Mt. San Jacinto Peak from Humber Park

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This is one of the easier (but still hard enough) ways to reach the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. The route can be done as a day hike or run, out-and-back.

Parking at Humber Park requires an Adventure Pass or a National Parks Card that can be purchased at numerous locations in Idyllwild. Devil's Slide Trail requires a free day hiking permit; it can be obtained at e.g. the San Jacinto Ranger Station (54270 Pine Crest Ave, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549) which as of May 2022 is marked on Google maps as "temporarily closed" but self-issued permits are available 24/7 outside of the building. Additional places to get the permit can be found at parks.ca.gov/?page_id=636. The number of available permits for Devil's Slide Trail is limited on Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

The route starts at the Humber Park (elev. 6,433 ft.). From there, the Devil's Slide Trail leads to the Saddle Junction (elev. 8,087 ft.) through a light forest; the trail is well maintained with a reasonably steep incline and provides breathtaking views of both the Tahquitz/Lily Rock above and the Suicide Rock across the valley. From there, take a left; after an estimated 1.54 mi you'll come to the PCT junction (elev. 8,995 ft). There is a slight downhill after that for about half a mile, followed by another 1.1 mi climb to the Wellman Divide (elev. 9,700 ft., here the route merges with the Cactus to Clouds Route).

The sign at Wellman Divide indicates 2.7 mi to the Mt. San Jacinto peak, but GPS suggests it's no more than 2.4 mi. The next 2.1 mi to the San Jacinto Peak Loop junction (elev. 10,410 ft.) are a steep climb with lots of granite boulders; you can see the Palm Springs Tramway Station from this segment of the route. The last 0.3 mi to the Mt. San Jacinto Summit (elev. ~10,800 ft.) are similar terrain except for the very final hundred feet or so, you'll have to use your hands on those. The views from the summit are breathtaking.

Oak trees closer at lower elevations, pine trees higher up; pine trees get progressively shorter with increasing elevation but never disappear.