Eureka Peak Trail

Follow the California Riding and Hiking Trail from the Backcountry Trailhead. NPS puts the turn toward Eureka Peak at about 1.1 miles; from there the route takes a connecting path south and joins the named Eureka Peak Trail. Keep south toward the peak, then follow a short final use trail to the high point. Return the same way. This is the hike from Black Rock; the Covington Flats dirt-road approach is a separate outing. Parking at Black Rock is limited. The Black Rock Nature Center and horse parking area are alternatives, and NPS identifies the horse camp as overflow when busy. Use the Backcountry Trailhead for the mileage above.

Most of the hike rises gradually through a sandy wash with desert plants. Soft sand can make the first part feel slower than the grade suggests. Lower on the route you will see creosote, blackbrush, yucca and Joshua trees. As the wash narrows, it becomes a shallow canyon. The floor gets rockier, which gives your feet firmer ground after the sand, and granite and gneiss outcrops start to stand out. Higher up, desert willow and pinyon pine appear among the rock. Keep heading toward the summit as the canyon opens into the final climb.

The route steepens near the summit. After the canyon, views open across the surrounding ridges, but the peak can seem to come and go: several false summits lie between the canyon and the real top. The last roughly tenth of a mile uses a short, less distinct trail to the summit, so pay attention to the route rather than assuming the ridge path ends at the top. The steeper grade and uneven rock call for a steady pace after the long approach.

Eureka Peak stands around 5,518 feet, and its summit gives you a full turn of views instead of one fixed overlook. Yucca Valley lies to the north; Chaparrosa Peak and Big Bear are northwest; San Gorgonio is west; San Jacinto is south. Farther south, the park wilderness fills the view. A Joshua tree on the summit ridge makes a useful foreground for a westward photo; include some ridge or trail with the distant mountains so the scale reads.

This is one of the strenuous Black Rock hikes, and NPS says not to attempt it in summer or whenever it is hot because sun exposure, high temperatures and dehydration can be dangerous. Freezing temperatures are common in the higher Black Rock zone during colder months. Desert tortoises and bighorn sheep are sometimes seen in this area, though neither is a sure sighting. Pets are not allowed on Black Rock trails.