The area around the Ryan Mountain Trailhead is a wonderland of rocks to climb and explore, including the hidden Indian Cave.
Ryan Mountain Trailhead Area Basics
Under 1 Hour
0.5 Miles Roundtrip
Out-and-Back
100 Feet
Duration: Under 1 Hour
We spent a total of about 30 minutes in the area around the Ryan Mountain Trailhead.
Distance: 0.5 Miles Roundtrip
Since we didn’t go to the summit of Ryan Mountain, we walked about half of a mile round trip.
Type: Out-and-Back Trail
Whether you go all the way to the summit or just explore the base of the mountain, this will be an out-and-back hike.
Elevation Change: 100 Feet
To go to the top of the mountain, with the panoramic views of Southern California on a clear day, is about 1,500 feet in elevation change. To explore the lower area is about 100 feet of elevation gain.
Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
The summer months in the desert are brutal. This park is best in the spring, fall, and winter when the days are cooler.
Time of Day: Any
Ryan Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in Joshua Tree National Park and can be accessed at any time of the day.
Amount of Shade: None
There’s almost no shade in the area around the Ryan Mountain Trailhead. If you are up against the tall rock walls, you may get some reprieve from the sun based on the direction of the sun and if it’s being blocked at that time.
Difficulty: Moderate
If you want to walk to the Indian Cave and around the lowest elevations in the area, it would be an easy walk. For those who want to go bouldering a little bit more, this would be a moderate difficulty area to climb.
What Makes Ryan Mountain Trailhead Area a Great Hike?
We had a great time exploring the lower boulders around the Ryan Mountain Trailhead area. The best views are from the true summit, but we could see so much of the park from up on the rocks we were climbing. The boys love it when they get to climb on giant rocks, so we enjoyed seeing where we could get to.
Originally, we stopped here only to get a photo of Ryan at Ryan Mountain but then ended up exploring the area further. There’s a sign for Indian Cave, also known as Hidden Cave, along the trail, so we went over there first before climbing among the boulders.
Scenery on the Ryan Mountain Trailhead
Start of the Trail
The trail starts in a mostly flat area of the desert with very little vegetation. In the distance, you can see a few large groupings of boulders.
Ryan at the Ryan Mountain sign
Climbing some of the boulders
On the Trail
Depending on where you go first, your view may be a little different. We chose to go towards the Indian Cave first to check out the caves in the boulders just south of the parking lot.
End of the Trail
We ended the trail on a large outcropping of boulders that is visible to the left from the parking lot. From up there, it felt like we could see the entire park.
Notable Places on the Hike
Indian Cave is an ancient rock shelter that was likely used as a place to stop and rest, but not a permanent home, for indigenous people hundreds of years ago.
Tyler, Stephanie, and Ryan in Indian Cave
Indian Cave
Ryan Mountain Trailhead Information
Park Name: Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is located in Southern California, about halfway between Los Angeles and the Arizona border. The closest airports are Palm Springs International Airport and Twentynine Palms Airport. Both of those are small airports, though, so the closest major airport is Los Angeles. From there, you'll need to rent a car to drive about 4 hours east into the desert to get to the Joshua Tree Area. The park is situated at the convergence of the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert.
Finding the Trailhead
The trailhead is marked at the southern side of the parking lot, near the middle of the lot.
Markers Along the Trail
As you walk along the trail, the only marker you'll see is for the side trail over to Indian Cave.
Nearest Restrooms
There is a set of vault toilets in the parking area.
Parking Area
The best parking lot to use is the one for the Ryan Mountain Trailhead. This is a parking area with room for about 40 vehicles in a small loop off of Park Boulevard. Ryan Mountain is slightly closer to the West Entrance in the town of Joshua Tree.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
- Ryan Mountain/Sheep Pass Spur
Tips for Ryan Mountain Trailhead Area
- Bring plenty of water and sun protection because there's little shade in the area.
Accessibility Information for Ryan Mountain Trailhead Area
Rocks and Sand
Paved
Trail Type: Rocks and Sand
Ryan Mountain Trail and the area around it is covered in sand, large rocks, and steps made from rocks. This is not a trail that would be accessible for a wheelchair or stroller.
Parking: Paved
There is a paved parking lot with 2 handicap-accessible parking spaces available.