Pine City Hike: Joshua Tree National Park

This is a nice, easy hike.  It is more of a tourist hike than one for hikers, in that it is only 3 miles round trip on a flat road-trail (easy to walk on). 

One goes to a place where once there was a small community.  There are a lot of pine trees there (hence the name) and a spring that, once again despite how hard we searched for it, we couldn’t find.

If Vicky and I ever get lost in the desert with you, and we say we can take you to water, my advice is to walk in the opposite direction.  We really suck at this.

What we did was to add a couple of miles by walking as far as we could down a couple of canyons.  We went as far as we could safely go, and then turned around.  The hiking book indicates that at some places in the canyon ropes (and experience using them……and younger bodies that haven’t had foot, shoulder, and back operations) are needed.

We saw some beautiful sights, though.  And after yesterday’s 9+ mile hike we wanted an easy day.

And we got it.

5.1 miles.  450 foot elevation gain—most of that was after we got to Pine City.  If you are considering just the walk to Pine City there is no elevation at all to worry about.