Hike Indian Loop Trail at Pioneertown Mountains Preserve

In This Guide	Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions Parking for the Indian Loop Trail Insider Tips & Recommendations
Total Distance (?)	8 miles (12.9 km)
Hike Time	3-4 Hours (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Moderate
Total Ascent (?)	1,460 feet (445m)
Highest Elevation	5,541 feet (1689m)
Fees & Permits	Free
Dogs Allowed	Leashed
Alerts & Closures (?)	Pioneertown Mountains Preserve
Park Phone	760-369-7105
Weather & Forecast	Latest Conditions
Stay Safe	Copy this webpage link to the clipobard and share with a friend before you hike. Let them know when to expect you back.
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Pioneertown Mountains Preserve sits strategically between the high mountains and desert. It’s a unique and varied landscape, and the Indian Loop Trail takes you on a tour of everything it has to offer. You’ll climb to the 5,541-foot Chaparrosa Peak, wind through the foothills with views to the high peaks of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, and then descend through Pipes Canyon, along a critical watershed bringing life to the desert.

Where is the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve?

Pioneertown Mountains Preserve is just northwest of Joshua Tree National Park, and a few miles past the main drag of Pioneertown. Use this trailhead address:
51010 Pipes Canyon Road, Pioneertown, CA 92268

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 3 — Pipes Canyon Road is sand and doable by all vehicles.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 5 — Stay on the sand road until you reach the main parking area for the preserve.

Entry is free and donations are appreciated.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 6 — You can park in the first lot on the left.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 4 — If you need restrooms or water, continue to the end of the parking lot where the main building is.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 1 — There’s also a trail board at the end where you can pick up a map and make a donation.

You might see Pioneertown Mountains Preserve listed as Pipes Canyon Preserve. That was the original name here.

Gear For the Hike

This is a proper desert hike and you should be prepared accordingly. Bring enough water – 2L is smart for most conditions. In the summer it can get brutally hot here and you’ll probably want to time your hike for the cooler hours of the day.

Garmin InReach Mini 2
I’m a firm believer in carrying a satellite communications device which works where cell phones don’t. I use a Garmin InReach which lets me send text messages back and forth to my family to let them know that I’m okay or if my plans change when I’m out in the backcountry. It also has an SOS subscription built-in so that you can reach first-responders in an emergency. The devices also offer weather reports, GPS, and navigation functionality (what’s the difference between a GPS and satellite communicator?). For a few hundred bucks they could save your life, so for me it’s a no brainer to have something like a Garmin InReach. If you use a smartphone to navigate and want a more affordable option that integrates with your phone easily, check out the ZOLEO.
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Latest Prices: Amazon | REI

Altra Lone Peak 6
For most people, the Altra Lone Peak is a solid choice that will leave your feet feeling great at the end of any hike. The feel is cushy and light, and if it had a car equivalent, this would be a Cadillac or Mercedes Sedan. The grip is great and they’re reasonably durable for this type of trail runner, which I think is better in most conditions than a hiking boot, and here’s why. The downside of this shoe is that it won’t last as long as something like the Moab 2 (see alternate footwear choices at the bottom of my gear page). I’ve been using mine for many miles and my feet always feel great. I have a video on the details of the Altra Lone Peak 6 here.
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Women’s Latest Prices: REI | Amazon
Men’s Latest Prices: REI | Amazon

Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles
I’ve gone back and forth on trekking poles, but I think for most people they are a good investment. They help you dig in on the uphills, provide stability on loose downhills, act as a brace when crossing streams, and can probably poke away aggressive wildlife in a pinch. The Trail Ergo Cork poles are a good balance of light weight, durability, affordability, and ease of use. If you want something ultralight and a little more pricey, I’ve had great luck with the Black Diamond Z Poles too.
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Trail Ergo Poles: REI | Amazon
Z-Poles: REI | Amazon

Gregory Zulu 30 & Jade 28
After testing quite a few backpacks, the Gregory Zulu 30 (and Jade 28 for women) is, for most hikers, the best all-season day-pack. First off, it’s very comfortable, and the mesh “trampoline” back keeps your back dry. Its 30L capacity is enough for all the essentials and plenty of layers for winter hiking. External pockets make it easy to grab gear. It’s hard to find something wrong with the pack; if anything, it could be a bit lighter, but overall, it’s not heavy. And its price-point makes it not only affordable but generally a great value.
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Women’s Latest Prices: REI | Amazon
Men’s Latest Prices: REI | Amazon

Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend, updated May 2022.

