Hopalong Cassidy Trail crosses foothills

The Hopalong Cassidy Trail winds up and down canyons in the foothills
overlooking Palm Desert.

Hopalong Cassidy Trail topo map. Click for larger version.

The following piece was originally written for and first appeared in the Uken Report.

Hikers can head through the foothills overlooking Palm Desert, California, on the Hopalong Cassidy Trail.

The 9.5-mile round trip trail runs through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. It’s popular with trail runners as well as hikers.

To reach the trailhead, from Calif. Hwy. 111 in Palm Desert, take Fred Waring Drive west. Turn left/south onto Painters Path. Park along the curb behind the Desert Crossing Shopping Center. At the trailhead, go left/south onto the Hopalong Cassidy Trail. The other route, heading straight/northwest, is the Mike Schuler Trail.

The trail is a moderately strenuous hike during the first quarter mile. As ascending higher into the foothills, though, it goes up and down canyons. The upside is an invigorating workout with increasingly expansive views of the Coachella Valley atop the ridge lines as you ascend.

Herb Jeffries and Gaby Hayes trails
At about 0.66 miles, the route junctions the Herb Jeffries Trail, which runs to the left/southeast. You’re near Fox Canyon just north of Cahuilla Hills Park. To stay on the Hopalong Cassidy, continue right/west.

Though seemingly barren from the distance, as hiking the singletrack, you’ll spot a great variety of flora. Three desert plants dominate, though – barrel cactus, cholla, and creosote.

A connector trail leads to the Gaby Hayes Trail at 1.66 miles. If you want to shorten the trail, this is a good spot to do so, by taking the connector to Gaby Hayes, which links up with the Herb Jeffries, then back to the trailhead. This abbreviated hike comes to about 3.4 miles round trip.

Ignoring the connector trail and continuing upward, however, and at 1.8 miles from the trailhead you’ll reach the junction with the Gaby Hayes Trail, which comes in from the left/east. The Gaby Hayes leads to Cahuilla Hills Park. Stay right to remain on the Hopalong Cassidy.

Barrel cactus
Along the way, watch for barrel cactus. There actually are a variety of species that carry this moniker, but as their name suggests, all are barrel shaped. Look for their brilliant yellow or orange flowers on the barrel’s top in April. While tiny, they are tough little plants. In fact, they’ll probably outlive you, as they boast a lifespan of 100 years.

At 2.85 miles feet, the Homestead Trail heads downhill to the left/east. Continue right/west up the hill.

Cholla also can be seen long the trail. Several varieties of cholla grow across the American Southwest, but all have cylindrical stems. The California variety often looks like a miniature saguaro.

The trail reaches the edge of Stone Eagle Golf Course at about 3.3 miles.

Creosote is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to almost 10 feet high. It is so named because of its smell, which is similar to a preservative used on railroad ties. When the bush’s oldest branches die, the crown usually splits with the new one becoming a clone. In fact, the King Clone creosote bush found in nearby Lucerne Valley is one of the Earth’s oldest living organisms, having been around around for an estimated 11,700 years.

Palm Desert Cross
At 4.75 miles, the Hopalong Cassidy Trail ends at the Palm Desert Cross. A Palm Desert icon, the cross at night can be seen from miles away thanks to its 6-watt LED bulbs powered by photocells. St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert and the Stone Eagle Golf Course maintain the cross. The 16’ by 30’ cross was erected as an Eagle Scout project in 1996. St. Margaret’s holds services there on Ash Wednesday and other select days.

After taking in the cross and valley views, retrace your steps to the parking lot. To add a little variety to route, take the Gaby Hayes Trail to the Herb Jeffries Trail then back to the main route. This is a slightly longer route, however, then simply following the Hopalong Cassidy Trail the whole way.

The Hopalong Cassidy Trail is named for the famous fictional cowboy who first appeared in short stories then in the 1930s through the 1950s was wildly popular first in film then television. Palm Desert resident William Boyd played Hopalong in the franchise’s first movies. The Gaby Hayes Trail is named for an actor who played one of Hopalong’s sidekicks, the grizzled Windy Halliday. The Herb Jeffries Trail is named for the “Sensational Singing Cowboy” actor who played in several western films aimed at black audiences.

The entire route is open to the sun, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat as well as bring plenty of water. No dogs are allowed on the trail.

Day trail leads to iconic Palm Desert cross

Map of Homestead Trail to Palm Desert Cross

The following article originally was written for and appeared at the Uken Report.

Day hikers can head to the Palm Desert Cross on an easy hike into the foothills.

Though short at 2.6 miles round trip, it’s uphill much of the way to the cross with an elevation gain of 643 feet. The hike starts on the Homestead Trail then includes a segment of the Hopalong Cassidy Trail.

To reach the trailhead, from Calif. Hwy. 111 go north on Calif. Hwy. 74 (the Pines to Palms Highway). In a little more than a mile, turn right/west onto Thrush Drive; when it splits, veer left/west onto Thrush Road. Then turn right/north onto Cil De Los Campesinos. Park in the gravel turnout where the road ends.

The trail heads west from the turnout into a wash at Palm Desert’s Homme Park. In about 400 feet, Upon leaving the wash, the trail turns north and ascends the side of the Santa Rosa Mountain foothills. Wooden boards along the way help to minimize erosion.

You’ll soon reach a flat area with a structure. It’s a good spot to take a break and enjoy the first of many great views of Palm Desert below and the Little San Bernardino Mountains in the distance.

Continuing on, the trail turns west and climbs again, this time on a couple of steep switchbacks.

Hopalong Cassidy Trail
The trail then heads along the ridge’s backbone. Upon intersecting another ridge, go right/west rather than left, which heads down to the wash

In about 400 feet, the path reaches the Hopalong Cassidy Trail, which goes both straight west and to the right/north. Continue straight west. From here, the trail rolls up and down small ridges.

In short order, you’ll arrive at the cross. A Palm Desert icon, the cross at night can be seen from miles away thanks to its 39 6-watt LED bulbs powered by photocells. St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert and the Stone Eagle Golf Course – which sits to the west on the ridge’s other side – maintain the cross.

A College of the Desert student raised the first cross at the site around Christmas 1981. Then in 1996 the current 16’ by 30’ cross was erected with underground wiring later added as an Eagle Scout project. St. Margaret’s holds services there on Ash Wednesday and other select days.

Alternate way down
At Christmastime, sometimes hikers decorate the desert bushes around the cross. While the intention is noble, it is ill-advised. Bighorn sheep that resides in the mountains often attempt to eat the shiny decor, which can cause them to become ill or even die.

To return home, retrace your steps back to the intersection with the Homestead Trail. Then in 400 feet when reaching the ridgeline you came up on, if you’re intrepid head right/southeast down another ridge. This goes into the same wash that you entered after parking but offers some different views of the valley below. It’s also a but steeper than the ridge you came up on.

Not an iota of shade can be found the entire way, so be sure to don sunscreen, brimmed hat, and sunglasses. The trail is dog friendly trail and fairly busy, especially at sunset; indeed, it’s a great summer evening hike as the mountains generally casts a shadow over the foothills.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks series.