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    Pincushion Mountain

    4.6 (37 reviews)

    Pincushion Mountain Photos

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    Ed T.

    This review is for Pincushion Mountain Peak which was a ~2.4 miles round trip that took ~2 hours to complete. Pincushion Mountain Peak was a popular and crowded hike; located ~35 minutes north of Fresno, California. Trail was mostly an incline on a dirt path towards the peak. In addition, a few of the inclines were extremely steep! A little bit of rock scrambling near the top with rewarding views of Millerton Lake and the surroundings! Parking was on the side of the street, outside of the recreational area. There was a ~3 minute walk from the parking to the trailhead. Restrooms available at the trailhead. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/jvMj8y1Ades

    A view from the top
    Lila G.

    First off, here are some tips on how to get there: Once you turn left on Sky Harbour Rd (where Table Mountain is) just keep going all the way. You may feel lost at some point but you're not! I made that mistake last weekend and just found another random trail. Anywho, once you get to the South Finegold parking area you will see the beginning of the trail directly across from the restrooms. It's an immediate and gradual incline; your gluteus maximus will be burning. You may find yourself huffin' and puffin'. Keep in mind, this incline goes for about 1/3 of the hike. Then you will see a trail split. Left is a little bit longer to reach your destination, right is quicker but more strenuous(very steep incline). Today I chose left, although not as steep, still exerting. Every step you take is a beautiful photo op. Especially right now with the temperate weather, greenery and flowers blossoming all around. I guess the only gripe is the lack of signage once you're trekking. The trail not only diverges once, but several times, it would be nice to know which trail goes where. But I suppose the sense of mystery is kind of cool. Overall, no matter which way you decide to take at the trail splits will be gorgeous. Springtime is the best time to hike-now is the time to go!

    Drewn L.

    Quite a windy road from the casino to get to. Drive slowly and enjoy the road for 14 min from new casino. The parking is street and be good not to block the neighbor driveways. Walk to the signage and bear right into the round about (closed) parking lot with restrooms. Bear right sharply up the tight trail. 50 minutes up to the main peak to see around the mtn. It is very worth it to Boulder up extra 200 feet up pin cushion and see a very good 300 degree view The trails are mainly steep, rocky, and very good shoes or boots is needed. My avid runner with running shoes slipped and cut their wrist. Min age is 9-10 years age with good shoes. About 5 miles round trip, very steep in many places, about 2.15 hrs rt based on the incline and trying not to return down the steep but shorter path. The easier path does 4-5x the distance. Suggest going up the steep way and return the long way down. Fall and 11am hike worked very well. Windy at top not along the trail

    Located this entrance of Millerton Lake
    Shayla B.

    Woo babaaay! This hike up to Pincushion Mountain is short by mighty. We were not ready! Oh, but we got ready after making it up those steep ass hills to the top. After doing a 7 mile hike at Sequoia National Park, we decided to get a few more miles in here while we were in the area. Yeah... I don't know what the hell we were thinking, but it was an adrenaline rush for sure. I blame it on peer pressure! We looked up hikes in the Fresno area, and this was popped up. But be forewarned; this isn't located in Fresno. It's in the cuts of a small town called Friant. Driving here from Fresno kind of felt like a journey. A couple times we thought we were lost. The address on Yelp is completely wrong by the way! Just keep on Driving past Table Mountain Casino until you reach a dead end. The road is windy and narrow with a few one way streets. Once you make it to the end, you'll see a sign that says "Millerton Lake South Finegold Day Use Area". You can either park at the lake if it's open and a pay a fee, or park on the street next to this sign. We just parked on the street since the lake parking was closed. There a little trail next to the sign that will take you into the parking lot and a small recreation area with picnic tables, restrooms, and full access to the lake. The trail starts directly across from the restrooms. You'll see a big sign that says "San Joaquin River Trail" and will list a few different destinations with the mileage next to them. You could actually take this trail all the way down to the San Joaquin River Gorge Recreation area which is about 13 miles one way. This is also a popular trail for mountain bikers, so completing the entire trail roundtrip on a bike could be a great workout. Since we had already hiked 7 miles, we decided to do the short 3 mile hike to the top of the mountain and back. The start of this hike had us fooled. Once you pass the gate, the trail starts at a gradual incline. It's an all dirt trail that inclines for a good amount of the hike. A little over a half mile in, you'll come to a trail split. You can either go left or right, but both ways will take you to the mountain. Going left will take a bit more time, but the inclines are mild. Going right will take you up some super steep hills. We took a right and assumed that this would be the best way to get to the top of the mountain. It was seriously an ass kicker! There were two hills that were basically just straight up. It was a bit slippery due to the sand and rocks. The last stretch was the hardest but also the most rewarding. You'll be rewarded with 360 degree views of Millerton Lake and Fresno Valley! We actually got to see the sunset while we hiked up the hill, but we didn't time our hike right. We Started the hike around 6 thinking that we'd be done in an hour or so. We didn't realize that the sun would be down on our way back, so we ended up having to hike back down all of those steep slippery hills in the dark. YIKES! This trail is known to have rattlesnakes, and while we didn't see any of them on the trail, we could hear them once it got dark. We also saw field mice, beetles, and a tarantula on the trail. Since we weren't prepared, we didn't have any flashlights or headlamps and ended up having to use our cell phones for light. We definitely did NOT time it right, but that was our mistake. Other than the mistiming, we really enjoyed this hike! It's a great short workout with beautiful views. Next time, I would come earlier in the day and would do this before doing any other hikes, not after. Although its's a bit further out from Fresno, it's a a gem of a hike and I'm glad that we went.

