Pine City Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Views · Wildlife

Visitors of Joshua Tree National Park come prepared to experience the desert, and this trail is a perfect way to get up close to some desert navigation. The trail begins from the Pine City Backcountry Registration, where there is ample parking. From there, you'll begin your northeasterly journey on the trail, which will be fairly obvious from the parking area.

As you set out, be sure to take in the desert scenery around you. Joshua Trees line the trails, and this is a perfect opportunity to observe these specially adapted desert organisms. The trail will briefly merge with a sandy wash, and the soft sand only compounds the desert hiking experience.

As hikers near the end of the trail, the grade will increase slightly, and rugged terrain will appear on the horizon. Boulders, canyons and rock gardens will all dominate the views. The end of the route is hard to miss. An "End of Maintained Trails" sign marks the edge of the trail, but hikers can continue on various social trails. The going from here gets pretty rough, and most will head back to the trailhead from the sign.

Bighorn sheep are drawn to the area, in addition to common Joshua Tree flora such as cacti, Joshua trees, and Pinyon Pine.