed by the Trail Report, and the huge pine tree that fell in late 2024 was kindly removed by Forest Service volunteers in May 2026. There is some optimism that work to rehabilitate the Caramba Trail may start in 2026, so if you see any flagging in this area please leave it in place.

The San Jacinto Trail Report celebrates ten years of operation in 2026. The Report has helped tens of thousands of hikers, and saved multiple lives, both directly and indirectly. Since the Report became established online, snow/ice rescues in the San Jacinto Mountains have dropped 82%, with an additional benefit of saving Riverside County hundreds of thousands of dollars. While all time is volunteered, the Report uses small private donations to help cover operating costs. Donations keep the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Thank you very much for your support.