    Nathan G.

    This trail is great for intermediate hikers. A steep incline at one point but well worth the views at the top!

    Trash
    Denny L.

    The trail is really beautiful but the people trashing it is not. There was an abundant of trash laying around the trails. And now there's an uproar of people hiking there in the past few days. This means more trash to be seen. There's cans of beers to plastic bottles to plastic wraps and even burnt charcoal. It's really sad how people don't respect nature. Next time, I am going to bring a trash bag and I'm picking up after people's mess the whole day. People that trash nature should be ashamed of themselves. Such a disgrace to human kind and should rethink their life choices. Instead all they care about is hanging out with their bros drinking cans of beer and smoking weed on the trails because it's the "vibe". Pathetic.

    LEONOR F.

    Perfect weather on Thanksgiving Eve. The hill to reach the top was definitely a steep climb and burns the calves but sooo worth the peaceful view. Dress in layers bcuz the top was windy.

    Neftali G.

    Got in to my head Saturday night to see the sunrise and do a little hike . Woke up at 3 am and drove to Millerton lake . I'm so glad I did it . This simple adventure was one of the most spiritual and relaxing things I ever done . Doing a little cardio and watching this beautiful view first thing in the morning was amazing . I recommend everybody to do something like this . Just change your way of seeing life . Pincushion trail it's a must go . Will recommend to go in the morning and see the sunrise it's beautiful ..

    My nephew and me enjoying the hike
    Kyle G.

    I truly love this trail. To get up top is hard for beginners but it is so worth it. The view and big blue sky makes it all worth it. The hardest part gets steep to reach the top of the pincushion, just take it nice and slow. Take breaks along the way, and you'll be able to cruise. Best local trail in my opinion.

    Trail sign
    Max B.

    Very beautiful hike especially in the spring if you come in the summer bring lots of water bring your hiking boots have a great time !!!.

    Ruben being a dork
    Stephen S.

    I love this place I hiked it with my 7 and 8 year olds they loved it, and I hiked it with my buddy from work after we showed the pics with everyone else at work they all wanted to go

    Pincushion peak

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    2 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    I drove here yesterday and didn't find an actual hiking trail. It was just a steep drop and nowhere to park my car

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Nice views throughout the hike. Easy for beginners and challenging routes for intermediate hikers. Cows are everywhere. Love going sunrise.

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    This is beautiful hike this trail can continue on to San Joaquin River Gorge and Table Top

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing view of the mountains! Even after a long walk, the animals and view was awesome!

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Awesome trail. Perfect walking distance to get a good workout in while not killing yourself. Really good view when you get to the top.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Fun hike, steep at some points. Great views, you can hike from the fire road half way to the day use area or from the day use area.

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    7 years ago

    It's our local go to hike when we can't make it up to Yosemite. Moderate -advance depending which route you take.

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    5 years ago

    Great view, calm and quiet, absolutely gorgeous, I do plan on going back to relax and enjoy nature.