My May 2022 Top Gear Picks

No company pays me to promote or push a product, all the gear you see here is gear I use and recommend. If you click an a link and buy gear, I get a small commission that helps keep the website ad and promotion free. There is no cost to you.

Indian Loop Trail Maps

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 2 — The trail is well marked throughout the loop with markers like this.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

If you try to download the GPX file and your browser adds a “.txt” or “.xml” extension to it, simply rename it as a “.gpx” file.

How Are You Going to Navigate This Hike?
Here’s what I use. If you are a hardcore hiker and/or hike in extreme conditions, I recommend getting a dedicated GPS like a GPSMAP 66sr or 66i, or a wrist-based GPS with maps like the Garmin Fenix 7 or Epix. If you only hike in fair weather and a touchscreen is fine, or just want a solid tool, I highly recommend downloading the smartphone app, Gaia GPS. It’s a piece of cake to use and very powerful, just make sure your phone is in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get a big discount here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

To access this guide when out of cell phone range on the trail, simply save the webpage on your phone ( iPhone – Android ).

Elevation Profile

Hike Indian Loop Trail At Pioneertown Mountains Preserve Elevation — There’s a gentle climb up to Chaparrosa Peak, then a rolling middle section, and then a nice long and gradual descent down Pipes Canyon.

3D Map

Hike Brief

La Times Sawtooth Fire — Before the Sawtooth Complex Fire in 2006, the area you are hiking through looked much different, with Joshua Trees and pines.

The area around the Indian Loop Trail was 90% destroyed by the Sawtooth Complex Fire, started by lightning and spread rapidly by very dry conditions. Before the fire the preserve was full of Joshua Trees, old-growth California Juniper, and pinyon pines, some over 1,000 years old. The area has recovered from the fire, but it’s believed that many of the species once found here won’t reappear because of climate change.
The Wildlands Conservancy (TWC) got its start here. Originally this land was home to a car dealership, and when it went out of business, the area became a haven for trouble. Poachers hunted illegally, automatic weapons were shot, ATVs ripped up and down Pipes Canyon, and drug use was pervasive. Two local brothers, fed up with land being ruined, put an ad in the LA Times for “to conservation-minded buyers only,” and from there the Conservancy got its start. Today TWC owns and operates California’s largest nonprofit nature preserve system, and Pioneertown Mountains Preserve is the largest nonprofit-owned wilderness in California. This private entity relies on donations to protect land, so please consider giving a little something.
Before recent climate changes, Pipe Wash (creek) flowed regularly and fully. At the end of the canyon, close to the parking area, you could find a large pond fed by the creek, known to the locals as Yucca Beach. Today the creek doesn’t provide enough flow for the natural pond.
Pipes Canyon Road used to extend past the visitors center and connected with the mountains by Big Bear. The route was popular way with Native peoples, and then with pioneers, and in modern times became the 29 Palms National Historic Trail. When the TWC purchased the land, they removed the road, and locals started a campaign to reopen it. The locals lost the fight, and today as you hike in the canyon, you would never know that cars once drove through the wilderness here.
You can still see Pipes Canyon Road shown on this 1996 USGS topographic map. The road still exists in San Bernardino National Forest, and you can see it on a hike by Onyx Peak. There was also a campground that you can see here.
The Sand to Snow National Monument was inspired by the TWC’s efforts to provide wilderness corridors between the mountains and the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. And although Pioneertown Mountains Preserve is not officially part of the monument because it’s privately owned, it borders the Monument and is effectively part of it. Sand to Snow is the most biodiverse of all the monuments in the United States.
On this hike you’ll experience the biodiversity illustrated in this StS Monument sign: green riparian creekside, sandy foothills, and high mountain peaks.

