The Rosa Fire on the south-east fringe of the San Jacinto mountains is now largely under control. The fire started alongside Highway 74 west of Ribbonwood just after noon on 4th August, quickly spreading to 1700 acres. Highway 74, closed for five days in the vicinity of the fire, reopened at midnight on Friday 8th.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway closed indefinitely for emergency maintenance starting Friday 8th August, and is expected to remain closed until at least Tuesday 12th. The annual scheduled 2025 maintenance closure is from 8th September until at least 12th October.

Air quality improved on 5th August after two very poor days, with smoke enveloping the San Jacinto mountains (photos below) starting on Sunday 3rd, mainly from the huge Gifford Fire far to our north-west. Early morning on Monday 4th the smoke had settled in the flatlands below 7000 ft, and hiking in the high country was the place to be, but by late morning the smoke was again climbing over 9000 ft and well into Strawberry Valley (where Idyllwild is located). Sunlight on both days was muted – like a partial solar eclipse – similar to the impact of the Grand Canyon fires in mid July.

Temperatures are again heating to above seasonal for the first two weeks of August, with modest cooling not forecast until Friday 15th. Temperatures that had been at or above seasonal since late May finally dropped to near seasonal starting 16th July. In the third week of July we were treated to a hint of September, with temperatures at all elevations below seasonal for several days, exemplified by the windchill temperature of 35.4°F (2°C) I recorded at San Jacinto Peak on Friday 25th July.

Hikers should be prepared for unseasonably hot weather, especially on 6th-14th August, with temperatures well above seasonal even for midsummer. Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and water requirements (the latter especially challenging in this dry year).

Water flows everywhere are low (many photos below) with ephemeral sources now dry. Key hiker water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega and the pipe in Round Valley are flowing and may maintain useable flow into the autumn. Ephemeral sources along Marion Mountain Trail are all dry for the first time in more than two years. Deer Springs creek dried up in late July where it crosses the trail of the same name. Flow in the creek in Little Round Valley has dropped dramatically since late July, and while a few small pools persist for filtering by campers, it is largely dry now, other than about a hundred yards in the middle of the valley (most accessible by the sign for campsite 2). The North Fork is completely dry where it crossed by Seven Pines Trail, but is flowing gently higher up where it crosses both Fuller Ridge and Deer Springs trails. Hidden Lake dried by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is dry where it passes through Round Valley. 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). The pipe in Tahquitz Meadow dried up in mid July. Skunk Cabbage Meadow creek is close to drying and no longer has sufficient depth for filtering. Strawberry Cienega is now dry. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail was functionally dry by 1st August, but a tiny pool persists from which dogs can drink.

It should be clear from the paragraphs above that fire risk is currently severe. Full fire restrictions began on Tuesday 1st July 2025 on Forest Service lands, as described on the USFS website linked here. Campfires throughout USFS lands in the San Jacinto Mountains, including all campgrounds and yellow post sites, are now prohibited.

Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak are closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a May 2025 safety inspection of Black Mountain lookout. USFS has informed the Trail Report that Tahquitz Peak lookout could reopen by September once upgrades to its lightning conductor array are completed, but there is little optimism that Black Mountain lookout will reopen this season.

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 detailed 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 locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded widely up to 9350 ft (see example photos of an adult and a juvenile in the previous Report linked here).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported in recent years, at least three individually identifiable Black Bears have been in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past six years. One adult-sized, light chestnut-colored individual was reliably reported – with photographs – from Willow Creek Trail adjacent to Skunk Cabbage Meadow on 12th July 2025 (information courtesy of Mike Meyer). I photographed fresh tracks in snow on 12th February 2024 at 9000 ft near PCT Mile 180.5 (photo linked here), and my brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (available here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) show two different individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans at or near campsites or on trails.

Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened in May and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground will be closed for the year due to federal budget issues.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to various high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during stormy weather), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures were generally above seasonal for nearly two months from 20th May until mid July, with heatwaves above even midsummer averages between 10th-20th June and again in the second week of July. Daytime high temperatures were then somewhat below average for the month starting Thursday 17th July for ten days.

Temperatures warmed again to slightly above seasonal starting Tuesday 29th July and then to well above seasonal starting Saturday 2nd August. Temperatures are now forecast to be well above seasonal even for midsummer on at least 7th-14th August.

Monsoon conditions have largely failed in the desert south-west so far this season, with no significant precipitation forecast for the San Jacinto mountains for the foreseeable future. Localized monsoonal thunderstorms on 17th-18th July produced some intense rain at lower elevations along the Highway 74 corridor and to the north of the San Jacinto mountains, but there was no measurable precipitation anywhere above 5000 ft, and only a few raindrops in Idyllwild.

The air temperature of 64.4°F (18°C) at San Jacinto Peak on Monday 14th July was the hottest this year and the seventh highest I have ever recorded at that location. Notably, five of the six higher temperatures ever were all from 2024, indicative of the strong heating trend increasingly affecting the high country in recent years.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Friday 8th August 2025 at 0830 the air temperature was 56.8°F (14°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 50.9°F (11°C), 37% relative humidity, and a pleasantly cool WSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 14.7 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 4th August 2025 at 0830 the air temperature was 55.1°F (13°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 48.9°F (9°C), 9% relative humidity, and a moderate due West wind sustained at 10 mph gusting to 16.3 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 1st August 2025 at 0850 the air temperature was 57.5°F (14°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 49.1°F (10°C), 16% relative humidity, and a variable SW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 12.0 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The established trail system was completely clear of snow by late May. The Wolf Fire in late June had no significant impact on the trail system.

Work from mid 2024 to early 2025 by various crews largely resolved the backlog of downed trees on PCT Miles 170-175 (roughly Apache Peak to Red Tahquitz) accumulated during 5+ years of agency neglect. Six trees remain to be cut around South Peak (Miles 173.5-174) of which most are significant obstructions for hikers. Lengthy sections of the trail are badly overgrown with brush and in their worst condition in decades, especially most of Miles 168-174, but PCTA/Forest Service seem to show little interest in improving this situation. Regrettably post-fire erosion has created a loose, rocky, and uneven tread in some parts of the same section, requiring caution in places.

The two large downed trees near PCT Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report in May. The Strawberry Trail (PCT Miles 180.8-183.1) has ten blowdowns, none of which pose major hazards to hikers. Of the eight on the Forest Service section, several have been down for 8-10 years and reported repeatedly but with no action. The brush between the cienega and Annie’s Junction (roughly Miles 181-181.7) has become heavily overgrown since it was last trimmed in 2021.

Five further blowdowns remain on the Deer Springs Trail portion of the PCT (Miles 183-185), some of which are major obstructions, albeit with workarounds. For the first time in a decade, upper Deer Springs Trail – between the top of Marion Mountain Trail and Little Round Valley – is now clear of blowdowns, with the Trail Report having removed eight trees this spring, including the two major hazards at PCT Mile 185.3 that came down this past winter. [About ten further trees would need to be cut to restore the original route of Deer Springs Trail above Little Round Valley, but there is no prospect of that happening soon, if ever. That section of trail, despite too many minor workarounds, remains relatively easy to follow.]

The maintenance condition of the Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-190.5) section of the PCT improved in July 2025, having been in very poor condition earlier in the year. The Trail Report cleared nine of 15 blowdowns mid-month (example photo below). A PCTA volunteer crew the following week largely removed the remaining six trees and undertook some brush trimming and clearing of debris, but sadly the opportunity was missed to comprehensively clear and trim this trail.

On the Wellman Trail, Wellman’s Cienega is flowing relatively poorly (photo below) but there is still plenty of water for hikers for now. The Trail Report continues the work it started last year to keep this trail clear (after it had become badly overgrown by early 2024).

For the first time in more than 15 years Seven Pines Trail has a continuous route completely cleared of blowdown trees, with the trail also as faithful to the original route as possible. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues (with State Park and Forest Service evidently no longer maintaining the route). Since 2019 we have now removed exactly 100 downed trees – including 25 since April of this year – and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared annually. Although our work has restored this delightful trail, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail 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.

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle. The tap at Cinco Poses Spring currently has reliable water but this may not last beyond August (located alongside the road 0.2 mile below the Boulder Basin turning).

Willow Creek Trail is in its best condition since it was thoroughly cleared in 2020. The four new trees that came down on the Forest Service section in January 2025 were cut in June-July. Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as overgrown as it was in 2022-23. Two new trees down on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and the two large ones remaining uncut from several years ago also have easy workarounds.

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). One huge pine tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down that requires a minor scramble underneath, but nine additional blowdowns have been removed since January 2025, with the trail already trimmed and cleared twice this year.

From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with skilled route-finding. My most recent 2025 survey counted 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is strongly recommended throughout the area.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in March by the Trail Report, bringing to 162 the total number of trees we have removed from this route in the past seven years. One very large burned cedar remains across the trail immediately after the first creek crossing 3.2 miles up from the trailhead. A couple of other recent blowdowns are small and easily stepped over.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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 air temperature of 64.4°F (18°C) at San Jacinto Peak on Monday 14th July was the hottest this year and the seventh highest I have ever recorded at that location. Notably, five of the six higher temperatures were all from 2024, indicative of the strong heating trend increasingly affecting the high country in recent years.

The heatwave throughout the first half of July has abated with temperatures dropping to near seasonal starting Wednesday 16th. This week we have been treated to a hint of September, with temperatures at all elevations below seasonal. The windchill temperature of 35.4°F (2°C) at San Jacinto Peak on Friday 25th July felt truly refreshing.

Air quality in our region, which had been poor for much of July, has improved dramatically in the last couple of days, with unusually good visibility for July from the high peaks on 25th thanks to a steady westerly wind. Smoke from the nearby Wolf Fire at the end of June briefly impacted air quality, which then deteriorated further on 14th-16th (photo below) due to smoke from major fires burning in Arizona. Sunlight on 14th-17th was remarkably weak, more reminiscent of a partial solar eclipse than midsummer.

