Parking
Use the Ryan Ranch Trailhead parking area alongside Park Boulevard for the published one-mile route. An information kiosk is at the trailhead. Ryan Campground near site 14 is an alternate access point.
Overview
About Ryan Ranch Trail
Why go
- A short, easy route to the adobe ruins and fallen windmill.
- Ryan Mountain views add context to the old ranch site.
Heads up
- A brief, straightforward walk rather than a substantial hike.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Joshua Tree map
Full mapElevation4,281–4,354 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Joshua Tree alerts
- ClosureOasis of Mara Trail closed past the OasisThe Oasis of Mara Trail is closed past the Oasis due to a heavy flooding event; do not continue beyond the Oasis. Check current park conditions before visiting.Official details
- ClosureSR 62 and US 95 closed by floodingFlooding has closed portions of SR 62 and US 95; avoid the closed segments.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Joshua Tree Tour Guide
Your drive to Ryan Ranch Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Joshua Tree National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Joshua Tree audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Ryan Ranch: Adobe and Mining History0:00 / 0:24
“You're coming up on the Ryan Ranch trailhead, a good choice for a short walk into the area's mining history. The easy, one-mile round trip follows an old ranch road and takes about an hour.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Oyster Bar: Where Two Rocks Meet
- Ryan Campground Among the Joshua Trees
- Cap Rock: A Quick Look or Short Loop
- Minerva Hoyt Trail and a Desert Campaigner
- 89 audio storiesacross Joshua Tree’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Golden Eagle, Desert Tortoise, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 60 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Ryan Ranch Trail
A short history walkRyan Ranch Trail is an easy, one-mile out-and-back from the Park Boulevard parking area to the…
Ryan Ranch Trail is an easy, one-mile out-and-back from the Park Boulevard parking area to the ranch ruins beneath Ryan Mountain. The round trip takes about an hour, with 135 feet of elevation gain. The route follows an old ranch road, so this is a good choice when you want a brief walk with a real destination rather than a long day hike. Ryan Mountain is in view along the way.
At the ranchAt the far end, look around the remaining adobe walls, fallen windmill and old building…
At the far end, look around the remaining adobe walls, fallen windmill and old building materials. The ranch and Lost Horse Well are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a few minutes to see what remains before turning back; the ruins are the payoff for this short route. Leave artifacts where they are.
The people behind the siteJ.D. Ryan established the homestead in 1896 and also operated the Lost Horse Mine.
J.D. Ryan established the homestead in 1896 and also operated the Lost Horse Mine. The ranch district once included three adobe buildings. The main house burned in 1978, and the remaining walls are a small piece of a larger mining-era homestead. The ranch and well were added to the national historic register in 1975.
Start and trail rulesUse the Ryan Ranch Trailhead parking area beside Park Boulevard for the listed one-mile…
Use the Ryan Ranch Trailhead parking area beside Park Boulevard for the listed one-mile distance. Joshua Tree also identifies an alternate approach from Ryan Campground near site 14, but that is a different starting access. Pets aren't allowed on this trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Joshua Tree
129 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
413 sightingsDesert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
275 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
47 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
32 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Joshua Tree. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
