We got the scoop about this hike while sitting around the pool at the Palm Springs Tennis Club. It was suggested that we hit the trailhead around 7AM to avoid the heat. We got there at 7:30, but still managed just fine thanks to a little breeze.
Bring water and make sure you apply sun screen. You will need shoes with good grip, the first half can can be steep, but it all lends to great views of Palm Springs.
The trail is well marked with white dots spray painted on the rocks throughout. Depending on how you go about your hiking expedition, it can be quite short if you turn around at the picnic benches, but still a fun adventure. We pressed on and enjoyed the loop hike we scouted out.
There's plenty of parking at the base (which is at the museum), technically you're not supposed to park in the museum lot, but there's also a large free garage right across the street. At the top there are a ton of picnic tables, and you can choose to go back down or continue on to the North Lykken, South Lykken, or Skyline Trails. The trail splits when you see the large PILE of rocks, this will speak for itself.
We continued on the North Lykken trail (left/downward) which made for a perfect 4 mile loops from our front door. The museum trail is a great way to get moving and get some beautiful views of Palm Springs!
I would love to do this hike every day, it is a good workout, the roundtrip took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes. read more