Art Smith Trail Guide
In This Guide |
|
Total Distance (?) | 16.6 miles (26.7 km) |
Other Options | 6 miles roundtrip to first oasis |
Hike Time | 6-8 Hours (Total) |
Difficulty (?) | Hard |
Total Ascent (?) | 3,700 feet (1128m) |
Highest Elevation | 2,480 feet (756m) |
Fees & Permits | Free |
Dogs Allowed | No |
Alerts & Closures (?) | Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument |
Park Phone | 760-862-9984 |
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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The Art Smith Trail offers a skillfully routed hike through the desert foothills, making you feel like you are many miles away from civilization. Referenced to by the Forest Service as “truly one of the signature trails in the (Santa Rosa & San Jacinto) National Monument,” the Art Smith Trail features palm oases, dramatic rock formations, sweeping views, and unlike many other foothill hikes in the area, some solitude. There’s climbing, but it’s not too steep, and it’s spread over a more extended series of ups and downs, making it a good workout without extreme gradients.
Where is the Art Smith Trail?
There is a nice big parking lot for the Art Smith Trail located here:
Art Smith Trailhead, Roy Wilson Memorial Hwy, Palm Desert, CA 92260


There are no bathrooms or water fills at the trailhead or on the trail.
Gear For the Hike
This is a full-on desert hike. There is no shade. Prepare for the conditions and wear sun protection. In the warmer months, this trail is a non-starter. Bring at least 3L of water for the full hike. Trekking poles will be fine if you’re used to them, but otherwise, don’t go out of your way to use them. The slopes are pretty easy to go up and down without slipping.
Art Smith Trail Maps


One thing to note is how cleverly built this trail is. For most of the route you are only a couple of miles away from the development in the Palm Desert Area, but because of how this trail is routed, you rarely see or hear it. It feels like you are much deeper into the desert than you actually are.
Explore Map on CalTopoView a Printable PDF Hike MapDownload the Hike GPX File
Elevation Profile

3D Map

Who is Art Smith?

In the beginning, the Desert Riders simply road wherever they wanted. But as the Coachella Valley became more developed, they realized the need for conservation and started collecting dues to build and maintain trails. It was one of the country’s earliest and most successful private trail development projects.
Art Smith, who was considered “trail boss” after 30 years at the club, founded the Desert Riders Trail Foundation in 1972. This nonprofit trust for trail preservation and building focused on making the trails accessible to not only horses, but also hikers. The Desert Riders have created 28 trails in total, many of them adaptations of native Cahuilla footways. Today, having laid the groundwork for this world-class trail system, the Desert Riders have bowed out of the trail building game and have left it up to the various local, state, and federal park and land organizations.
And if you look at the names of trails in the Palm Springs area, most of them bear names of Desert Rider club members like Clara Burgess, Earl Coffman, and Carl Lykken. This trail, which the Forest Service calls “one of the signature trails,” is named after the master trail-builder himself, Art Smith.
Art Smith Trail Hike Directions
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Video Directions
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Turn by Turn Directions








The Art Smith Trail has a reputation as a good place to spot the local endangered peninsular bighorn sheep.










If you’re doing the shorter hike, you can enjoy the palms and just return back the way you came from here.
















Dunn Road is named after Michael Dunn, who tried to skirt federal land to build a shortcut between Palm Spring and Rt 74. The bulldozer you see in ruins was his, abandoned after a long fight against the government and environmentalists.

This guide last updated on April 24, 2022. Did something change on this hike? If so, please contact me and let me know. I'll update the guide.