Water flows everywhere are low for July (see photos below) with almost all ephemeral sources now dry. Key hiker water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega and the pipe in Round Valley are flowing and are expected to maintain some flow into the autumn. Ephemeral sources along Marion Mountain Trail are all dry for the first time in more than two years. Deer Springs creek dried up in late July where it crosses the trail of the same name. The creek in Little Round Valley is close to drying in its upper section, but may persist for the remainder of the summer where it crosses Deer Springs Trail near the mouth of the valley. The North Fork is completely dry where it crossed by Seven Pines Trail (“before and after” photos below), but is flowing gently higher up where it crosses both Fuller Ridge and Deer Springs trails. Hidden Lake dried by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is dry where it passes through Round Valley. 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). The pipe in Tahquitz Meadow dried up in mid July. Skunk Cabbage Meadow creek is close to drying and no longer has sufficient depth for filtering. Strawberry Cienega is now dry. Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail continues to just trickle.

Full fire restrictions began on Tuesday 1st July 2025 on Forest Service lands, as described on the USFS website linked here. Campfires throughout USFS lands in the San Jacinto Mountains, including all campgrounds and yellow post sites, are now prohibited.

Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak are closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a May 2025 safety inspection of Black Mountain lookout. USFS has indicated to the Trail Report that Tahquitz Peak lookout could reopen by September once upgrades to its lightning conductor array are completed, but there is much less optimism that Black Mountain lookout will reopen this season.

Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened in May and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground will be closed for the year due to federal budget issues.

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 detailed 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 locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded widely up to 9350 ft (see example photos of an adult and a juvenile in the previous Report linked here).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported in recent years, at least three individually identifiable Black Bears have been in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past six years. One adult-sized, light chestnut-colored individual was reliably reported – with photographs – from Willow Creek Trail adjacent to Skunk Cabbage Meadow on 12th July 2025 (information courtesy of Mike Meyer). I photographed fresh tracks in snow on 12th February 2024 at 9000 ft near PCT Mile 180.5 (photo linked here), and my brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (available here) and one walking through our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) show two different individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans at or near campsites or on trails.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to various high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures were generally above seasonal for nearly two months from 20th May until mid July, with heatwaves above even midsummer averages between 10th-20th June and again in the second week of July.

Daytime high temperatures are currently forecast to be near (or even slightly below) average for the month starting Thursday 17th July for about ten days. Temperatures are then forecast to warm again to near or slightly above seasonal by Monday 28th July.

Localized monsoonal thunderstorms on 17th-18th July produced some intense rain at lower elevations along the Highway 74 corridor and to the north of the San Jacinto mountains, but there was no measurable precipitation anywhere above 5000 ft, with little more than a few raindrops in Idyllwild.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Friday 25th July 2025 at 0810 the air temperature was 45.0°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 35.4°F (2°C), 48% relative humidity, and a cool WSW wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 14.4 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 21st July 2025 at 0810 the air temperature was 47.7°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 41.5°F (5°C), 53% relative humidity, and a light WSW wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 8.0 mph.

At the Peak on Saturday 19th July 2025 at 0740 the air temperature was 49.6°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 41.5°F (5°C), 62% relative humidity, and a steady SE wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 13.4 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The established trail system was completely clear of snow by late May. The Wolf Fire in late June had no significant impact on the trail system.

Work since mid 2024 by PCTA-USFS-ACE crews has largely resolved the backlog of downed trees on PCT Miles 170-175 (roughly Apache Peak to Red Tahquitz) accumulated during years of agency neglect. Six trees remain to be cut around South Peak (Miles 173.5-174) of which most are significant obstructions for hikers [surveyed June 2025]. Lengthy sections of the trail are badly overgrown with brush and in urgent need of trimming, especially most of Miles 168-174. Regrettably post-fire erosion has created a loose, rocky, and uneven tread in parts of the same section, requiring caution in places.

The two large downed trees near PCT Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report in May. The Strawberry Trail (PCT Miles 180.8-183.1) has ten blowdowns, none of which pose major hazards to hikers. Of the eight on the Forest Service section, several have been down for 8-10 years and reported repeatedly but with no action. The brush between the cienega and Annie’s Junction (roughly Miles 181-181.7) has become heavily overgrown since it was last trimmed in 2021.

Five further blowdowns remain on the Deer Springs Trail portion of the PCT (Miles 183-185), some of which are major obstructions, albeit with workarounds. For the first time in a decade, upper Deer Springs Trail – between the top of Marion Mountain Trail and Little Round Valley – is now clear of blowdowns, with the Trail Report having removed eight trees this spring, including the two major hazards at PCT Mile 185.3 that came down this past winter. About ten further trees would need to be cut to restore the original route of Deer Springs Trail above Little Round Valley, but there is no prospect of that happening soon, if ever. That section of trail, despite dozens of minor workarounds, remains easy to follow.

The maintenance condition of the Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-190.5) section of the PCT has improved significantly this month, having previously been the poorest I had seen in well over a decade. The Trail Report cleared nine of 15 blowdowns mid-month (example photo below). A PCTA volunteer crew scheduled to work on this section in late July will hopefully remove the remaining six, trim overgrown bushes, and clear much of the accumulated winter debris in this section of the trail.

On the Wellman Trail, Wellman’s Cienega is flowing relatively poorly (photo below) but there is still plenty of water for hikers for now. The Trail Report continues the work it started last year to maintain this trail (having become badly overgrown by early 2024).

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle. South Ridge Road is in similar condition.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March by the Trail Report, bringing to 162 the total number of trees we have removed from this route in the past seven years. One very large burned cedar remains across the trail immediately after the first creek crossing 3.2 miles up from the trailhead. Another new but thankfully small tree came down very recently close to the PCT but is easily stepped over.

For the first time in more than 15 years Seven Pines Trail has a continuous route completely cleared of blowdown trees, with the trail also as faithful to the original route as possible. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues, with State Park and Forest Service evidently no longer maintaining the route. Since 2019 we have now removed exactly 100 downed trees – including 25 cut since April of this year – and the trail is steadily trimmed and cleared annually. Although our work has restored this delightful trail, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail 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.

After considerable work (mainly on the Forest Service side) Willow Creek Trail is in much better condition than this time last year. Of the four new trees that came down on the Forest Service section in January, three were removed in June, and the other is expected to be cut soon. Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as bad as in 2022-23. Two new trees on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and thankfully the two large ones remaining uncut from years ago are also easily passed.

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 potentially 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 largely 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). One huge pine tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down that requires a minor scramble underneath, but nine additional blowdowns have been removed since January 2025, with the trail already trimmed and cleared twice this year.

From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My most recent 2025 survey counted 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is strongly recommended throughout the area.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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.

Hikers should be prepared for hot weather from Tuesday 8th onwards, with forecast temperatures above seasonal even for July, and overnight low temperatures in particular as much as 10°F above average. At the elevation of Idyllwild (5300 ft), high and low temperatures are forecast to be around or above 90°F and 60°F, respectively, for at least six consecutive days (9th-14th July). Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and water requirements.

The Wolf Fire started on the afternoon of Sunday 29th June in the extreme north-west corner of the San Jacinto mountains (just south of Banning) and rapidly spread to the east, burning across Mount Edna, closing Highway 243, and threatening the Twin Pines area. By that evening, thick smoke enveloped the mountains, including all of Idyllwild and Pine Cove, and the fire had expanded to 1200 acres. Thankfully the wind shifted dramatically overnight (from westerly to south-east) which helped slow fire progress, moved the fire away from the most populous areas of the San Jacinto mountains, and cleared the smoke from the high country. By 1st July the fire had been held at about 2410 acres and Highway 243 reopened on the evening of Thursday 3rd July.

Although smoke from the Wolf Fire dissipated promptly, in the absence of strong winds and any hint of precipitation, there has again been a deterioration in air quality in our region. Although not as bad as during the third week of June (see photo in prior Report linked here), visibility from San Jacinto Peak on Friday 4th July was once again very poor, with a prominent smoke/smog band below 10,000 ft.

Water flows everywhere are low for July, with many ephemeral sources already dry (multiple example photos below). Key hiker water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega and the pipe in Round Valley are currently flowing but may dry up in the autumn. Ephemeral sources along Marion Mountain Trail are now all dry for the first time in more than two years. The Deer Springs creek is now dry where it crosses the trail of the same name. The creek in Little Round Valley may be only weeks from drying in its upper section, but could persist for a couple of months where it crosses Deer Springs Trail at the mouth of the valley. Hidden Lake was dry by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is dry where it passes through Round Valley, but Tamarack Creek just to the north is trickling. Water is flowing relatively well, for now, in Skunk Cabbage Meadow, and reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is completely dry at the surface between those two locations). Middle Spring on Devil’s Slide Trail continues to trickle.

Full fire restrictions began on Tuesday 1st July 2025 on Forest Service lands, as described on the USFS website linked here. Campfires throughout USFS lands in the San Jacinto Mountains, including all campgrounds and yellow post sites, are now prohibited.

Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak are sadly closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a May safety inspection, and are not expected to reopen before August at the earliest. Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened in May and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground will be closed for the year due to staffing/budget challenges.

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 detailed 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 locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded widely up to 9350 ft (see photos below).

Be bear aware. Although rarely reported in recent years, at least three individually identifiable Black Bears have been in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have personally seen at least one annually for the past six years. One adult-sized, light chestnut-colored individual was reliably reported – with multiple photographs – from Willow Creek Trail alongside Skunk Cabbage Meadow on 12th July 2025 (information courtesy of Mike Meyer). I photographed fresh tracks in snow on 12th February 2024 at 9000 ft near PCT Mile 180.5 (photo linked here), and my brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (available here) and one on our property in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) show two different individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans at or near campsites or on trails.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report literally daily throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to various high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures were consistently above seasonal for a month starting on 20th May, and peaked above even midsummer averages between 10th-20th June, with multiple daytime highs at or above 90°F recorded. There were five pleasantly cool days starting 21st June, with temperatures briefly below seasonal, before then rising yet again to above average for June by Thursday 26th.

