Sunset Rocks Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Features Cave · Views

You can get to the trailhead with a car, but take it slow, as the road isn't great. From Olathe, take Falcon Road which dumps you on to Peach Valley Road. Once you pass the campground, continue until you see the Charkar Road turnoff to the right. Stay on this for about 15-20 minutes until you see the Sunset Rocks Trailhead. It is clearly marked and sits off to the left of the road.

This is an "odd lollipop". You begin in the parking lot which is labeled Sunset Rocks and head up to the mesa top almost instantly. Then you go for about a mile on the Sunset Rocks Alternate Trail where you hit a T intersection, turn right and go all the way to Sidewinder Trail junction, where you'll return back the way you came until you get back to the T intersection. This time you'll go straight and will wind up just down the road from the trailhead after about a half a mile. If you look at the map it looks like a traditional lollipop but in this case, you hike half the lollipop then up and down the stick and back to circle the half of the lollipop. (Hence, my earlier statement calling it weird.)

Very soon after you begin, you'll come to a fork in the road, if you veer left you'll head down to a cool cave, just off the trail. It is worth the pitstop. Then you head back to fork and carry on your way.

This trail is not used very often so letting your dog off leash should be pretty easy to do. You may encounter bikers so be mindful of that.

Lastly, this trail will get wicked hot in the summer so be prepared. However, this same climate that bakes it in the summer turns it into a great shoulder season hike!

Juniper