XX Hike Directions

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Video Directions

Turn by Turn Directions

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 7 — Go up the road and to the left from the first parking area. We’re going to start on the Chaparrosa Trail.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 8 — Hike up to the upper parking lot after the turn.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 9 — Go to the end of the parking lot on the left.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 10 — And look for the trailhead through the fence.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 11 — Sign the register before you head on the trail.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 12 — And then you’ll see the big sign announcing the official start of the Chaparrosa Trail.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 14 — The trail is easy to follow as it rolls in and out of washes, and there are a good amount of trail markers.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 13 — Off to your left are the dramatic Sawtooths.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 15 — The trail starts to follow the wash uphill.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 16 — You’ll pass a blocked off junction, which was the older routing of this trail.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 17 — Keep following the trail markers up the wash.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 18 — And then you start climbing up switchbacks.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 19 — You’ll start to get views into the San Gorgonio Wilderness’s lower peaks. The three peaks in the distance are the Three Sisters Peaks, about 7600 or so feet high.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 20 — At around 1.5 miles you reach a ridge.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 21 — To the south are the high peaks in Joshua Tree National Park.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 22 — And you’ll pass the junction with the closed part of the trail we saw earlier.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 23 — If you look back to the east as climb, you can see Flat Top Mesa.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 24 — And in the distance beyond that is Granite Peak in Mojave National Preserve.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 25 — And you get more great views of the Sawtooths as you climb.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 26 — In front of you the higher mountains toward Big Bear come into view. The highest peak on the right is Onyx Peak, which you can hike up.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 27 — Now the trail flattens out and you have a stretch through the desert scrub.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 28 — And at about 2.3 miles in you hit the junction to the Chaparrosa Peak Spur. Make the left to continue up to the peak.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 29 — The trail is a little more primitive, but is easy to follow, again going in and out of washes as it climbs.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 30 — When you hit the ridge you’ll see Chaparrosa Peak in front of you.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 31 — And here you are at the summit of Chaparrosa Peak, with the peaks around Big Bear in front of you.

Chaparro (Chapparal) is Spanish for “Scrub Oak” and the suffix of “osa” implies that the peak was dense with scrub.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 32 — There’s a survey benchmark at the summit, placed here in 1939.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 33 — And you can see south to San Jacinto.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 34 — And east to Onyx Peak.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 35 — When you’re done, head back down to the last junction, enjoying the views into the Sawtooths.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 36 — And then make the left, back onto the loop.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 37 — Now we’re on the Indian Springs Trail, which rolls up and down for the next mile or so, offering views along the way.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 38 — And then at about 5 miles in, the trail turns east into a steep canyon.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 39 — You’ll descend through the steep upper reaches of the canyon.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 40 — And you’ll still have the trail markers to help along the way.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 41 — When the narrow canyon joins the big wash, make the right to start the Pipes Canyon Trail.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 42 — From here to the end we have a nice cruise down Pipes Canyon.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 43 — As you approach the creek (Pipes Wash), the area becomes lush with vegetation, most of which has appeared since the Sawtooth Fire in 2006.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 44 — It’s fun to walk through the tunnels when the vegetation gets dense.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 45 — You’ll cross Pipes Wash several times on the way back.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 46 — At around 6 miles in you’ll reach a short spur to the Olsen Ruins.

Pioneertown Mountains Indian Loop Directions 47 — You can explore the ruins of the Olsen ruins. The structures were built in 1938.

Who was Olsen? Actually it’s John Olson, and he was a Swede who lived here from the 1920s, mining onyx. He was tragically murdered in 1945 by an Army deserter who he took in. There’s a quaint description of life at the cabin in this old article.