East Indio Hills

East Indio Hills
East Indio Hills Badlands, California
February 5, 2025
Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 237 m (728 ft)

East Indio Hills is a delightful short loop hike east of Palm Springs. On the ascent, the trail winds through a narrow canyon with engaging rock formations around every corner, and the isolated summit offers far-ranging views. Dinah and I encountered a few people, and the trail appears popular with locals.

The hike begins in a small parking lot and soon passes a golf course (we had to step aside to allow golf carts to pass). We didn't get a good look at East Indio Hills until we went over a low ridge near the start. After descending the ridge, we continued along a broad, sandy trail for a kilometre across the desert flats to the Hills, where the trail began climbing. The fun started when we dropped into a narrow canyon.

We followed the canyon trail as it twisted around corners, sometimes going up, sometimes down, but always engaging and full of surprises. Despite the complexity of the canyon, the trail was easy to follow. The section ends at the bottom of stone steps called The Stairway to Heaven. At the top, the trail drops into a broad canyon with a sandy floor. After going around a few bends, we reached the bottom of a slope. A trail switchbacks to the summit ridge, and soon we were standing on the highest point in the East Indio Hills.

The trail continues down the other side of the ridge before going into a canyon. Unlike the ascent canyon, this one was short and wide. After exiting the canyon and emerging onto the desert flats, we followed a road straight as an arrow back to the trail we came on.

KML and GPX Tracks

A short distance from the trailhead, the trail crosses a canal and runs past a golf course seen left.

The trail goes over the white ridge ahead

Hiking over the ridge

East Indio Hills ahead

Approaching the Hills

The trail dives into the Hills

We began climbing

Pausing to take in the views

We dropped into a narrow canyon

Dinah stares at two holes in the rock which seem to stare back

Negotiating a narrow section

Squeezing through a tight spot

Continuing along the canyon

The canyon narrows again

The Stairway to Heaven is ahead

Going up the stairs

Looking down at the stairs

The trail drops down

We hiked in a wide canyon

The summit appears ahead

Switchbacks lead to the ridge

Looking back

Heading to the summit

Standing on the top

Continuing down the trail from the summit

Dropping into a canyon

The canyon leads back to the desert flats

A road runs back the trail we came up on

I was nearly back at the trailhead when this man asked me how the trail was. He came to clear the trail with a McLeod rake. Originally designed to rake fire lines, the tool was created in 1905 by a forest service ranger.

East Indio Hills Badlands (5.2 mi, 538 ft, 515 ft)

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