Cactus to Clouds Hike
| In This Guide |
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| Distance | 21 miles (33.8 km) |
| Hike Time | 13 - 16 Hours (Total) |
| Difficulty | Very Hard |
| Total Ascent (?) | 10,800 feet (3292m) |
| Highest Elevation | 10,833 feet (3302m) |
| Fees & Permits | Tram Fee & Free Permit |
| Dog Friendly | No |
| Park Website | Mount San Jacinto State Park |
| Park Phone | 951-659-2607 |
The Cactus to Clouds hike is epic. It was rated one of the hardest day hikes in the world by Backpack Magazine. You start in downtown Palm Springs and climb over 10,000 feet to the summit of Mt San Jacinto, with a large stretch on the treacherous Skyline Trail. The Cactus to Clouds hike should only be attempted by the very experienced and very fit hiker, and only under the right conditions. This guide gives you all the info you need to do this incredible hike safely.
When to Hike Cactus to Clouds
The Cactus to Clouds hike is popular, especially with Southern California hikers, but it isn’t a hike you just show up and do. It’s a hike that you need to prepare for, and then you do it only when the conditions are right.
Because there are extremes at both ends of the weather spectrum (alpine and desert climates), timing your Cactus to Clouds hike is a bit of an art. Use the list below as a rough guide. Always check the local conditions before making any decisions. You’ll want to check the weather for Palm Springs (the start of the hike) and San Jacinto Peak (the end of the hike).
- October – Generally this is your best bet. The desert is cool enough to survive in, and there’s probably no snow on the summit. Late September and early November can be favorable too.
- November to April – Doing Cactus to Clouds in the winter should only be done if are very experienced in winter / ice hiking. After the first snow, the melt/freeze cycle will coat much of the trail in ice. This comes into play when ascending the Traverse, where the gradient can go up to 50%. You will need ice axes and crampons / micro-spikes. Winter temperatures on the summit can be -10F. Conditions start getting better in March and April.
- May – Another good window, similar to October. Ususally the snows have melted and temperatures are still cool. Even if the summit looks clear of snow, there may still be snow and ice on the shady portions of the hike.
- June to September – The majority of rescues and deaths happen in the summer, when the high’s can be around 110-120F. The park rangers strongly recommend NOT doing your hike during this time.
The best (and maybe the only) way to do Cactus to Clouds is to start before dawn. For example, on this trip report, I started at 1am. The idea is that you hike the desert in the cooler nighttime hours, and get to a high (and cool) enough altitude by the time the sun rises. Look at the weather reports and calculate roughly 5F drop in temperature per 1000 feet climbed. Do the math to figure out a rough start time.
To determine the best time to leave, look at an hourly weather forecast for Palm Springs and the summit. Figure out your slowest pace, and estimate where you’ll be at each hour and temperature. Treat it as a rough guide, knowing things can change and you may need to change your plans.
One last note on timing. Keep an eye on the Palm Springs daily high and low temperatures. Even if you leave in October, the temperatures can be higher than normal, in which case you should consider another day. Look at the hourly forecast and estimate where you’ll be at every hour.
Training for Cactus to Clouds
The Cactus to Clouds hike is steep and long, there’s no getting around it. You need to get used to climbing for 10-13 hours straight. I would recommend these hikes as preparation for hiking Cactus to Clouds.
Gear For the Hike
To start, bring extra water. There are no water sources on the hike before Long Valley. I brought 6 liters of water (3 liters in my daypack, and then 2×1.5 liter bottles), and that seemed to do the trick. I also refilled at the Long Valley Ranger Station just in case. Another option for water is the tram station, but it will take you off the hike. Don’t count on any water sources along the hike being available. In the summer, or during a drought, many sources are dry.
Some folks also bring a bottle of Gatorade. Sugar, electrolytes, water, it can’t hurt.
I also bring two small water bottles to leave at the rescue boxes. See the directions below for more info.
Trekking poles help on the climb, and I think they’re good in preventing a snake bite as well, since the pole will land ahead of your foot. Snakes are active at night here. Just tread carefully and you’ll be fine.
Bring lots of snacks. I tried to eat a ProBar every 1.5-2 hours. The combination of heat, effort, and altitude will generally kill your appetite, but you need to eat if you want energy. I took some energy gels too, which are easier than solid foods to get down. I made sure I popped a few gels when I got to Flat Rock, and that helped on the last 2, very tough, miles up to Long Valley. You will probably burn about 4,000-6,000 calories on this hike.
