November 30, 2025.
9 mi. | 1460′ ele. gain | 5 hrs.
After checking out of our house rental near Joshua Tree, I decided to find a reasonably quick hike to do in the afternoon. I found what I thought was a 6-mile loop in the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve. My math was pretty bad, so it ended up being just over 9. Whoops. But, no regrets, because this was a fantastically diverse, interesting and floriferous route!
I wanted to hike to the top of Chaparrosa Peak from the Visitor’s Center, then loop down via Pipe’s Canyon. Ultimately, I’m glad we did it this way because loops are always better and we got to see a much more comprehensive picture of the preserve.
We began walking through the high desert habitat that had burned in a fire 20 years ago. Husks of ghost trees stood above the shrubs and flowering plants that were clawing back to life. Tall yuccas and nolinas added some height to the landscape since the trees had not made much of a return. There was little shade, so we walked slowly in the heat.
The trail climbed up from the wash along ridgelines and bouldery hills to the top of Chaparrosa Peak. I found a summit marker, then say down to have a snack and survey the scenery. There were great views from where we sat. Most people turn around and go back the way they came, which would give you about a 6 mile route. But I was hungry for more. We backtracked to where the summit spur leaves the main route and continued in a clockwise direction.
On this stretch of trail, I was delighted to find some new-to-me buckwheat species and some other wildflowers. We began descending into a gully, which offered some rare shade. It was the first of many surprises we’d encounter on this section of trail.
As we turned to enter the wash, it was just as I’d expected: a wide, sandy, sunny gap between the rocks. We’d surely just rock this straight back to the parking lot in no time. But we soon entered a dense tunnel of willows and cottonwood trees. Beneath our feet, the sand turned to mud. A small creek criss-crossed the trail. Aaron kindly loaned me a pole for balance as we navigated the rock hopping back and forth. It was like we’d entered a whole new world. Water in the desert is always so magical!
The last stretch of trail took quite some time because I stopped so frequently to look at the flowers. The California fuchsia was probably my favorite, but I also found four types of buckwheat, globemallow, brittlebrush giant woollystar and more. I found some old stream orchid plants that were withered up from last season and I dreamed about how stunning it would be to stumble across them blooming in the desert! Again, magic is the only word I have for it!
I knew the preserve closed at dusk so we had to hurry back to get out in time. I wished we had started earlier so we could savor this place even more. It’s on my list to go back. There is another loop that starts at a different trailhead, plus all the seasonal flowers that we’d see at a different time of year. The preserve is managed by the Wildlands Conservancy, which has several properties across the west (mostly in California). They offer free public access, educational programs, camping and volunteer opportunities. It’s a great organization to know better if you live or visit any of the areas where they work. Check them out!
As we drove back into town, I couldn’t help stopping to capture the incredible sunset over the desert:
