Pets allowed
Allowed with Restrictions
Elevation Gain
8,715.00 ft (2,656.33 m)
Trail type
Shuttle
Distance
30.00 mi (48.28 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Sand to Snow Monument Hike is a 30-mile point-to-point trek across the federally designated Sand to Snow Monument, located east of Los Angeles in Southern California. This spectacular route takes you from the desert floor up to the San Gorgonio Mountains, gaining almost 9,000 feet of elevation along the way! It is a challenging hike that uses the well maintained, easy to follow, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) through one of Southern California’s most biodiverse landscapes. 

During your hike, you will pass through a variety of ecosystems including the Colorado and Mojave deserts, riparian forests, scrublands, woodlands, Mediterranean chaparral, and  coniferous alpine forests. You’ll pass through pristine, roadless, terrain within the San Gorgonio Wilderness, an area that provides an important habitat for several species of plants and animals, many of which are threatened or endangered. 

You can do this trek as a long day trip or as part of an overnight backpacking trip. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a multi-use trail that can be used for trail running, hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding. 

CONSIDERATIONS

  • This route is point-to-point and requires a carpool or shuttle to be arranged in advance. Alternatively, you can turn this into a 60 mile out-and-back backpacking trip that starts and ends at the same place. 

  • Although this route is entirely uphill, it can be completed in the opposite direction, traversing from “Snow to Sand” instead of “Sand to Snow”. 

WATER

For information about the crowd sourced water report for the Pacific Crest Trail please visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/water/pct-water-report/

CAMPING AND PERMITS

For information about regional and/or long distance permits please visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Pacific Crest Trail Association

Sand to Snow National Monument

BLM - Sand to Snow Monument Info



 

Logistics + Planning

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Days

2

Pros

National Monument. Well maintained Trail. Biodiversity.

Cons

Lower elevations can be extremely hot in the summer. Very strenuous.

Trailhead Elevation

1,312.00 ft (399.90 m)

Highest point

7,989.00 ft (2,435.05 m)

Features

Wildlife
Backcountry camping
Near lake or river
Big vistas
Geologically significant
Horseback riding
Bird watching

Typically multi-day

Yes

Suitable for

Horseback

Permit required

Yes

Permit self-issue on site

No

Location

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