I took a short backpack with a group of friends into San Jacinto State Park. We used the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway to take us and our backpacks from 2643 feet up to 8516 feet, and then strapped on our packs, reeling a little from the sudden massive altitude gain, and hiked a few miles into Round Valley where we scoped out a great campsite. After setting up camp, we hiked up another mile or so to Wellman’s Divide, and relaxed while taking in the view looking North-West over the mountains into Idyllwild and eventually Riverside and Los Angeles. As the sun set we made out way back to camp, and prepared dinner while enjoying each others company and a spectacular sunset reflecting off the wispy clouds blowing over the San Jacinto Peak. The morning found us leisurely packing up camp, and taking the high trail back toward the tram station overlooking Round Valley and finally descending into Long Valley the paved trail up to the tram station where slices of excellent pizza were waiting for us in the cafeteria.

Fall is the a wonderful time to be on San Jacinto the temperatures are cool, but not freezing (the overnight low was about 42 degrees), and the crowds were not overwhelming.  I am not sure there is a bad time to visit San Jacinto. The winter is often a snowy wonderland with cross country skis and snowshoes available for rent at top. and spring and summer provide a great opportunity to escape the heat during a visit to Palm Springs. While the drive is not short (in the 2 hour range from San Diego), you do get Sierra like habitat without the Sierra like drive. The views are spectacular, with a variety of terrain, from the sparse desert landscapes looking down on Palm Springs to the lush pine groves of the park. There is a little of something for everyone.

The backpacking trip to round valley is a perfect trip to bring a young one on an overnight adventure. The tram ride up from Palm Springs is an odyssey in itself for kids, while the hike into round valley is just long enough to expend excess energy for a good nights sleep under the stars. There are enough interesting rocks and trees in round valley for an afternoon of exploration, and the hike out, when there are tired legs, is mostly downhill.

If you are looking for a quick weekend backpacking getaway, you would have a hard time doing better than the San Jacinto State Park.