Canyon Trail

This 8.34 mile round trip route (9.76 miles from the parking lot) descends gradually from the higher, cooler Mojave Desert habitat down the canyon to the warmer Colorado Desert climate and then returns via the same route. This trail is a favorite of many local hikers and horseback riders. Much of the trail follows a willow-lined stream, and while staying on the canyon floor, hikers gaze at the steep-sided and sometimes towering canyon walls. This trail is subject to the desert heat and can be extremely strenuous on the return trip. Carry plenty of water and allow sufficient time for the return trip.

Length: 8.34 miles (round trip) / 13.32 kilometers

Time: 5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate – Strenuous

  • Rugged canyon walls provide a glimpse at some of the oldest exposed rocks in California. Dated at almost two billion years, they consist of granite that has been altered by centuries of heat and pressure to form gneiss and schist.
  • Wild cucumbers provide an interesting and unusual sight along the trail.
  • Fremont Cottonwood trees provide a shady rest stop during the long trek through the canyon.
  • The trail down the Big Morongo Canyon reveals a wide variety of desert wildflowers clinging closely to the path.
  • For centuries, nomadic tribes used Big Morongo Canyon as an easy route between the high and low deserts.
  • This diverse landscape has been an important part of the Morongo Basin's natural and cultural history for almost two billion years.
  • When passing alongside a year-round stream and through the lush surroundings, it's easy to forget that you are actually standing in the middle of an arid desert.
  • The year-round water resource provides a much needed stopping point for migrating birds in the spring and fall and is essential to the survival of a wide variety of birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, and reptiles.