Temperatures in the first few days of July were about seasonal for midsummer, before rising to above seasonal for July starting around Tuesday 8th. Temperatures are currently forecast to be at or above average for the month until at least 20th July. At the elevation of Idyllwild (5300 ft) daytime high and overnight low temperatures will be around or may even exceed 90°F and 60°F, respectively, for at least six consecutive days (9th-14th July). There is no significant precipitation in the forecasts, with monsoon conditions not well developed in the desert south-west at this time.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Friday 11th July 2025 at 0815 the air temperature was 55.6°F (13°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 49.5°F (10°C), 8% relative humidity, and a steady due West wind sustained at 13 mph gusting to 19.9 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 8th July 2025 at 0745 the air temperature was 54.0°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.1°F (8°C), 10% relative humidity, and a brisk SSW wind sustained at 10 mph gusting to 18.8 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 4th July 2025 at 0740 the air temperature was 48.4°F (9°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 44.1°F (7°C), 49% relative humidity, and a steady WSW wind sustained at 5 mph gusting to 7.2 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The established trail system was completely clear of snow by late May. The Wolf Fire did not have any significant impact on the trail system.

Work since mid 2024 by various PCTA-USFS-ACE crews has largely resolved the backlog of downed trees on PCT Miles 170-175 (roughly Apache Peak to Red Tahquitz) accumulated during several years of agency neglect. Six trees remain to be cut around South Peak (Miles 173.5-174) of which most are significant obstructions for hikers [surveyed June 2025]. Lengthy sections of the trail are overgrown with brush and in urgent need of trimming, especially most of Miles 168-174. Regrettably post-fire erosion has created a loose, rocky, and uneven tread in parts of the same section, requiring significant caution in places.

The two large downed trees near PCT Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report on 21st May (photo in a prior Report linked here). The Strawberry Trail (PCT Miles 180.8-183.1) has ten blowdowns, none of which pose major hazards to hikers. Of the eight on the Forest Service section, several have been down for 8-10 years and reported repeatedly but with no action. The brush between the cienega and Annie’s Junction (roughly Miles 181-181.7) has become heavily overgrown since it was last trimmed in 2021.

Five further blowdowns remain on the Deer Springs Trail portion of the PCT (Miles 183-185), some of which are major obstructions, albeit with workarounds. For the first time in a decade, upper Deer Springs Trail, between the top of Marion Mountain Trail and Little Round Valley, is now clear of blowdowns, with the Trail Report having removed eight trees this spring, including the two major hazards at PCT Mile 185.3 that came down this past winter. About ten further trees would need to be cut to restore the original route of Deer Springs Trail above Little Round Valley, but there is no prospect of that happening soon, if ever. The trail, despite dozens of minor alternates, is easy to follow.

Sadly the maintenance condition of the Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-190.5) section of the PCT is the poorest I have ever seen. The State Park has not attempted to maintain their section (Miles 185.5-189) for more than a dozen years. Treefall hazards were cut by PCTA in 2019, and vegetation was thoroughly trimmed by the Trail Report in 2020, but repeating these tasks is now long overdue and there are 12 trees down on that section of which five present major obstructions. Needless to say the trail is impassable with stock. The tread is a mess of debris (sticks, branches, rocks, cones) and shortcut switchbacks. Thankfully reporting of these problems has led to the scheduling of a PCTA volunteer crew to work on this section in late July 2025. By contrast the Forest Service section (north from Mile 189) has been relatively well maintained in recent years, with just three (thankfully all small) new trees coming down on that section this past winter.

On the Wellman Trail, Wellman’s Cienega is flowing relatively poorly (photo below) but there is still plenty of water for hikers for now. The Trail Report continues the work it started last year to maintain this trail (having become badly overgrown by early 2024).

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle. South Ridge Road is in similar condition.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March by the Trail Report, bringing to 162 the total number of trees we have removed from this route in the past six years. One very large burned cedar remains across the trail immediately after the first creek crossing 3.2 miles up from the trailhead. Another new but thankfully small tree came down very recently close to the PCT but is easily stepped over.

As of 16th June 2025, for the first time in at least 15 years Seven Pines Trail has a continuous route completely cleared of blowdown trees (the route is now also as faithful to the original trail as possible). Since April this year a further 25 treefall hazards have been removed, and with slow but steady work continuing on clearing accumulated winter debris, to date mainly below 8200 ft. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues, with State Park and Forest Service no longer maintaining the route. Since 2019 we have now removed exactly 100 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared at least annually. Although our work has functionally restored this delightful trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail 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.

After considerable work (mainly on the Forest Service side) Willow Creek Trail is in much better condition than this time last year. Of the four new trees that came down on the Forest Service section in January, three were removed in June, and the other is expected to be cut soon. Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as bad as in 2022-23. Two new trees on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and thankfully the two large ones remaining uncut from years ago are also easily passed.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree may not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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 30th June at 1200: The wind shifted dramatically overnight (from westerly to south-east) which thankfully both limited the progress of the Wolf Fire, and moved it away from the populated areas of the San Jacinto mountains. While I could clearly see smoke from San Jacinto Peak this morning, and burned areas right up to Highway 243, the acreage has held at 1400.

UPDATE Sunday 29th June at 1900: Air quality – which as I described below was already poor – has deteriorated dramatically this afternoon with smoke from the Wolf Fire covering the San Jacinto mountains. The fire, currently 1200 acres, is in the far north-west of the mountain range, just west of the Twin Pines area. Highway 243 between Banning and Idyllwild has been impacted and is closed.

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Humans and wildlife enjoyed some respite from the summer heat with a unexpected, albeit brief, taste of spring in late June. Temperatures fell markedly to slightly below average for the month on 21st June, and remained relatively cool until Thursday 26th, before being forecast to rapidly rise again to near or above seasonal for the next week.

In the absence of strong winds and any hint of precipitation, there has been a serious deterioration in air quality in our region. Visibility in all directions from San Jacinto Peak on Sunday 22nd was as poor as I have ever seen – other than days with fire smoke of course – with Palm Springs completely obscured by haze (photo below).

Water flows everywhere are low for this early in the summer, but currently holding steady (multiple example photos below). Key hiker water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, Strawberry Cienega, and the pipe in Round Valley are all flowing but one or more may dry up later this summer. Ephemeral sources along Marion Mountain Trail are now all dry for the first time in more than two years. The creek in Little Round Valley may be only weeks from drying in its upper section, but could persist for a couple of months where it crosses Deer Springs Trail at the mouth of the valley. Hidden Lake is functionally dry by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is dry where it passes through Round Valley, but Tamarack Creek just to the north is trickling. Water is flowing relatively well, for now, in Skunk Cabbage Meadow, and reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (although it is completely dry between those two locations).

Hikers should be prepared for unseasonably hot weather from Thursday 26th onwards, with temperatures well above seasonal for June, overnight low temperatures in particular as much as 10°F above average. Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and water requirements (the latter especially challenging in this dry year).

Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened in May and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground will be closed for the year due to staffing/budget challenges. Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak, expected to reopen in May, are sadly closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a recent safety inspection.

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 detailed 2020 article linked here for further information). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded widely up to 9350 ft (see photos below).

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include multiple routes to various high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (most frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures were consistently above seasonal for a month starting on 20th May, and peaked above even midsummer averages between 10th-20th June, with multiple daytime highs at or above 90°F recorded. Finally temperatures dropped markedly starting 21st June, to below seasonal, and will remain pleasantly cool in the first half of this week before then rising yet again to above average for June by Thursday 26th. Temperatures in the first week of July are expected to be about seasonal for that month.

There is no significant precipitation in the forecasts, with monsoon conditions not well developed in the desert south-west at this time.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Sunday 22nd June 2025 at 0900 the air temperature was 46.0°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.9°F (3°C), 14% relative humidity, and a light WNW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 10.1 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 20th June 2025 at 0830 the air temperature was 46.8°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 35.4°F (2°C), 29% relative humidity, and a steady WNW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 31.5 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The established trail system was completely clear of snow by late May.

Work since mid 2024 by various PCTA-USFS-ACE crews has largely resolved the backlog of downed trees on PCT Miles 170-175 (roughly Apache Peak to Red Tahquitz) accumulated during several years of agency neglect. Six trees remain to be cut around South Peak (Miles 173.5-174) of which most are significant obstructions for hikers [surveyed June 2025]. Lengthy sections of the trail are overgrown with brush and in urgent need of trimming, especially most of Miles 168-174. Regrettably post-fire erosion has created a loose, rocky, and uneven tread in parts of the same section, requiring significant caution in places.

The two large downed trees near PCT Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report on 21st May (photo in a prior Report linked here). The Strawberry Trail (PCT Miles 180.8-183.1) has ten blowdowns, none of which pose major hazards to hikers. Of the eight on the Forest Service section, several have been down for 8-10 years and reported repeatedly but with no action. The brush between the cienega and Annie’s Junction (roughly Miles 181-181.7) has become heavily overgrown since it was last trimmed in 2021.

Five further blowdowns remain on the Deer Springs Trail portion of the PCT (Miles 183-185), some of which are major obstructions, albeit with workarounds. Two of the most significant blowdowns on this section, at Mile 185.3, were removed by the Trail Report last week (photo in previous Report linked here).

Sadly the maintenance condition of the Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-190.5) section of the PCT is the poorest I have ever seen. The State Park has not attempted to maintain their section (Miles 185.5-189) for more than a dozen years. Treefall hazards were cut by PCTA in 2019, and vegetation was thoroughly trimmed by the Trail Report in 2020, but repeating these tasks is now long overdue and there are 12 trees down on that section of which five present major obstructions. Needless to say the trail is impassable with stock. The tread is a mess of debris (sticks, branches, rocks, cones) and shortcut switchbacks. Thankfully our reporting of these problems has led to the scheduling of a PCTA volunteer crew to work on this section in late July. By contrast the Forest Service section (north from Mile 189) has been relatively well maintained in recent years, with just three (thankfully all small) new trees coming down on that section this past winter.

On the Wellman Trail, Wellman’s Cienega is flowing poorly for this early in the season (photo below) but there is still plenty of water for hikers for now. The Trail Report continues the work it started in mid 2024 to heavily trim this formerly overgrown trail.

