A local's favorite, the Tim's Ladder Trail offers a rugged adventure into the hills of the northern Coachella Valley. Along the way, you'll encounter a monument built by a local artisan. Then, you'll enter the Joshua Tree National Park backcountry and finish with a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the Little San Bernardino Mountains. And 2000 feet of climbing in under 3 miles means that you'll earn the views.
There's no official trailhead for the hike, but parking and starting the hike are easy enough. If you can enter latitude and longitude into your driving GPS, use this trailheads address: 33.904815, -116.362112
This is a rugged hike in the desert. In the summer and when temperatures are high, doing Tim's Ladder is not an option and can be deadly. When temperatures are safe, I bring about 2L of water and sun protection. Trekking poles are also a must on some of the steep slopes. Lastly, having a GPS with this trail's GPX track loaded will be helpful. The trails are unofficial use trails, and are generally easy to follow, but having access to the GPX track will resolve any confusion.
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The land you are hiking on is owned by the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, a state agency created in 1991 to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Coachella Valley. It would be great if the Friends of the Desert Mountains would mark this trail at some point, it's a great area.
The monument you pass on the hike was created by Din Kossova, who lives at Sky Valley, to commemorate the founding of the modern Albanian state in 1920, largely through the efforts of Woodrow Wilson. Originally he built another monument, unknowingly just inside the (then unmarked) boundary of Joshua Tree National Park. When the park found it, they (pretty harshly) fined Kossova and blew up the monument. The video about it on the Desert Sun site is worth watching if you're interested.
You'll cross into Joshua Tree National Park, but you don't need any special entrance fees or permits to day hike here.
From here, head back the way you came. When you approach the monument, pick up the directions below to descend on the loop route.
Need More Info?
Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.
When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.