If you are doing Cactus to Clouds in a transitional month, make sure you bring layers and clothing for an alpine climate at the summit. Palm Springs can be hot and sunny, and the San Jacinto Peak can be in blizzard conditions at the same time. You need to be prepared. Even during the summer, the peak can have strong winds and cold temperatures. There might also be ice and snow on the upper portions of the Skyline Trail, so micro-spikes and trekking poles are a good move.
Another quick tip, have extra batteries for your headlamp handy in your pack. Most headlamps are LED and last a long time, but just in case they die, you don’t want to be fumbling for batteries in the pitch dark.
Lastly, have some way to signal for help. I had 2 emergency beacons and multiple GPS units. I had plenty of survival gear, including a tarp for shade and shelter, a mirror, whistle, fire starters, and some other miscellaneous gear. Prepare for the worst.
I would read this article about some tragedies that occurred on the Cactus to Clouds hike before you start. It will certainly sober you up and will put your plans into perspective. Even if you feel 100% confident that you can complete this hike, make sure you have contingency and backup plans in place.
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My best lightweight pack for hikes between 3-10+ hours. I use mine with the 3L water bladder from Osprey.
You can text, SOS, and get weather in the backcountry where your cell phone doesn’t work. Literally a life-saver.
Modern materials mean you get the protection of a traditional hiking boot (waterproof, etc.) with feel of a sneaker.
If you’re not using poles yet, you should be. This model takes a beating, is light, and is super comfortable.
I use a light inner toe sock and then a top-quality outer sock to prevent blisters.
Joby tripods attach to anything. The legs are adjustable and grippy, so you can put them on trees, packs, rocks, whatever. And they work like regular tripods too. Works with everything from smartphones to DSLRs.
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Gear For Off the Trail
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Getting to the Trailhead
Read this section carefully. Cactus to Clouds is a point to point hike, so there are some more advanced logistics involved.
The start of the hike is here: 101 N Museum Dr, Palm Springs, CA, 92262, USA.
The trailhead is within walking distance to many downtown Palm Springs hotels. If you want to stay for the weekend, you can walk from your hotel to the trail, do the hike, and then head back to your hotel for a warm (or cold) shower.
When you park, do not park in the Art Museum parking lot, or in the covered lot across the street, which has a 4 hour maximum time limit. Park on the street next to the garage and lot, which is free.
The Cactus to Clouds hike doesn’t finish at the starting trailhead. After the hike climbs to San Jacinto Peak, it then heads back down to the Palm Springs Arial Tramway station (see the below for details). The station has food and drinks, including booze. If you’re in the mood, it’s a nice place for a post-hike celebration.
Once there, you can buy a one-way tram ticket back down the mountain in the gift shop at the tram station. They take credit cards and cash.
Check the tram website to see when the last tram down leaves. Also, the tram occasionally closes for maintenance. It’s very, very, very, very important to check the tram site. Avoid a forced C2C2C or an overnight on the station floor.
At the bottom of the tram ride it’s an inexpensive Uber ride back to the Palm Springs Art Museum. There is no cell reception at the tram station, but they do have free wifi to connect and call a car (inside only). You can also ask the guest services desk at the tram station to call you a taxi.
Cactus to Clouds Trail Maps
This guide covers the most popular routing on Cactus to Clouds, using the Museum and Skyline trails. There are other routes, like the North Lykken Trail. Leave the tougher, more obscure trails for the next time.
The Skyline Trail (the portion of the hike until you get to Long Valley) is not an officially sanctioned trail by any park service. It is recognized as a cross-country route by authorities and public access is allowed. According to the official topographic map, the lower parts of the hike are on the Aqua Caliente Indian Reservation. The Skyline Trail is entirely maintained by local hikers.
The history of the Skyline Trail is murky. Some say it was a Cahuilla Indian trail, others say it was started by the CCC in the 1930s and abandoned. The modern day Cactus to Clouds hike started in 1991 when members of the Coachella Valley Hiking Club revived the trail and started leading hikes there.
Cactus to Clouds Hike Map Downloads
Breakdown of Cactus to Clouds Sections
It helps to mentally break the hike into sections and tackle one at a time. Here’s the skinny. Distances are approximate and will change depend on how many wrong turns you make (if any). I’ve seen some mileage charts online that had different (and lower) milage values. Take them with a grain as salt and use it as a rough guide.