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle. South Ridge Road is in very similar condition.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March by the Trail Report, bringing to 162 the total number of trees we have removed from this route in the past six years. One very large burned cedar remains across the trail immediately after the first creek crossing 3.2 miles up from the trailhead. Another new but thankfully small tree came down very recently close to the PCT but is easily stepped over.

As of 16th June 2025, for the first time in at least 15 years Seven Pines Trail has a continuous route completely cleared of blowdown trees (the route is now also as faithful to the original trail as possible). Since April this year a further 25 treefall hazards have been removed, and with slow but steady work continuing on clearing accumulated winter debris, to date mainly below 8200 ft. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues, with State Park and Forest Service no longer maintaining the route. Since 2019 we have now removed exactly 100 downed trees and the trail is largely trimmed and cleared at least annually. Although our work has functionally restored this delightful trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail 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.

After considerable work (mainly on the Forest Service side) Willow Creek Trail is in much better condition than this time last year. Of the four new trees that came down on the Forest Service section in January, three were removed in June, and the other is expected to be cut soon. Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as bad as in 2022-23. Two new trees on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and thankfully the two large ones remaining uncut from years ago are also easily passed.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree may not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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.

Water flows in most “perennial” sources are low, or even very low, for this early in the summer. Key hiker water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, Strawberry Cienega, and the pipe in Round Valley (sample photos below) are currently flowing but may dry up later this summer. The creek in Little Round Valley is only weeks from drying in its upper section, but may persist for a month or two where it crosses Deer Springs Trail at the mouth of the valley. Hidden Lake was so low in late May that it is likely to dry completely by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is dry where it passes through Round Valley, but Tamarack Creek just to the north is trickling. Water is flowing surprisingly well, for now, in Skunk Cabbage Meadow, and reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (photos below).

Hikers should be prepared for unseasonably hot weather until Friday 20th (and from Thursday 26th onwards), with temperatures well above seasonal for June, overnight low temperatures in particular as much as 10-15°F above average. Please give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and water requirements (the latter especially challenging in this dry year).

Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened in May and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground will be closed for the year due to staffing/budget challenges. Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak, expected to reopen in May, are sadly closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a recent safety inspection.

Be rattlesnake aware. Rattlesnakes are now active, although so far populations appear to be low this season. 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 detailed 2020 article linked here for further information). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded throughout up to 9350 ft.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to the high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures have been consistently above seasonal since 20th May and are forecast to remain that way until about 20th June. Temperatures will be more typical of July-August between 10th-20th June.

Temperatures are forecast to drop quite rapidly on 21st-25th June, to near or even below seasonal, before then rising yet again to above average for June by Thursday 26th. There is no significant precipitation in the forecasts.

Thunderstorms on the afternoon and evening of Tuesday 3rd June were accompanied by remarkably early monsoonal moisture. Locations on the east side of the mountain range received the most rain, with 0.38 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 0.35 inch at Saddle Junction (8100 ft). San Jacinto Peak recorded just 0.16 inch, with similar amounts in Little Round Valley and at the top of Marion Mountain Trail, and only 0.13 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

Total accumulated snowfall this past winter at San Jacinto Peak – 72.6 inches – was the lowest in recorded history (the three driest winters have all been in the past five years). For context, this is approximately 40% of what was average snowfall for the Peak less than 50 years ago.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Friday 20th June 2025 at 0830 the air temperature was 46.8°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 35.4°F (2°C), 29% relative humidity, and a steady WNW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 31.5 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 16th June 2025 at 0930 the air temperature was 59.2°F (15°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 57.2°F (14°C), 15% relative humidity, and a light WNW breeze sustained at 3 mph gusting to 5.5 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 14th June 2025 at 0740 the air temperature was 53.9°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.3°F (8°C), 13% relative humidity, and a moderate WSW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 15.1 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The established trail system was completely clear of snow by late May.

Work since mid 2024 by various PCTA-USFS-ACE crews has largely resolved the backlog of downed trees on PCT Miles 170-175 (broadly Apache Peak to Red Tahquitz) accumulated during several years of agency neglect. Six trees remain to be cut around South Peak (Miles 173.5-174) of which most are significant obstructions for hikers [surveyed 5th June]. Lengthy sections of the trail are overgrown with brush and in urgent need of trimming, especially most of Miles 168-174. Regrettably post-fire erosion has created a loose, rocky, and uneven tread in parts of the same section, requiring significant caution in places.

The two large downed trees near PCT Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report on 21st May (photo in a prior Report linked here). The Strawberry Trail (PCT Miles 180.8-183.1) has ten blowdowns, none of which pose major hazards to hikers. Of the eight on the Forest Service section, several have been down for 8-10 years and reported repeatedly but with no action. The brush between the cienega and Annie’s Junction (roughly Miles 181-181.7) has become heavily overgrown since it was last trimmed in 2021.

Five further blowdowns remain on the Deer Springs Trail portion of the PCT (Miles 183-185), some of which are major obstructions, albeit with workarounds. Two of the most significant blowdowns on this section, at Mile 185.3, were removed by the Trail Report earlier this week (photo below).

Sadly the maintenance condition of the Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-190.5) section of the PCT is the poorest I have ever seen. The State Park has not attempted to maintain their section (Miles 185.5-189) for more than a dozen years. Treefall hazards were cut by PCTA in 2019, and vegetation was thoroughly trimmed by the Trail Report in 2020, but repeating these tasks is now long overdue and there are 12 trees down on that section of which five present major obstructions. Needless to say the trail is impassable with stock. The tread is a mess of debris (sticks, branches, rocks, cones) and shortcut switchbacks. By contrast the Forest Service section (north from Mile 189) has been relatively well maintained in recent years, with just three (thankfully all small) new trees coming down on that section this past winter.

On the Wellman Trail, Wellman’s Cienega is flowing poorly for this early in the season (photo below) but there is still plenty of water for now. The Trail Report continues the work it started in mid 2024 to heavily trim this formerly overgrown trail.

The East Ridge Trail route to San Jacinto Peak starting at 10,400 ft near Miller Peak has finally cleared of snow cover, with a couple of tiny patches lingering into mid June. The old trail can now be followed for its entire length.

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle. South Ridge Road is in very similar condition.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March by the Trail Report, bringing to 162 the total number of trees we have removed from this route in the past six years. One very large burned cedar remains across the trail immediately after the first creek crossing 3.2 miles up from the trailhead. Another new but thankfully small tree came down very recently close to the PCT but is easily passed over [surveyed 5th June].

As of 16th June 2025, for the first time in at least 15 years Seven Pines Trail has a continuous route completely cleared of blowdown trees (the route is also largely faithful to the original trail). Since April this year a further 25 treefall hazards have been removed, with slow but steady progress made on clearing of accumulated winter debris in the trail, especially below 8200 ft. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues, with State Park and Forest Service no longer maintaining the route. Since 2019 we have now removed exactly 100 blowdowns and the trail is generally trimmed and cleared at least annually. Although our work has functionally restored this delightful trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail 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.

After considerable work (mainly on the Forest Service side) Willow Creek Trail is in much better condition than this time last year. Four new trees came down on the Forest Service section in January, two of which are very large and somewhat tricky to pass (located about 0.5 mile south of Willow Creek, and 0.3 mile north of the creek). It is hoped that these will be removed in mid June. Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as bad as in 2022-23. Two new trees on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and thankfully the two large ones remaining uncut from years ago are also easily passed.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree may not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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.

Pleasant, relatively cool temperatures in the first few days of June are forecast to rise yet again to above average starting Friday 6th. A hint of drizzle on Sunday 1st produced just 0.01 inch of rain at San Jacinto Peak. Dramatic thunderstorms on the afternoon and evening of Tuesday 3rd were accompanied by remarkably early monsoonal moisture. As the storm cells came in from the east, locations on that side of the mountain range received the most rain, with 0.38 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) and 0.35 inch at Saddle Junction (8100 ft). San Jacinto Peak recorded just 0.16 inch, with similar amounts in Little Round Valley and at the top of Marion Mountain Trail, and only 0.13 inch in Idyllwild (at 5550 ft).

Water flows in most “perennial” sources are generally low for this early in the summer (although they will flow better for 2-3 days after the rain). Key hiker water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, Strawberry Cienega, the creek in Little Round Valley, and the pipe in Round Valley (example photos below) are flowing but may dry up later this season. Hidden Lake was exceptionally low in May, less than 10% full (by volume), and will probably dry completely by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is largely dry where it passes through Round Valley, but Tamarack Creek just to the north is flowing gently. Water is flowing surprisingly well, for now, in Skunk Cabbage Meadow, and reliably in Tahquitz Creek at PCT Mile 177 and again further downstream at the north end of Little Tahquitz Meadow (photos below).

Forest Service campgrounds at Marion Mountain, Fern Basin, and Boulder Basin reopened for the season on 22nd May. Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened for the season on 16th May and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground will be closed for the year due to staffing/budget challenges. Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak, expected to reopen in May, are sadly closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a recent safety inspection.

Be rattlesnake aware. Rattlesnakes are now active on warmer days and/or at warmer times of day. 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 detailed 2020 article linked here for further information). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are among the most frequent locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded widely up to 9350 ft.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to the high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures rose to well above seasonal starting 20th May and remained generally above seasonal until the end of the month, with no significant precipitation in the forecasts. Midsummer temperatures are forecast between Friday 6th and Wednesday 11th June, before cooling somewhat to seasonal for mid June.

Total accumulated snowfall this past winter at San Jacinto Peak – 73.1 inches – is the lowest in recorded history (the three driest winters have all been in the past five years, all between 73-76 inches). For context, this is 40% of what was average snowfall for the Peak less than 50 years ago.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Wednesday 4th June 2025 at 0830 the air temperature was 52.1°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 48.2°F (9°C), 59% relative humidity, and a barely discernable NW breeze sustained at 0 mph gusting to 1.7 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 2nd June 2025 at 0755 the air temperature was 47.4°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 39.9°F (4°C), 73% relative humidity, and a light NNE wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 7.0 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 1st June 2025 at 0735 the air temperature was 45.6°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 36.9°F (3°C), 58% relative humidity, and a steady ESE wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 15.1 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The established trail system was completely clear of snow by late May.

