The Cross Hike (Palm Desert)

In This Guide	Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions to The Cross Parking For The Cross Hike in Palm Desert Insider Tips and Recommendations for the Hike
Total Distance	2.4 miles (3.9 km)
Hike Time	1-2 Hours (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Moderate
Total Ascent (?)	770 feet (235m)
Highest Elevation	1,050 feet (320m)
Fees & Permits	Free
Dogs Allowed	Leashed
Alerts & Closures (?)	Palm Desert Parks & Recreation
Park Phone	760-776-6481

The Cross Hike in Palm Desert is a great out-and-back hike for all levels. You’ll hike through classic desert hill terrain to reach the cross, standing 30 feet tall on the hilltop, a religious experience for some and a fun destination for all. Whatever you believe, the views from the top are great, and the workout is a good one. This hike is a local favorite for a quick hiking fix.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert Address

There’s plenty of free parking at the trailhead in Cap Homme and Ralph Adams Park. Use this address:
72500 Thrush Rd, Palm Desert, CA 92260

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 2 — When you get to the park entrance and sign, make the right and drive down to the parking area.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 3 — The parking lot is big. Park towards the end, which is where the trail starts.

Gear for the Hike

You don’t need any special gear to do the Cross Hike, and fitness gear works well. Good footwear and trekking poles will help on the steep sections. The main thing here is the desert environment – bring at least 1L of water and avoid the day and year’s hotter times. There is no shade on the hike. There is no shade on the hike.

The Best All-Around Hiking Footwear
For most hikers, a hiking shoe is the great choice, and the Moab 2 is a winner. The ventilation is great, they last forever, offer good protection, and have a solid grip. There are sizing options for everyone’s foot in this really comfortable and reliable shoe. This shoe is also a favorite of thru-hikers. The only downside is that they are a little heavy. If you are looking for something more aggressive or lighter, check out the bottom of my gear page.
Latest Price on Women’s Shoe – REI | Amazon
Latest Price on Men’s Shoe – REI | Amazon

Stay Safe Out of Cell Phone Range
If you’re not familiar with the Garmin InReach technology, it allows you to send and receive text messages where you don’t have cell phone signals. You can also get weather reports and trigger an SOS to emergency responders. Even if you don’t have an emergency, sending a quick message telling a loved one that you’re okay or are running late is well worth the cost. The Garmin InReach Mini (REI | Amazon | My Review) fits in your palm and weighs next to nothing.

Gaia GPS Mapping App
Smartphones are not backcountry instruments, but almost everyone has one today. And they all have GPS onboard. So I recommend getting a good GPS hiking app like Gaia GPS that supports offline maps. Just make sure to put your phone in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. GaiaGPS not only has smartphone and tablet apps, but also an online planning tool. You can drag the GPX hike tracks from my (or any) guides into the online map and they will sync to your phone. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get up to 40% off here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend, updated April 2021.

My April 2021 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 offset website expenses. There is no cost to you.

Palm Desert Cross Trail Maps

The nice thing about this hike is that you can see the cross for most of the way, making navigating straightforward. You’ll be starting on the Homestead Trail, and then heading onto the Hopalong Cassidy Trail. I’ll show you how to do it later, but for now, here are the trail maps.

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?
To start, you should always have a paper map and compass. And it helps to print this guide out or save it on your phone. I highly recommend a GPS as well. I use the Garmin Fenix 6 Smart GPS watch ( REI | Amazon | My Review) with maps (or the more affordable Garmin Instinct). The GPS smartwatch is nice because it’s rugged, works if your phone dies, and also has a billion other features like sleep tracking, workout recording, etc.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 1 — There are handy trail signs along the way. Look for “The Cross Loop.”

Elevation Profile

Palm Desert Cross Hike Elevation — There’s a few dips, but otherwise it’s a straight up and straight down affair. Also note that there is no shade on the hike.

3D Map

What Is The Cross in Palm Desert?

College of the Desert students erected the original cross during the 1981 Christmas season.
St Margaret’s Episcopal Church, which you may have passed on your way to the trailhead, maintains the cross, and sometimes has services there.
In 1996 the current cross was erected, standing 30 feet high by 16 feet wide. Eagle Scouts laid underground wiring to light the cross.
People leave stones with inscriptions at the base. Please don’t leave anything there, and if you really need to, make sure that the local endangered peninsular bighorn sheep can’t eat it. They will eat paper, plastic, basically anything that isn’t rock, and could potentially die.

The Cross Hike Directions

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Video Directions

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Turn by Turn Directions

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 4 — Look for the gap in the fence at the far end of the parking lot, and walk straight through along the well-worn path to the hillside.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 5 — On the far right you’ll notice a pavilion and interpretive display. The display has the Hopalong’s Creed on it. We’ll be hiking on the Hopalong Trail later.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 7 — Here’s the pavilion and water fountain.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 6 — Otherwise go straight and you’ll see the trail climbing up ahead to the right.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 8 — As you get closer you’ll see a sign for the Homestead Trail. Hike uphill to the right.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 9 — Start hiking uphill.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 10 — Soon you’ll reach a shaded pavilion. The trail continues to the left.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 11 — From the pavilion there are some short, steep switchbacks to climb.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 12 — And then you reach the ridge and can see the trail stretch out in front of you.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 13 — Avoid the side trails to the left and keep heading up toward the cross.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 15 — You’ll be able to see the cross up to your left as you hike.

The Cross Hike Palm Desert 14 — At the intersection, bear left to continue to the cross. You’re now on the Hopalong Cassidy Trail.

Hopalong Cassidy was a fictional cowboy character that first came to life in 1904 through short stories, then on films, and then on a popular television show in the 1950s. The television character was played by William Boyd, who retired to Palm Desert. His widow and the city named the trail after him and his famous character.