Ladder Canyon Trail & Painted Canyon Loop Hike Guide

[@carloflorez8697]

My dad use to take me there late 60s early 70s. I remember the ladders an being out all day. He was Military so always prepared. My son an girl friend went for a day hike. Totally unprepared. Got turned around an were lost. He had to go to the highest peak to get reception. He managed to call 911 and only had about 3% left. They had been walking since the afternoon. By the time they gave S an R the coordinates an they came, it was 4 -.5 in the morning.! They were rescued. I thank the Search an Rescue team of Riverside county for their professionalism. When Hiking always bring a compass an Flares. Also extra water an dry food goods. Murphy's law States that if anything can go wrong it will. An at the worse Possible Moment. Be safe on your hike. An also bring a flashlight. Painted/ Box canyon is unforgiving.

[@plorks445]

GPS SOS device for birthday gifts.

[@eotwcommerce4171]

We just did this hike a week ago and missed the entrance to Ladder Canyon.....wish we had watched your video before our hike. Were surprised by a young small rattlesnake who hissed and rattled and coiled and posed for photos before slithering away. Our first siting in over 40 years of hiking in the desert. These are beautiful canyons...a bit tricky with the ladders but a gem of a hike. Thanks we are sharing your video with friends who couldn't be with us.

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you 👍 and glad you got to experience it. And yea, it can be tricky if you don't know where you're going, especially since GPS tends to struggle when you're in the canyons.

[@plorks445]

Just did this hike recently. Was familiar with how to do it thanks to your video and info.

[@allisonmf9184]

I planned on doing this hike next weekend. Thanks for the video!

[@Hikingguy]

Nice, you'll have a blast, it's awesome

[@craigb1427]

I love the hikes you do.The terrain is so different than Australia. Makes me won’t to travel there some time and hike some trails

[@Hikingguy]

Ha thank you! Yea, even in Southern California there are so many different types of hikes and terrain, all within 1-2 hours of downtown LA, it's pretty amazing.

[@azclaimjumper]

Excellent videographing + the overhead track completes the adventure.

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you, yea, thinking the map is helpful so trying to add them in now

[@xihaxihaxihaxiha]

Chris, your website is my socal hiking resource period! appreciate the work you put in for us!!

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you thank you 🙏👍

[@stephramz]

I did this hike a few weeks ago and loved it. Definitely not one for summer.

[@DevildudeEMZ]

How hard was the hike ?

[@KT_571]

Thanks for the great video! Appreciate all the tips!

[@tripptank]

Great detailed tour.

[@christinelister4693]

I can't thank you enough for posting your hikes!!

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you 🙏 I appreciate it!

[@christinerolle3876]

I love it. Another find for me on my days off. I am from northern california

[@Hikingguy]

Nice, yes, this will be totally different than anything in NorCal

[@denisegrant6880]

Great video, we hiked it today.

[@HuskyMike]

Great hike and great time to do it (when it's not hot!). Pro Tip: Drive faster over the washboard bumps than you may think you should (within reason). We drove 5-15mph going toward the trailhead. Was a bumpy, bouncy ride in our minivan. Someone passed us going about 30mph and I figured they were just crazy. Coming back, I figured, what the heck, so I started going faster over those bumps. MUCH smoother... attempt at your own risk of course. :-)

[@Hikingguy]

Yes! The only thing is that you really have to watch out for errant rocks or big ruts. Sometimes you can just fly over them but if you hit it wrong, you can blow out the tire. I learned that lesson on the road to White Mountain Peak years ago in a jeep that I thought would be fine. Like you said... at your own risk.. .worse case you put the donut on and crawl out. I have a hybrid now but think I'm going the pickup route next so I can just "fuaggadabout"

[@ExploreAnywhere]

You can go faster if you lower your tires pressure. It also helps you get better traction with your vehicle because the tires gain footprint and it also gives a more comfortable ride because it eliminates the bounce

[@iEatZzz]

I tried this and cracked the shit out of my bumper cuz there was a huge rock lmao

[@blitztim6416]

Thanks. I've done it a couple of times. Need to get back before it gets hot.

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, it's nice now. I shot this last week and it was in the 50s, perfect weather.

[@robertm.0034]

Thx for map guidance at the end

[@Hikingguy]

You're welcome, trying something new. Thinking it's another way to make the vids more helpful.

[@jenniferxia1]

❤ good job,thanks for the videos 😊

[@kimletourneau9336]

Thanks Hiking Guy! Went to your website and watched this video - PERFECT! It was everything you said it would be. Your info. was so helpful - going to do your hike from the Mt. Jacinto Tram to the top of the mountain tomorrow.

[@Hikingguy]

Awesome, great to hear, thank you! And have fun on San J - I might head up there shortly too, it's been a while since I took the tram.