The Pacific Crest Trail is now clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains. The two large downed trees near Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report on 21st May (photo in a prior Report linked here).

Work since mid 2024 by various PCTA-USFS-ACE crews has largely resolved the backlog of downed trees on Miles 170-175 (broadly Apache Peak to Red Tahquitz) accumulated during several years of agency neglect. Six trees remain to be cut around South Peak (Miles 173.5-174) of which most are significant obstructions for hikers [surveyed 5th June]. Lengthy sections of the trail are overgrown with brush and in urgent need of trimming, especially most of Miles 168-174. Regrettably post-fire erosion has created a loose, rocky, and uneven tread in parts of the same section, requiring significant caution in places.

The Strawberry Trail (PCT Miles 180.8-183.1) has ten blowdowns, none of which pose major hazards to hikers. Of the eight on the Forest Service section, several have been down for 8-10 years and reported repeatedly but with no action. The brush between the cienega and Annie’s Junction (roughly Miles 181-181.7) has become heavily overgrown since it was last trimmed in 2021.

Seven further blowdowns are on the Deer Springs Trail section of the PCT (Miles 183-185.5), almost all of which are major obstructions, albeit with workarounds. Hopefully the State Park/PCTA make these a priority for removal this season.

Fuller Ridge (PCT Miles 185.5-190.5) is completely clear of snow. Sadly the maintenance condition of this iconic section of the PCT is the poorest I have ever seen. The State Park has not attempted to maintain their section (Miles 185.5-189) for more than a dozen years. Treefall hazards were cut by PCTA in 2019, and vegetation was thoroughly trimmed by the Trail Report in 2020, but repeating these tasks is now long overdue and there are 12 trees down on that section of which five present major obstructions. Needless to say the trail is impassable with stock. The tread is a mess of debris (sticks, branches, rocks, cones) and shortcut switchbacks. By contrast the Forest Service section (north from Mile 189) has been relatively well maintained in recent years, with just three (thankfully all small) new trees coming down on that section this past winter.

The Wellman Trail is snow-free. Wellman’s Cienega is flowing poorly for this early in the season (photo below). The Trail Report continues the work it started in mid 2024 to heavily trim this formerly overgrown trail.

The Peak Trail is clear of snow, with a handful of tiny patches in the north-facing and sheltered section at 9900-10,100 ft (always last to clear in spring). Rocks around San Jacinto Peak are completely clear of snow.

The East Ridge Trail route to San Jacinto Peak starting at 10,400 ft near Miller Peak has cleared to just 5% snow cover. The old trail can now be followed for its entire length.

South Ridge Trail is clear of snow to both the north and south of Tahquitz Peak, including the infamous 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 177 and Tahquitz Peak which is now completely clear of snow. South Ridge Road is lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March by the Trail Report, bringing to 162 the total number of trees we have removed from this route in the past six years. One very large burned cedar remains across the trail immediately after the first creek crossing 3.2 miles up from the trailhead. Another new but thankfully small tree came down very recently close to the PCT but is easily passed over [surveyed 5th June].

Seven Pines Trail was clear of snow by late May. Twenty-two downed trees have been removed since April this year, and slow but steady progress made on removal of accumulated winter debris in the trail, especially up to about 8000 ft. Work on the uppermost trail so far this spring has been largely limited to removal of major blowdowns. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues, with both State Park and Forest Service apparently no longer maintaining the route. Since 2019 we have removed 97 downed trees and the trail is generally trimmed and cleared twice annually. Roughly five trees remain to be cut close to Deer Springs Trail to restore the original trail route, but all blowdowns below about 8400 ft have now been removed [most recently surveyed 6th June]. Although our work has largely restored this trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail completely unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation is essential for those without exceptional experience of hiking this trail. Note that in general the trail becomes most obscure in its uppermost mile (i.e. closest to the Deer Springs Trail/PCT junction).

After considerable work (mainly on the Forest Service side) Willow Creek Trail is in much better condition than this time last year. Four new trees came down on the Forest Service section in January, two of which are very large and tricky to pass (located about 0.5 mile south of Willow Creek, and 0.3 mile north of the creek). Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as bad as in 2022-23. Two new trees on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and thankfully the two large ones remaining uncut from years ago are also easily passed.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree will not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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.

All trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail, are functionally clear of snow throughout the San Jacinto mountains. Spikes are no longer required anywhere on the established trail system. The minor storm on 16th May – really nothing more than elevated marine layer cloud – produced a very light rain in Idyllwild (0.03 inch) but no measurable precipitation in the high country.

Water flows in most perennial sources are low – in some cases, very low – for May. Although flowing gently at present (example photos below), key water sources such as Wellman’s Cienega, the creek in Little Round Valley, and the pipe in Round Valley may well dry up later this year. Hidden Lake is the lowest I have ever seen in May, less than 10% full (by volume), and may dry completely by the end of June. Long Valley Creek is largely dry where it passes through Round Valley, but Tamarack Creek just to the north is flowing gently. Total accumulated snowfall for this winter at San Jacinto Peak – 73.1 inches – is the lowest in recorded history (the three driest winters have all been in the past five years, all between 73-76 inches). For reference, this is only 40% of what was average snowfall for the Peak just 40-50 years ago.

Forest Service campgrounds at Marion Mountain, Fern Basin, and Boulder Basin reopened for the season on 22nd May. Dark Canyon Road (4S02) reopened for the season on 16th May, contrary to an earlier USFS announcement that it would be closed for the year, and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground is however expected to be closed for the year due to federal staffing/budget cuts. Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak, due to reopen this month, are closed indefinitely due to issues identified in a recent safety inspection.

Be rattlesnake aware. Rattlesnakes have become active in the mid and upper elevations this month. 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 detailed 2020 article linked here for further information). Devil’s Slide Trail, lower Deer Springs and lower Marion Mountain trails, Suicide Rock, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are frequent locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded widely up to 9350 ft.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to the high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Temperatures rose to well above seasonal starting Tuesday 20th May. Following the rollercoaster of temperatures over the past couple of months, sadly it finally looks like we may be settling into more consistent summer-like weather. Temperatures are expected to remain generally above seasonal until the end of the month, with no significant precipitation in the forecasts, and no notably cloudy days expected. Midsummer-like temperatures are forecast for the last four days of May.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Friday 23rd May 2025 at 0815 the air temperature was 44.1°F (7°C), with a windchill temperature of 32.2°F (0°C), 15% relative humidity, and a steady SW wind sustained at 18 mph gusting to 21.6 mph.

At the Peak on Wednesday 21st May 2025 at 0905 the air temperature was 51.0°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.3°F (9°C), 12% relative humidity, and a gentle WSW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 5.7 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 16th May 2025 at 1010 the air temperature was 43.5°F (6°C), with a windchill temperature of 33.1°F (1°C), 42% relative humidity, and a light SW wind sustained at 5 mph gusting to 8.1 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Snowmelt – of what little snow remained – has been very rapid in the past week. Unless indicated below, trails are completely clear of snow. At this time spikes are no longer necessary anywhere on the established trail system.

The Pacific Crest Trail is now clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains. Miles 151 (Highway 74) to about Mile 175 are clear. Snow patches are minimal between Miles 175 to near Saddle Junction (about Mile 179). The south-facing slope of Miles 179-180 is clear, while from Mile 180 (elevation 8900 ft) to about Mile 181 just past Annie’s Junction snow cover has dropped dramatically in recent days to just a few tiny patches. The two large downed trees near Mile 180 were removed by the Trail Report on 21st May (photo below). Miles 181-184.5 are sun-exposed and clear of snow. Snow cover consists of a handful of tiny patches around Mile 185 in the sheltered area near the Deer Springs crossing.

Fuller Ridge (PCT Miles 185.5-190.5) is now completely clear of snow. Sadly the maintenance condition of this iconic section of the PCT is the poorest I have ever seen. The State Park has not attempted to maintain their section (Miles 185.5-189) for more than a dozen years. Treefall hazards were cut by PCTA in 2019, and vegetation was thoroughly trimmed by the Trail Report in 2020, but repeating these tasks is now long overdue and there are 12 trees down on that section of which five present major obstructions. Needless to say the trail is impassable with stock. The tread is a mess of debris (sticks, branches, rocks, cones) and shortcut switchbacks. By contrast the Forest Service section (north from Mile 189) has been relatively well maintained in recent years, with just three (thankfully all small) new trees coming down on that section this past winter.

Work in the past ten months by joint PCTA-USFS crews has largely resolved the years-old backlog of dozens of downed trees on Miles 170-175. Ten trees remain uncut around Mile 174, which are expected to be removed by early June. Most of Miles 168-175 remains overgrown with brush but further trimming work is scheduled for the northern part of this section in late May and early June.

The Wellman Trail is now snow-free, with a couple of tiny patches confined to the forested 0.3 mile section immediately north of Annie’s Junction. Wellman’s Cienega is flowing poorly for so early in the season (photo below). The Trail Report has worked steadily since mid 2024 to heavily trim this formerly overgrown trail.

The Peak Trail is clear of snow, with just a few tiny patches in the north-facing and sheltered section at 9900-10,100 ft (always last to clear in spring). Rocks around San Jacinto Peak are clear of snow.

The East Ridge Trail route to San Jacinto Peak starting at 10,400 ft near Miller Peak has cleared to only 10% snow cover. The old trail is now largely exposed and can be followed for most of its length.

South Ridge Trail is clear of snow to both the north and south of Tahquitz Peak, including the 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 177 and Tahquitz Peak which is now functionally clear of snow. South Ridge Road is lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

Marion Mountain Trail is now clear of snow.