- Palm Springs Art Museum Trailhead (470 ft)
- Picnic Tables (0.8 miles, 1,340 ft)
- Rescue Box 1 (2.6 miles, 2,340 ft)
- 4,300 ft Rocks (5.1 miles, 4,400 ft)
- Rescue Box 2 (7.4 miles, 5,400 ft)
- Flat Rock (8.4 miles, 5,900 ft)
- Start of Traverse (9.5 miles, 7,400 ft)
- Grubb’s Notch – entrance to Long Valley (10.5 miles, 8,400 feet)
- Long Valley Ranger Station (10.8 miles, 8,400 feet)
- Round Valley Campground (12.3 miles, 9,400 feet)
- Wellman Divide (13.1 miles, 9,700 feet)
- San Jacinto Peak (16 miles, 10,834 feet)
- Tram Station (21 miles, 8,400 feet)
Some folks hike all the way back down to Palm Springs, but as you can imagine, it’s extremely tough, long, and has most of the white blazes facing the other way. This is called he C2C2C. Save it for the day that the normal C2C is too easy for you.
The Point of No Return
Hopefully you read the article about deaths on Cactus to Clouds and fully understand that you can easily die if you make poor choices and/or have bad luck. Even if you’re planned and timed your Cactus to Clouds hike perfectly, sometimes we all have bad days.
You need to do some assessments on your condition in the first few miles. Check in with yourself at the picnic tables, and then at Rescue 1. If you’re feeling tired or have doubts, you need to turn around. I would say that in ideal conditions, after Rescue 1, you need to be 100% committed to hiking up to Long Valley. In hot conditions, I would make that call at the picnic tables. After that point you should NOT turn around and hike down through the heat. Continue up to Long Valley no matter what. A common thread in deaths and rescues is turning around (and maybe getting lost on the way down).
If you need to take water from a rescue box, do it and contact the Coachella Valley Hiking Club afterwards to let them know. There is zero room for mistakes here. Be confident in your fitness and your route before you start.
Getting lost or too tired to continue can mean death. This is real.
Skyline Trail Navigation Tips
The first part of Cactus to Clouds is on the Skyline Trail, normally hiked in the dark, can be challenging to follow. Hiking with a headlamp puts your focus right in front of you. The peripheral vision that you use to recognize a twist or turn on the trail is just not there. Here’s how to make sure you’re on the right trail.
- Local hikers have done a great job of blazing the trail with white dots. I’ve read that there are many “false” white dots, but I didn’t encounter any. When in doubt, head up and look for the white blaze. The white blazes fade over time, and might be lighter or stronger than you see in these pictures. Have a few GPS options to cross-check your position.
The white blazes on rocks along the trail are pretty easy to spot with a headlamp. - Looking for bootprints is a great way to figure out which trail is correct. In general, if you stick with the path that has the most bootprints, you should be in the right place.
- If the trail stars to fizzle out and grow overgrown, it’s best to head back and look for a turn or switchback that you may have missed. There are a few sections where the trail goes through shrubs, but it only occurs a few times.
Here’s an example of a bush growing over the trail. There’s not many of these. To confirm that you’re on the trail, hike through the brush and see if you still see footprints and a well worn path. If not, backtrack and find the trail. - At some point the Skyline Trail splits and comes back together later. Look at the map and know where these sections are. My GPX file generally follows the less steep option.
- Incorrect side trails are often cordoned off to help you stay on the main Skyline Trail.
Branches and rocks block off a trail shortcut. - Similarly, some sections of the Skyline Trail are marked by a line of stones.
This line of stones helps, especially at night with a headlamp. - Generally I don’t rely on digital maps, but at night they really came in handy. I had the GPX file loaded on my GPS and iPhone. Periodically I would check both to make sure I was on the trail. And if the trail fizzled out, I’d also check the GPS. Not a method I would rely on, but it was helpful.
Here I am checking my GPS against a pre-loaded GPX file. Looks like I missed the split that I wanted to take. - If you have time in the evening before your hike, I’d recommend hiking the first mile to the picnic tables and back with sunlight so you can familiar with the trail. This will make the beginning of the hike in the early morning less intimidating.
- It can help to have a punch sheet and timetable together to help keep the important details of the hike close at hand. Thanks to reader Brian C there are a couple of templates that you can use here:
- C2C-plan (Word doc)
- C2C-timetable (Excel doc)
Cactus to Clouds Hike Directions
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Note: Apologies for the blurriness of some of these photos. The camera was on the wrong setting for the darkness. The first photos were done in twilight to make the starting directions a little easier. It’ll switch to darkness eventually.
The following images pick up from the night,
If you are cooked at this point, there is no shame in taking the tram back down and calling it a day. You can bail out here by making the right at the next junction and heading to the tram, skipping the portion to San Jacinto Peak. If you do continue on, just remember that you still have 11 miles of hiking left to complete.
Did something change on this hike? If so, please contact me and let me know. I'll update the guide.
If you see trash on the trail, please pick it up and carry it out. Be a good egg and practice no trace principles.