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Great hiking area, not easy though . But the view from the top of pincushion is worth the pain

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    9 years ago

    Love this hike. Fairly easy and the view from the top is so gorgeous. Very nice to do within less than 2 hours.

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    Ask the Community - Pincushion Mountain

    Review Highlights - Pincushion Mountain

    A little over a half mile in, you'll come to a trail split.

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    Panoche Hills - 2013-01-18: RASIV

    Panoche Hills

    5.0(1 review)
    70.7 mi

    If you're reading this, there's a high probability you are residing in the Milky Way galaxy. But,…read morehave you seen it? Really, let me ask again, have you actually viewed your galaxy? Chances are that you haven't. Light pollution blocks 99% of Americans from viewing the Milky Way; about 80% of the USA is light polluted. However, some countries in Asia are 100% light polluted; in fact, the residents of some of those countries have a hard time adapting their vision to darkness. On a recent night, after researching dark skies and making some calculations, I photographed the Milky Way here at Panoche Hills. This place is downright amazing if you're into stargazing, astrophotography, or getting off the grid. I stood there, alone, in awe seeing shooting stars, meteorites, a billion stars, and the elusive Milky Way. The views here are stellar (yay pun) but you will need to be ready for a journey because it is not easy to get here. I recommend coming in from the northern route due to the roads being in better shape. I stood there around midnight alone and it did cross my mind, "Yikes, what if something happens no one will find me." Darkness, stars, and owls flying around staring at you can be a tad scary for a city-dweller. The longer I was out there the more serene and wondrous it all became. Seeing the Milky Way rise puts things into perspective that is hard to describe; it must be experienced. Before you can see the Milky Way, however, you're going to need to do some research. Even a half-moon can hide it. Be aware that we're in the northern hemisphere so it will not be visible all year. There are a few other places in California to view it like this but for me this was the easiest to get to. If you come, I would not recommend coming alone like I did (hey I like adventure). Bring water and flashlight. Also, keep in mind cell phone service is nil unless you get lucky; but, assume you will be out of contact with the world. I hear this is an excellent place to view the perseid meteor shower and I might come back in August for that. The good news is that Mercy hot springs is less than a mile south so if some real emergency happens they are there.

    From the owner: Bureau of Land Management is a land management agency providing public access for recreation and…read moreeducation while preserving natural and cultural resources.

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    Panoche Hills
    Panoche Hills
    Panoche Hills - Milky Way

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    Milky Way

    Mammoth Mountain Bike Park

    Mammoth Mountain Bike Park

    4.2(43 reviews)
    55.2 mi

    This is a review for the Bike Rental manager Blake. What a complete bully, mean person and…read moreunfriendly, unhelpful person. Mammoth Mountain should NEVER allow him to interface with customers. Including us; he was hostile and condescending to every person he interacted with while renting mountain bikes. Our entire family will NEVER return to Mammoth because if this one person being so mean and so rude.

    This was the most fun I had on a bike park. Off the Top is an absolute beast of a trail but…read moreseriously fun to ride down. The wind blows hard at times and you feel like you are about to get carried away off the top of the mountain especially with the loose soil. The view is stunning but as you ride down you try to determine whether it's worth stopping to get a better glance at the beautiful scenery and disrupt the awesome flow of your ride. It's so much fun riding down, do you really want to stop? On the other hand you think, I'm going to miss the view though, the view.... So what to do? Well, only one solution here, I take the gondola up the mountain again and ride Off the Top a few more times until the arms and body give in. That is the answer. The soil here is super loose, so wear all the safety gear you can handle. Also, wear a pair of goggles that can help block the wind. There are many many other trails and most that I have ridden on did not have any gnarly jumps that were mandatory, and you can ride around them. There are drops for the most advanced trails. Bike riding isn't the only thing available to do. Hiking was fun as we brought our dog with us. Leashing is required of course. Zip lining and rock climbing were available but we didn't do any of those. If you stay at the resort just note they don't have air conditioning there, but honesty the temperature during middle July didn't seem to require it. They do have a fan in the rooms. Guess I'll write a separate review for the resort later but it's 100% recommended (a little pricey) as everyone who worked there were super friendly. I'll be back there again, ride on!

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    Mammoth Mountain Bike Park
    Mammoth Mountain Bike Park
    Mammoth Mountain Bike Park

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    Pincushion Mountain - hiking - Updated May 2026

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