Deer Springs Trail is functionally clear of snow to Little Round Valley. A few very limited icy snow patches remain, notably in the most sheltered areas either side of the Deer Springs crossing and again in the drainage of the North Fork of the San Jacinto River. In Little Round Valley, snow cover averages 10%, with the few remaining patches mainly in the central, heavily forested section. Above Little Round Valley the trail has only 10% snow cover, but there are a few large icy snow drifts in a couple of key places around switchbacks. Spikes are no longer useful for descending upper Deer Springs Trail.

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March, bringing to 162 the total number of trees removed by the Trail Report from this route in the past six years.

Seven Pines Trail is clear of snow [surveyed 26th May]. Nineteen downed trees have been removed since April this year, and steady progress made on removal of accumulated winter debris in the trail especially up to about 8000 ft. Snow has only recently cleared above 8200 ft, so our work this spring has so far been limited on the upper trail. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work nearly a decade ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues, with both State Park and Forest Service having functionally abandoned the route. Since 2019 we have removed 94 downed trees and the trail is generally trimmed and cleared at least annually. Three recent blowdowns remain to be cut in the uppermost 0.6 mile, and about six trees need to be cut close to Deer Springs Trail to restore the original trail route, but all blowdowns below about 8300 ft have now been removed. Although our work has largely restored this trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail completely unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation is essential for those without exceptional experience of hiking this trail. Also note that in general the trail becomes most obscure in its uppermost mile (i.e. closest to the Deer Springs Trail/PCT junction).

After considerable work (mainly on the Forest Service side) Willow Creek Trail is in much better condition than this time last year. Four new trees came down on the Forest Service section in January, two of which are very large and tricky to pass (located about 0.5 mile south of Willow Creek, and 0.3 mile north of the creek). Whitethorn needs trimming again especially near the boundary between the two agencies, but is not as bad as in 2022-23. Two new trees on the State Park side are minor and easily passed, and thankfully the two large ones remaining uncut from several years ago are also easily passed.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree will not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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 far above seasonal last week rapidly melted most remaining snow (largely old icy snow persisting from storms in March). All trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail, are functionally clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains. Spikes are no longer required anywhere on the established trail system.

Water flows in most perennial sources are low – in some cases, very low – for mid May. Although flowing gently at present (example photos below), key water sources such as the creek in Little Round Valley and the pipe in Round Valley may well dry at some point this summer. Total accumulated snowfall for this winter at San Jacinto Peak – currently 73.1 inches – would be, by an inch or two, the lowest on record (the three driest winters have all been in the past five years, all between 73-76 inches). In the past decade average annual snowfall at the Peak has been 111 inches (in the latter half of last century it was approximately 180 inches).

Forest Service campgrounds at Marion Mountain, Fern Basin, and Boulder Basin all reopen for the season on 22nd May. Dark Canyon Road (4S02) somewhat unexpectedly reopened for the season on 16th May, and the dirt section has had some effective basic maintenance. The associated Dark Canyon campground is expected to be closed for the year due to federal government staffing/budget cuts. Fire lookouts at Black Mountain and Tahquitz Peak, due to reopen this month, are closed indefinitely due to safety issues identified in recent federal inspections.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to the high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Minor storm systems on 26th April (1-2 inches of snow) and again on 4th May (2-4 inches) both produced light snow falls in the high country. However, above average temperatures immediately following the storms, combined with a seasonally potent sun, led to very rapid melting and in both cases trails had largely cleared within 1-2 days.

Temperatures rose yet again to above seasonal from 7th May, and on 9th-10th temperatures more closely resembled summer, with both highs and lows as much as 10-20°F above seasonal for early May.

Temperatures dropped back to about average (and pleasantly cool) for May starting Monday 12th, and are now forecast to remain around seasonal for the next week. Notably cooler days on 13th-14th and Sunday 18th have the possibility of very minor rainfall, most likely early in the the morning (and probably at mid elevations rather than in the high country). Temperatures rise to well above seasonal again starting Tuesday 20th May.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at 0805 the air temperature was 26.8°F (-3°C), with a windchill temperature of 10.6°F (-12°C), 41% relative humidity, and a fresh NNE wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 16.5 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 12th May 2025 at 0740 the air temperature was 34.8°F (2°C), with a windchill temperature of 19.2°F (-7°C), 39% relative humidity, and a chilly WSW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 30.0 mph.

At the Peak on Tuesday 6th May 2025 at 0825 the air temperature was 36.3°F (2°C), with a windchill temperature of 25.2°F (-4°C), 80% relative humidity, and a variable WNW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 9.6 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Snowmelt – of what little snow remained – has been very rapid in the past week. Unless indicated below, trails are clear of snow. At this time few if any hikers are finding spikes necessary.

The Pacific Crest Trail is now functionally clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains. Miles 151 (Highway 74) to about Mile 175 are clear. Snow cover is very limited between Miles 175 to Saddle Junction (about Mile 179). The south-facing slope of Miles 179-180 is clear, while from Mile 180 (elevation 8900 ft) to about Mile 181 just past Annie’s Junction snow cover has dropped dramatically in recent days to under 10%. Miles 181-184.5 are sun-exposed and clear. Snow cover consists of a few patches around Mile 185 in the sheltered area near the Deer Springs crossing, but again there is a well-traveled boot track through the handful of tiny patches.

Fuller Ridge (PCT Miles 185.5-190.5) is now completely clear of snow. Sadly the maintenance condition of this iconic section of the PCT is the poorest I have ever seen. The State Park has not attempted to maintain their section (Miles 185.5-189) for more than a dozen years. Treefall hazards were cut by PCTA in 2019, and it was thoroughly trimmed by the Trail Report in 2020, but repeating these tasks is now long overdue and there are 12 trees down on that section of which five present major obstructions. Needless to say the trail is impassable with stock. The tread is a mess of debris (sticks, branches, rocks, cones) and shortcut switchbacks. By contrast the Forest Service section (north from Mile 189) has been relatively well maintained in recent years, with just three (thankfully small) new trees coming down on that section this past winter.

Work in the past ten months by joint PCTA-USFS crews has largely resolved the years-old backlog of dozens of downed trees on Miles 170-175. Ten trees remain uncut around Mile 174, which are expected to be removed by early June. Most of Miles 168-175 remains overgrown with brush but further trimming work is scheduled for the northern part of this section in late May and early June.

The Wellman Trail is now functionally snow-free, with <10% snow cover confined to the forested 0.3 mile section immediately north of Annie’s Junction. Wellman’s Cienega is unfrozen but flowing relatively poorly for so early in the season. The Trail Report has worked steadily over the past year to heavily trim this formerly overgrown trail.

The Peak Trail averages <10% snow cover, almost all of which is in a few patches in the north-facing and sheltered section at 9900-10,100 ft (always last to clear in spring). Rocks around San Jacinto Peak are functionally clear of snow and it is easy to ascend the Peak without stepping on snow patches.

The East Ridge Trail route to San Jacinto Peak starting at 10,400 ft near Miller Peak has cleared rapidly to only 25% snow cover. The old trail is now largely visible and can followed in places.

South Ridge Trail is clear of snow to both the north and south of Tahquitz Peak, including the 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 177 and Tahquitz Peak which is now functionally clear of snow. South Ridge Road is lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

Marion Mountain Trail is now clear of snow.

Deer Springs Trail is functionally clear of snow to Little Round Valley. A few limited sections of icy snow patches remain, notably in the most sheltered areas either side of the Deer Springs crossing and again in the drainage of the North Fork of the San Jacinto River. In Little Round Valley, snow cover averages only 10%, with most patches in the central, heavily forested section. Above Little Round Valley the trail has only 10% snow cover, but there are some large icy snow drifts in a few key places around switchbacks. Spikes are no longer useful for descending upper Deer Springs Trail.

Black Mountain Road is open and in its typical non-graded condition, i.e. lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across Spitler Peak Trail. All but one were removed in late March, bringing to 162 the total number of trees removed by the Trail Report from this route in the past six years.

Seven Pines Trail is functionally clear of snow, with just a handful of old snow drifts from 8200 ft to the PCT/Deer Springs Trail. Eighteen downed trees have been removed since April this year, and significant progress made on removal of accumulated winter debris in the trail up to about 8000 ft. The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work years ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues in the previous decade, with neither State Park nor Forest Service having shown significant interest in maintaining the route for many years. Since 2019 we have removed 93 downed trees and the trail is generally trimmed and cleared at least annually. About six trees remain to be cut close to Deer Springs Trail to restore the original trail route, but all blowdowns below about 8200 ft have now been removed. Although our work has largely restored this trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without considerable experience of hiking this trail. Also note the trail becomes most obscure in its uppermost mile (i.e. closest to the Deer Springs Trail/PCT junction).

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree will not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

By late 2024 Willow Creek Trail was nearing its 2020 condition, the last time the original trail route was fully cleared and passable. Four new trees came down on the Forest Service section in January 2025, two of which are large and tricky for hikers to pass. In addition to trees being cut in 2024, whitethorn trimming was largely completed, mainly by volunteers, on the Forest Service side in late summer. On the State Park side localized trimming of the worst patches was undertaken in 2024, and the minor treefall hazards new in 2023/24 were removed, leaving just two major long term downed trees (both easy to pass for hikers).

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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.

Minor storm systems on 26th April (1-2 inches of snow) and again on 4th May (2-4 inches) both produced light snow falls in the high country. However, above average temperatures immediately following the storms, combined with a seasonally potent sun, led to very rapid melting and in both cases trails had largely cleared within 1-2 days.

Hot temperatures forecast for the remainder of this week will rapidly melt much of the old icy snow (from storms in March). Spikes are no longer required anywhere, although some hikers may find them useful in places, as described under Trail Conditions. The Pacific Crest Trail has heavily-traveled tracks in the very limited areas – described below – where snow remains on the trail in the San Jacinto mountains.

Water flows in most perennial sources are low – in some cases, very low – for early May. Currently at 73.1 inches, total accumulated snowfall for this winter at San Jacinto Peak could be, by an inch or two, the lowest on record (the three driest winters have all been in the past five years, and each is between 73-76 inches). In the past decade average annual snowfall at the Peak has been 110.5 inches (in the latter half of last century it was approximately 180 inches).

