Hike Hot Springs Mountain Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, CA

Apr 11, 2023 — Hot Springs Mountain is a somewhat popular hike due to its high prominence and county high point status, but in my opinion the hype should end there. I knew this would be a road walk, but I didn't realize quite how boring a road walk it would be. The high point requires a short Class 3 move, so it feels weird calling this outing a scramble just for such a short move since the rest of it is basically a bland road. The mountain is located on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, but access is permitted upon entry via a small permit station and dropping $10/person. The dirt road was graded to the trailhead.

I started out from the well-stocked campground and hiked along the eroded Sukat Road, now converted to being a trail. The majority of the noticeable vertical gain is within the first two miles, the road wiggling up the southeastern slopes of Hot Springs Mountain. The views looking back were pretty nice toward tree-covered slopes. However, once I reached the top of the initial steepness, the road entered a forest and no longer had views again until nearly the summit.

While in the forest, the road is either flat or ascends slowly, but there are a couple of short dips that need to be regained along the way back, contributing a few hundred additional vertical feet. There are a couple of signed road junctions along the way marking the proper route. I eventually finished the final few switchbacks leading up to an old lookout tower, though this is not the true summit of Hot Springs Mountain. To reach the high point, a trail continues into the forest from the end of the road and to the base of a cluster of large boulders. There's a low Class 3 scramble route on the north side of the summit block, but a ladder and rope have been assembled on the west side and this seems to be the more common way people choose to ascend to the high point.

I hung out at the summit for a bit, taking in the views down into Anza-Borrego State Park, toward Mount San Jacinto and Palomar Mountain, and beyond. I could see a cool variety of landscapes from here, but was not thrilled about having to walk back along the road to return to my car.