On our final morning at Joshua Tree National Park we decided to make a visit to the Bigfoot Trail and climb to the top of Eureka Peak. Since my PCT trail name is Bigfoot, hiking on my namesake trail seemed important. And I have to admit that “Eureka!” has always been a favorite expression of mine.
We woke up that morning in the Indian Cove Campground. We took our time packing up the gear and cooking breakfast, as we knew that this was going to be a short day for us. No rush, just explore the park a bit and head on home.
We heard from our friends that there was a “cave” near our campsite, which we assumed was probably just a spot beneath large granite boulders rather than a proper cave. We decided to try to find it, armed as we were with almost no info except “I think it’s up in that cleft over there.” hoo boy. We’re not as young as we used to be when it comes to scrambling on raw granite, but you can’t say we didn’t try. We didn’t exactly succeed, either, but at least we had some fun exploring.
We got in the car and drove north to the main highway, then west into the town of Joshua Tree. After that, we used google maps to help us find a way toward Covington Flats and the Bigfoot Trail. When the pavement ended, we drove a long way uphill on a smooth dirt road to the “Crossover” road, which continued climbing all the way to the Eureka Peak Trailhead.
We parked at the trailhead, which had a fine view of its own, then got ready to “bag” Eureka Peak. This was one of the easiest summits I have ever conquered! After a quarter mile hike and a fifty foot climb we were perched on the top! “Eureka!” I shouted, but there was nobody around to hear. Oh well. I did my part.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a Summit Register can up there, and I signed it with our trail names.
After that, it was time to take the official Summit Photos. I took far more than was warranted, but I always do that. I took some videos, too. We could see both San Jacinto Peak and San Gorgonio Mountain from this viewpoint. They still had plenty of snow, even though it was late April. I thought of the poor PCT hikers wearing microspikes and carrying ice axes at that very moment, and was glad that I hiked the PCT Desert Section last year, in 2023. There was even more snow then, and I skipped the snowy part, wisely waiting to hike it later on when it melted.
We also took shots of ourselves on the summit. Why not? That’s what phone cameras are for. And then we sent those photos back to our friends and family, who were all working at the time. Sorry, not sorry! They would have their chance to make me jealous another time. This was their turn.
The drive back down the hill was much easier, as we knew where we were going and could mostly coast downhill. Plus, I like to drive on dirt roads in my four-wheel-drive SUV.
We jogged a bit to the west and went to check out the Black Rock Campground, which we had a campsite reservation for that evening. Too bad we were heading home early. It was already roasting out there, and it was barely midmorning! The campsite wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t sad not to be staying there, either. A bit too crowded for my taste, at any rate. Then we drove to the Ranger Station to let them know we were cancelling the spot. I didn’t get any money back, of course, but at least it left the spot available if somebody else wanted it.
The roads were all paved after that, and before we knew it we were down on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs. Only two more hours to go and we’d be home, back in San Diego near the coast, where the air would finally be cool and pleasant.
All in all, we had a great time in Joshua Tree National Park. We’re well-known Desert Lovers, after all. Trip-wise, the only bad thing that happened was our timing, as an early-season heat wave arrived to roast us on our visit. Everything else worked out fine. But we still wanted to come back again, maybe next year with cooler weather in the forecast.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
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