Dark Canyon Road (4S02), the access road to the Seven Pines trailhead, is expected to be closed for the year for staffing/budget reasons (the trail and road remain open for hikers however).

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to the high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

Very minor storm systems have impacted the San Jacinto mountains twice in the past ten days, the first on Saturday 26th April. Very fine snow started as low as Idyllwild late that morning and continued on/off into the evening. Most areas at elevations ranging from Humber Park (6500 ft) to San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft) accumulated only about one inch, but depth at Saddle Junction (8100 ft) was 1.5 inch, with about two inches accumulating in sheltered areas between 8500-9500 ft. In Idyllwild, about 0.4 inch of rain earlier in the day turned to snow in the evening, accumulating to a patchy 0.5 inch.

The system on 4th May was more significant than forecast, with two inches of snow above 9000 ft, three inches at 10,000 ft, and nearly four inches at San Jacinto Peak. Although there was a dusting down to 7000 ft, snow accumulation was negligible below 9000 ft. Idyllwild recorded 0.18 inch of rain.

Temperatures rise yet again to above seasonal by Wednesday 7th May. On 9th-10th temperatures will more closely resemble summer, with both highs and lows as much as 10-20°F above seasonal for early May, notably at mid (rather than upper) elevations. Temperatures drop back to pleasantly cool and seasonal for the first half of May during the following week, on 12th-15th at least.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Tuesday 6th May 2025 at 0825 the air temperature was 36.3°F (2°C), with a windchill temperature of 25.2°F (-4°C), 80% relative humidity, and a variable WNW wind sustained at 2 mph gusting to 9.6 mph.

At the Peak on Monday 5th May 2025 at 0920 the air temperature was 27.8°F (-3°C), with a windchill temperature of 15.1°F (-10°C), 100% relative humidity, and a fresh due North wind sustained at 5 mph gusting to 12.0 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 4th May 2025 at 0825 the air temperature was 29.1°F (-2°C), with a windchill temperature of 18.7°F (-8°C), 78% relative humidity, and a light due East wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 8.5 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Snowmelt has been steady in the past day or so, both of the limited fresh snow and old remaining snow from March, and will accelerate markedly in the warm weather this week. Everywhere above about 9000 ft carrying spikes can be useful depending on personal preference and experience, but most hikers are now finding spikes unnecessary.

The Pacific Crest Trail is now largely clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains, with the exception of a few areas described below. Miles 151 (Highway 74) to about Mile 175 are clear. Snow cover from Miles 175 (Red Tahquitz) to 177.7 (Chinquapin Flat) is about 30% with a very well-worn track. Snow cover is minimal between Miles 177.7 to Saddle Junction (about Mile 179). The south-facing slope of Miles 179-180 is clear, while from Mile 180 (elevation 8900 ft) to about Mile 181 just past Annie’s Junction snow cover has dropped dramatically in recent days to just 25%. Miles 181-184.5 are sun-exposed and clear. Snow cover increases around Mile 185 in the sheltered area near the Deer Springs crossing, but again there is a well-traveled boot track. Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-191) now averages just 20% snow cover, with Miles 186-186.5 and 187.5-188.3 in particular being sun-exposed and snow-free. Some hikers may find spikes are useful in places throughout this section, but they are not required as the track is well-defined with good steps where it goes through snow patches. The trail is clear of snow from Mile 191 northwards.

Although the situation improved somewhat in 2024, treefall hazards remain a significant problem along parts of the Pacific Crest Trail, most notably between Antsell Rock and South Peak. About 60 trees are down across the trail between PCT Miles 170.5-174, with 37 of these, including several serious obstructions that make for slow-going, between Miles 172.5-174 (around and immediately south of South Peak). A further nine smaller obstructions are down from Miles 168.5-170.5 (Spitler Peak Trail to Zen Center Trail). Significant sections of Miles 168.5-175 are also badly overgrown with brush and are in urgent need of major trimming work. Further logging and trimming work is scheduled in this area in May and early June this year.

Devil’s Slide Trail is clear of snow.

The Wellman Trail is now almost snow-free, with just 20% snow cover confined to the forested 0.3 mile section immediately north of Annie’s Junction. Wellman’s Cienega is unfrozen but flowing relatively poorly for so early in the year.

The Peak Trail averages only 10% snow cover, almost all of which is in the north-facing and sheltered section at 9900-10,100 ft (always slow to clear in spring). Rocks around San Jacinto Peak are largely clear of snow and it is possible to ascend the Peak without stepping on snow patches.

The East Ridge Trail route to San Jacinto Peak starting at 10,400 ft near Miller Peak had cleared rapidly to only 40% snow cover prior to the snowfall on 4th. It will likely to return to <50% snow cover during the course of this week. The old trail is visible and can followed in places.

South Ridge Trail is clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak. South Ridge Road is lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 177 and Tahquitz Peak is now largely clear of snow and has a reliable boot track to follow through the few remaining tiny snow patches (example photo above). Most hikers are finding spikes are no longer required on this trail.

Marion Mountain Trail is functionally clear of snow, with just a couple of limited patches of old icy snow remaining at the PCT junction.

Deer Springs Trail will be almost entirely clear of snow up to 9200 ft (above the Fuller Ridge Trail junction) by the weekend, and largely clear of snow to Little Round Valley. A few limited areas of extended icy snow patches remain, notably in the most sheltered areas either side of the Deer Springs crossing and again in the drainage of the North Fork of the San Jacinto River. Nevertheless the well-traveled track is easy to follow to Little Round Valley. In Little Round Valley, snow cover averages only 50%, most continuous in the central, most forested section. Above Little Round Valley the trail has only 20% snow cover, but can be tricky to follow, with large icy snow drifts in a few key places around switchbacks. Spikes remain useful at least for descending parts of upper Deer Springs Trail.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of snow. Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across this trail. All but one were removed in late March, bringing to 162 the total number of trees removed by the Trail Report from this route in the past six years. A very large burned cedar remains which can be a little tricky to pass, next to the first crossing of Spitler Creek (3.2 miles up from the trailhead, 1.6 miles down from the PCT).

Seven Pines Trail is functionally clear of snow to 8200 ft, with about 30% cover of old snow drifts from there to the PCT/Deer Springs Trail. Seventeen downed trees were removed in April 2025, and significant progress made on removal of accumulated winter debris in the trail up to about 8000 ft (example photo below). The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work years ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues in the previous decade, with neither State Park nor Forest Service having shown significant interest in maintaining the route for many years. Since 2019 we have removed 92 downed trees and the trail is generally trimmed and cleared at least annually. About six trees remain to be cut above the current snow line to restore the original trail route, plus one very large recently downed tree lower down. Although our work has largely restored this trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without considerable experience of hiking this trail. Also note the trail becomes most obscure in its uppermost mile – especially at present due to snow drifts – i.e. closest to the Deer Springs Trail/PCT junction.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree will not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

In late 2024 Willow Creek Trail was nearing its 2020 condition, the last time the original trail route was fully cleared and passable. Four new trees came down on the Forest Service section in January, two of which are large and tricky for hikers to pass. In addition to trees being cut in 2024, whitethorn trimming was largely completed, mainly by volunteers, on the Forest Service side in late summer. On the State Park side localized trimming of the worst patches was undertaken in 2024, and the minor treefall hazards new in 2023/24 were removed, leaving just two major long term downed trees (both easy to pass for hikers).

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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 Tuesday 6th May 2025: We returned to San Jacinto Peak this morning, and as anticipated, almost all the snow from yesterday is gone. Although a patchy thin covering remains in sheltered areas above 9900 ft, most trails have already cleared, and those that haven’t will be functionally clear of new snow in the next 24 hours. Consequently, conditions as described below from prior to 4th May are now functionally accurate again. Spikes are not required anywhere, although some hikers may find them useful in places, as described under Trail Conditions.

UPDATE Monday 5th May 2025: the minor snow storm yesterday evening and overnight was more significant than forecast, with two inches of snow above 9000 ft, three inches at 10,000 ft, and nearly four inches at San Jacinto Peak. Idyllwild recorded 0.18 inch of rain. I broke trail this morning via the Wellman and Peak trails, and recorded a short video from the Peak (linked here). Below 9000 ft the snow barely settled, trails are still readily visible, and no additional traction devices are required. PCT hikers remaining on the trail (i.e. not going up to the Peak) will not find navigation is significantly impacted. Conditions will change dramatically again in the next 1-2 days with temperatures climbing very rapidly, and trail conditions will quickly return to those described below.

UPDATE Sunday 4th May 2025: An extremely rare combination of weather phenomena is impacting the San Jacinto mountains today. A thick marine cloud layer up to 8000 ft – obviously coming in form the west – is covering the west slope (not in itself unusual), while very cold thunderstorm cells are circulating from the opposite direction (from the east this morning, now more northerly). The cloud base of these cumulonimbus formations was at about 12,000 ft. On my descent from San Jacinto Peak this morning I had the very strange experience of descending through foggy marine layer cloud on Devil’s Slide Trail, while steady graupel snow was falling from the much higher thunderstorm clouds through the lower cloud onto me. On the east slope, it has now locally dusted about 0.25 inch of snow (e.g., in Long Valley) early this afternoon.

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The San Jacinto mountains caught the southern edge of a minor storm system on Saturday 26th April. Very fine snow started as low as Idyllwild at 1145 that morning and continued on/off into the evening. Total accumulation across most of the high country was one inch, with the highest peaks being above the cloud for some of the storm and/or melting underway even as the snow fell, as I described in a short video report recorded at San Jacinto Peak (linked here) late on 26th. With mild temperatures, that fresh snow melted within 2-3 days, and trail conditions have now returned to a comparable condition to last week.

To assess the changing conditions, I hiked to San Jacinto Peak on the afternoon of 26th through the bulk of the storm, then returned on the morning of 27th following further very light overnight snow. In the process I documented a remarkable morning for cloud formations (see under Weather below). We hiked to Tahquitz Peak, mainly to assess the snowbound north side, on the morning of 28th.

