Lone Palm Hike

The Lone Palm hike is not an officially maintained trail, but follows a well traveled tread for the majority of it’s length. The end destination is an oasis of sorts featuring palm trees, the Colorado River and two hot spring pools. To reach this final oasis a steep descent with a bit of scrambling is required.

Begin by parking at the large gravel lot off Kingman Wash Access Road. The trail begins here and descends down the hill to the left (don’t follow the nice looking trail to the right, it leads to a steep drop off). You’ll soon begin following a sandy wash. Be on the lookout for an exit to the left out of the wash, it comes up quick and is easy to miss. Even though this route is moderately easy to follow in most places, I’d strongly recommend following along with the GPX track using an app like onX Backcountry, as one missed turn has the potential to get you well off course.

As you exit the first wash you’ll follow what appears top be an old road of sorts until it eventually descends into another wash. The path is fairly straightforward from this point on. Follow the wash down, occasionally skirting around an obstacle or two, until you see a steep user trail exiting the wash to your left. Someone took the liberty to spray paint arrows onto the rocks from this point forward, so keep an eye out for those as they will guide your way.

After ascending to the top of the ridge on the steep user trail you will get your first glimpses of the mighty Colorado River. Continue along the well used path until it descends steeply toward the palm tree oasis. The final obstacle is a narrow slot. To enter the slot requires a bit of a scramble down a boulder, and once in the slot you may have to remove your backpack to fit through.

After making it through the narrow slot, congratulations, you’ve arrived! This palm tree oasis is truly a magical little area. There is a hot spring pool just upstream, as well as a pool (of cooler temperature but still pleasant) downstream. The water exiting this lower pool forms a waterfall that drops directly into the Colorado below - a very cool sight.

When satisfied with your time at the palm tree oasis, return the way you came back to your vehicle.