For the 3-day MLK weekend, my hiking buddy (my mom) and I decided to visit Joshua Tree National Park. It would be my second time and her first time to this place, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from San Diego. I am not a desert person, but I thought it would be interesting for my mom to see the Joshua trees and the huge boulders. My two goals for the Sunday visit was Ryan Mountain and the Jumbo Rocks. The Ryan Mountain Trail is about a 3 mile round trip hike to the highest peak in the park. From the top there are 360 degree views of the area. And it’s a popular trail too.
View looking west from Ryan Mountain
There were many tourists, Boy Scouts, and rock climbers that day as it was a 3-day weekend and the weather was mild. After our visit to Ryan Mountain we drove to the Jumbo Rocks trailhead. We scrambled and hopped over huge boulders and took pictures of rock climbers. Overall, it was fun to explore a different type of terrain in Southern California.
Hiking Librarian 