In Idyllwild, about 0.4 inch of rain earlier in the day turned to snow on the evening of 26th, accumulating to a patchy 0.5 inch at best. Most areas at elevations ranging from Humber Park (6500 ft) to San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft) accumulated only about one inch of snow. However snow depth at Saddle Junction (8100 ft) was 1.5 inch, with about two inches accumulating in sheltered areas between 8500-9500 ft, notably below Little Round Valley on Deer Springs Trail, around Tahquitz Peak, and either side of Annie’s Junction (9020 ft, roughly PCT Miles 180-181). The snow did drift and accumulate deeper (3-4 inches) in the trails especially in areas that had prior icy snow remaining from earlier in the season. Spikes remain useful, but are not generally required.

During the course of this week, trails below 9000 ft will generally clear of snow (except the most sheltered areas) with even the highest peaks rapidly clearing on all but their most sheltered slopes. The Pacific Crest Trail has heavily-traveled tracks in the limited areas – described below – where snow remains on the trail in the San Jacinto mountains.

Dark Canyon Road (4S02), the access road to the Seven Pines trailhead, is expected to be closed for the year due to staffing/budget reasons (the trail and road remain open for hikers however). USFS gates at Humber Park and South Ridge Road both reopened in late March after brief closures.

Survey hikes by the Trail Report every single day throughout the year in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to the high peaks including San Jacinto Peak typically 2-3 times per week (more frequently during storms), Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.

WEATHER

The rollercoaster of temperatures that has been a feature of this year so far is forecast to continue for the foreseeable future. The remainder of this week warms to temperatures above seasonal in the first couple of days of May.

Passage of another minor system to our north leads to rapid cooling and the possibility of further minor precipitation – drizzle at mid elevations and a dusting of snow in the high country – on 4th and 5th May. Current forecasts suggest the majority of the precipitation will be late afternoon and overnight on Sunday 4th, with any high country snow most likely early on Monday 5th.

Temperatures then promptly rise yet again to above seasonal by Wednesday 7th May. On 8th-11th temperatures will more closely resemble midsummer, with both highs and lows as much as 10-20°F above seasonal for early May, especially at mid (rather than upper) elevations.

The recent video discussion from National Weather Service San Diego (linked here) includes data that confirm that this winter in Southern California has been one of the driest and warmest on record – with observations back to 1850 – especially for our area of montane central Riverside Country. Projections for the next few months suggest a hotter-than-average summer, with no clarity at this time on the likelihood of monsoonal moisture reaching us before late summer, if at all.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Sunday 4th May 2025 at 0825 the air temperature was 29.1°F (-2°C), with a windchill temperature of 18.7°F (-8°C), 78% relative humidity, and a light due East wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 8.5 mph.

At the Peak on Thursday 1st May 2025 at 0810 the air temperature was 34.8°F (2°C), with a windchill temperature of 20.3°F (-7°C), 42% relative humidity, and a cool ESE wind sustained at 15 mph gusting to 20.5 mph.

At the Peak on Sunday 27th April 2025 at 0920 the air temperature was 14.3°F (-10°C), with a windchill temperature of -7.1°F (-22°C), 73% relative humidity, and a sharp due West wind sustained at 15 mph gusting to 24.5 mph.

As I ascended the Wellman and Peak trails on the morning of Sunday 27th, I was extremely fortunate to document the generation of a spectacular lenticular cloud formation over the Santa Rosa Mountains. Scroll right through the five images below, each captioned with the time the photo was taken. Lenticular clouds form only in specific atmospheric conditions when moisture-laden air is forced by a strong, steady wind over a very prominent peak – in this case Toro Peak – creating a unique wave pattern of airflow (there is a much better explanation at the NWS page linked here).

TRAIL CONDITIONS

Snowmelt has been rapid this week, both of the minimal fresh snow and old remaining snow from March. Everywhere above about 9000 ft carrying spikes can be useful where old snow patches are generally firm, but most hikers are now finding spikes unnecessary.

The Pacific Crest Trail is now largely clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains, with the exception of a few areas described below. Miles 151 (Highway 74) to about Mile 175 are clear. Snow cover from Miles 175 (Red Tahquitz) to 177.7 (Chinquapin Flat) is about 30% with a very well-worn track. Snow cover is minimal between Miles 177.7 to Saddle Junction (about Mile 179). The south-facing slope of Miles 179-180 is clear, while from Mile 180 (elevation 8900 ft) to about Mile 181 just past Annie’s Junction snow cover has dropped dramatically in recent days to just 20%. Miles 181-184.5 are sun-exposed and clear. Snow cover increases around Mile 185 in the sheltered area near the Deer Springs crossing, but again there is a well-traveled boot track. Fuller Ridge (Miles 185.5-191) now averages just 20% snow cover, with Miles 186-186.5 and 187.5-188.3 in particular being sun-exposed and snow-free. Most hikers will find spikes are useful in places throughout this section, but they are not required as the track is well-defined with good steps. The trail is clear of snow from Mile 191 northwards.

Although the situation improved somewhat in 2024, treefall hazards remain a significant problem along parts of the Pacific Crest Trail, most notably between Antsell Rock and South Peak. About 60 trees are down across the trail between PCT Miles 170.5-174, with 37 of these, including several serious obstructions that make for slow-going, between Miles 172.5-174 (around and immediately south of South Peak). A further nine smaller obstructions are down from Miles 168.5-170.5 (Spitler Peak Trail to Zen Center Trail). Significant sections of Miles 168.5-175 are also badly overgrown with brush and are in urgent need of major trimming work. Further logging and trimming work is scheduled for this section in May and early June this year.

Devil’s Slide Trail [surveyed 4th May] is clear of snow.

The Wellman Trail [surveyed 4th May] is now almost snow-free, with just 20% snow cover confined to the forested 0.3 mile section immediately north of Annie’s Junction. Wellman’s Cienega is now unfrozen but flowing poorly for so early in the season.

The Peak Trail [surveyed 4th May] now averages only 10% snow cover, almost all of which is in the north-facing and sheltered section at 9900-10,100 ft that is always slow to clear in spring. Rocks around San Jacinto Peak [surveyed 4th May] are now functionally clear of snow and it is possible to ascend the Peak without stepping on snow patches.

The East Ridge Trail route [surveyed 4th May] to San Jacinto Peak starting at 10,400 ft near Miller Peak has cleared rapidly in recent days and has only 40% snow cover. The old trail can be seen and followed in places.

South Ridge Trail [surveyed 3rd May] is now clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak. South Ridge Road is lumpy but readily passable in any moderate clearance vehicle.

The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 177 and Tahquitz Peak [surveyed 3rd May] is now largely clear of snow and has a reliable boot track to follow through the remaining small snow patches. Some hikers may find spikes are still useful, but most are finding they are no longer required.

Spitler Peak Trail is clear of snow. Storms in February-March brought down another 34 trees across this trail. All but one were removed in late March, bringing to 162 the total number of trees removed by the Trail Report from this route in the past six years. A very large burned cedar remains which can be a little tricky to pass, next to the first crossing of Spitler Creek (3.2 miles up from the trailhead, 1.6 miles down from the PCT).

Marion Mountain Trail [surveyed 1st May] is clear of snow, with just a couple of limited patches of old icy snow remaining at the PCT junction.

Deer Springs Trail [surveyed 1st May] is almost entirely clear of snow up to 9200 ft (above the Fuller Ridge Trail junction) and is largely clear of snow to Little Round Valley. A few limited areas of extended icy snow patches remain, notably in the most sheltered areas either side of the Deer Springs crossing and again in the drainage of the North Fork of the San Jacinto River. Nevertheless the well-traveled track is easy to follow to Little Round Valley. In Little Round Valley, snow cover averages only 50%, most continuous in the central, most forested section. Above Little Round Valley the trail has only 20% snow cover, but can be tricky to follow, with large icy snow drifts in a few key places around switchbacks. Spikes remain useful at least for descending parts of upper Deer Springs Trail.

Seven Pines Trail [surveyed 24th April] is clear of snow to 8200 ft, with about 30% cover of soft snow drifts from there to the PCT/Deer Springs Trail. Seventeen downed trees were removed in April 2025, and significant progress made on removal of accumulated winter debris in the trail up to about 8000 ft (example photo below). The Trail Report “adopted” Seven Pines as a priority for maintenance work years ago due to a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues in the previous decade, with neither State Park nor Forest Service having shown significant interest in maintaining the route for many years. Since 2019 we have removed 92 downed trees and the trail is generally trimmed and cleared at least annually. About six trees remain to be cut above the current snow line to restore the original trail route, plus one very large recently downed tree lower down. Although our work has largely restored this trail, note that Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the wider, bare, obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains invaluable for those without considerable experience of hiking this trail. Also note the trail becomes most obscure in its uppermost mile – especially at present due to snow drifts – i.e. closest to the Deer Springs Trail/PCT junction.

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 potentially dangerously) described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails have been abandoned 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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, generally well maintained, and avoids the bushwhacking of the unmaintained 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 largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 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). One huge tree fell in late 2024 across the King Trail about midway down and requires a minor scramble underneath (that tree will not be cut soon), while another fell in January 2025 close to the bottom of the trail that is relatively easy to cross over. Another five recently downed trees were either removed or worked around in January 2025, when the trail was thoroughly trimmed and cleared. From Laws east to Caramba the original Caramba Trail has been cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My February 2025 survey counted about 120 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is extremely obscure for the first 0.5 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

In late 2024 Willow Creek Trail was nearing its 2020 condition, the last time the original trail route was fully cleared and passable. Four new trees came down on the Forest Service section in January, two of which are large and tricky for hikers to pass. In addition to trees being cut in 2024, whitethorn trimming was largely completed, mainly by volunteers, on the Forest Service side in late summer. On the State Park side localized trimming of the worst patches was undertaken in 2024, and the minor treefall hazards new in 2023/24 were removed, leaving just two major long term downed trees (both easy to pass for hikers).

The Zen Center Trail continues its serious deterioration that started following the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper thirds of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and a genuine enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.

While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small donations to help cover modest operating costs. Your contribution keeps 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.