Top 4 Natural Monuments around Mountain Center

Great hike in beautiful scenery!

The San Jacinto Wilderness is one of a kind. At an elevation of 10,834 feet, San Jacinto Peak towers high above the California desert. You can hike plenty of trails including a section along the long distance Pacific Crest Trail. There is an emergency hut beneath the summit and close by even a restaurant and an aerial tramway station that gets you into Palm Springs. To camp out, you need a wilderness permit (available at Park Headquarters in Idyllwild and the Valley Ranger Station on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway side) for the area for 5 Dollars per person. If you have a longdistance permit for hiking the PCT, you do not have to obtain an additional permit. Here is some more information on that: parks.ca.gov/?page_id=636

After the climb, hikers are greeted with a large slab of granite with 360 views of the surrounding mountains. Swing by the San Jacinto Ranger Station office to grab a simple permit to hike.

This structure sits on Tahquitz Peak, at an elevation of 8,846 feet. The fire lookout was built in 1937, and is the highest lookout tower in the San Bernardino National Forest. It is maned by volunteers!

Apache Peak is just a short side trail and few feet in elevation from the Pacific Crest Trail. You will find a summit register and a gorgeous view at the top.

Tahquitz Peak is a great hiking destination with picture postcard views to the southeast and the Salton Sea. It got its name from a Native American legend saying that a demon wanted to possess the area. When the demon was killed, the spirit escaped and is now living in a cave in the San Jacinto Wilderness. San Bernadino National Forest operates the seasonal fire lookout at the summit of Tahquitz Peak which is mainly staffed by volunteers and is also the highest within the National Forest. The trail up to the mountain can be very dangerous in winter conditions, so bring proper gear. You need to obtain a free of charge wilderness permit from the Ranger Station in Idyllwild or call (909) 382-2921.

A side trail leads to Apache Spring that might be the only water source along the stretch. There is also a VERY sketchy part ahead of the PCT. Be sure to bring microspikes if you hike here in spring since the trail is likely to be icy. A hiker slipped in late March 2020 and died, so be extra careful.