North LQ Cove - Santa Rosa Cove Loop
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 2.47 mi
- Elevation gain
- 390 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 390 ft
- Max elevation
- 245 ft
- TrailRank
- 36
- Min elevation
- 75 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- one hour 37 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1054
- Uploaded
- October 13, 2014
- Recorded
- October 2014
near La Quinta, California (United States)
Viewed 1483 times, downloaded 8 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The hike is easy, but the trail is often faint. It's funny, because you can see this trail from space on Google Maps or Trimble, but it's actually harder to see when you're hiking it. At least it was for me.
The nice parts of this hike are the change of pace from the more common Southern parts of the Cove and the fact that it's largely unused so you have it to yourself.
In Summer I recommend doing this early in the morning as the heat would be extreme midday. Early morning also gets you views of watermelon red rock as the sun comes up and paints the hills to the west in warm tones. You are also treated to some great views of La Quinta Resort - some of which you couldn't gain from anywhere else.
The trail is rocky and much of it loose. Wear good boots. The trail is faint in parts because it isn't well travelled. Somebody has outlined the trail in small rocks for most of it, but some areas are still hard to see. I walked past a couple of junctions and had to back track. Look for small cairns along the way to help pick your path amoung the boulders.
There appear to many little trail spurs to take if you want to increase your mileage or go exploring. I had the baby strapped to me, so I couldn't safely do much of that.
Lastly, there's the remains of what appears to be a decommissioned water tower, reservoir, or well at the top of a very washed out service road. You can't miss it, you'll see the 12" above ground pipe and then the clearing on your way around the loop. The topo map has a label of "Water" at this point but I'd be very interested if anybody knows of or has pictures of what used to be up here. Private message me if you do.
Thanks and enjoy!
TO TRAILHEAD: S on Washington to Calle Tampico. W on Calle Tampico to Eisenhower. S on Eisenhower to Ave. Montezuma. W on Ave. Montezuma until it begins to curve South. S on Ave. Morales. I would park on Morales just South of Montezuma.
Waypoints
Intersection
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Trail heads up hill
Leave the arroyo bench to begin ascent. It's rocky!
Intersection
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Junction
Head North from here. You could continue West to decrease mileage and/or make it a less rocky scramble.
Intersection
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Junction
I completely missed the southern turn and continued West. The loop goes South. The West can either lengthen your loop and add some elevation or can just be a spur to explore the canyon. It's rocky!
Intersection
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Junction
Bear right to stay on the track. Bearing left (SE will shorten your mileage if you wish).
Intersection
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Junction
Crossroads. You can continue West to explore, head North to increase mileage and make another loop. This track heads South so bear left.
Photo
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Looking down the Service Road
Badly washed out service road. You can see the 12" pipe heading down, paralleling the road.
Car park
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On Street Parking
I like to park here to keep my car off Montezuma. Just walk up the small hill to the sidewalk, then go South around the brown cinderblock and stucco wall to parallel the arroyo.
Waypoint
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Leave sidewalk
Leave the Bear Creek Trl sidewalk and head North around the wall to parallel the arroyo
Risk
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Vehicle Barrier
Head down the ramp to cross the arroyo
River
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Bear Creek Drainage
Intersection
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Main Merge
The loop begins here. I recommend heading NE (bear right) so that you do the biggest hill climb while fresh.
Intersection
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Spur for Panorama
Head NE (bear right) at this intersection to head uphill for some great panoramas. This track will take the spur and then come back thru this intersection
Intersection
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Junction
You can descend to the south from here if you want to end early.
Intersection
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Junction
Head West
Intersection
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Confusion
I confused the wash with the trail near this point and had to recover the trail. Look for small cairns to help spot the trail ascending out of the wash.
Waypoint
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Decomissioned Water Source
You'll probably be able to see the clearing and evidence of an old water source here. I wonder if the water table was once higher because there are larger, dead trees all over.
Waypoint
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Pipe ends with a vent and an old Tap
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