Ryan Mountain
Joshua Tree National Park · near Joshua Tree / Twentynine Palms · California Desert
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 3 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,000 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- October–April (cool season) · Summer heat is dangerous · Wildflowers spring
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Joshua Tree NP entrance fee ($30/vehicle). A short but steep climb — start early even in cool months. SUMMER IS DANGEROUS: desert heat kills; hike only in early morning Oct–April.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Best panorama in Joshua Tree · 5,457-ft summit, 360° views · Short but steep · Sunrise/sunset favorite · Joshua trees & boulder seas below
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Ryan Mountain is centrally located in Joshua Tree NP, near the Ryan Campground and the park's famous boulder-climbing areas (climbing guide). Combine with Barker Dam (this guide), Keys View, and the Cholla Cactus Garden for a full park day. Sunrise or sunset from the summit is magical. Always carry ample water — the desert is unforgiving.
The guide
Ryan Mountain is the high-payoff summit of Joshua Tree National Park — a short but genuinely steep 3-mile round trip that climb…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Ryan Mountain — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.986, -116.136