[@dzerres]

At the start I tell people to believe that first arrow because even up close it looks like a dead end. We used to go underneath - glad you showed there's a way around that first ladder, thanks. On top I tell people to head "towards" that radio tower off in the distance on the end of the ridge otherwise it's sort of confusing with so many trails coming in and turning off. Heads towards it but then look for that turn off on the right back down into the Canyon. I sent your clip to someone who wants to go but is concerned. :)

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, this one can be very confusing, thanks for sharing those tips. Even if you are using a GPX, it can be unreliable in the canyons.

[@PSModernKitchens]

Going today!

[@MadCatMaddie]

Seems like a badass hike. Thx again my friend!

[@Hikingguy]

👍👍👍👍🙏🙏

[@RYADADEV]

Thanks!

[@thelonehiker4698]

I been wanting to do this one

[@landrews7280]

What a find - thanks!

[@Zambita25]

Love your video will look for your map.

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you! 🙏👍

[@jonaaranda4561]

Thanks alot

[@LTTNY]

Have you done the rope climbing trail at the same place, there’s also grottos if you stay on box road canyon, I haven’t done those yet, I think I don’t have the strength for rope climbing my boy cousins say it’s hard and you need to be fit do it. If you go south on hwy 111 closer to Salton sea you can hike to the Bat Buttes easy hike overlooking the lake.

[@Hikingguy]

I have but decided not to post it because I don't feel confident that everyone watching can do it safely.

[@RockTheParkOfficial]

Keep it up!

[@GwuNC]

Hi Cris, would you rate this hike to be too intense for a beginner? Thanks

[@Hikingguy]

If you can do the distance it should be fine. Just some ladders

[@DovieRuthAuthor]

How do you safely get on those ladders that go down? It would be a whole lot easier if the ladder extended up further.

[@Hikingguy]

It's not too bad. An extra foot or two would help getting up the last bit, but if you grab a rock and pul, it's okay.

[@dzerres]

The big decision is whether to "crab-walk" down the ladder or turn around and go down facing the cliff. Most people, me included, feel more in control going crab-like which seems counterintuitive. Just be careful about missing rungs or damaged rungs with sharp edges.

[@christinerolle3876]

When was this hike ?

[@Hikingguy]

I shot this in Feb 2021

[@davidg9120]

Do you have an all trails account that I can follow?

[@Hikingguy]

yup - link on my website's about page

[@bongbongtravels6108]

Do you need to deflate the tires?

[@Hikingguy]

I didn't deflate but that's def a good option. This winter the sand hasn't been too bad IMO but I did hear of folks getting stuck this winter too.

[@drueatcer]

I will see if I can find somebody to go with me.

[@LC444]

Is any of the ladders not okay for a kid who is about 4 feet 9?

[@Hikingguy]

Hard to say exactly but I have seen kids there, I think they'll be okay with help from an adult (if they need it).

[@jewelcitytrash11]

Is this on BLM land? Thinking of camping there

[@Hikingguy]

yup

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

were's the canyon at ?

[@Hikingguy]

Mecca in Coachella Valley

[@attention_shopping]

I prefer the reverse way and doing the ropes. Ladders going down is too scary

[@povdad]

Can you confirm that there are ropes? I have an 8 & 11 y/o so I want to make sure it’s doable for them.

[@Hikingguy]

It's just ladders, no ropes. I've seen kids that age do this hike before, they should be okay. Worse case you turn around and head back.

[@povdad]

Thank you!

[@clvrswine]

Think about how you are contributing to the end of this place. You are going to encourage way too many people to come here. The outdoors are being over-run because discovering special places now requires zero effort. No books to buy, no reading and no *local* consulting. Trash will accumulate. People will park in the wrong place. This area cannot deal with throngs of weekenders.

[@Hikingguy]

Well, think about what happens when there isn't quality information about a hike. As hiking gains popularity, like it or not, more and more folks will be hitting the trails. Most of them won't take the time to buy guidebooks, learn how to navigate, or reach out to a local hiking group. That's reality. Most people will see an Instagram picture, drive to a trailhead listed on Google Maps, and start walking. Maybe they will follow a line on AllTrails. Bemoaning the fact that people can now discover trails online and suppressing information about these hikes isn't going to solve anything. We all have a right to enjoy these places. So knowing the people will hit the trails anyway, why not arm them with the information they need to do a hike safely using a medium where they look for information? Why not educate them on best-practices and show them how to use the tools they have to be safe? I choose to create these guides because I want people to enjoy the outdoors safely, responsibly and to have fun. I think that arming people with information is a good thing. I take great care to select established trails and experiences shared in other resources such as guidebooks and official park materials. I supplement my guides with hiking etiquette, leave no trace principles, and outdoor skills. The trails will never be as empty as they were a few years ago. We can get on board with that fact, educate, and advocate, or we can complain about how bad things are. I don't want to listen to someone blaring a Bluetooth speaker on Icehouse Canyon any more than you do. But I can see that down the road, more hikers means more demand for trails, more outdoors advocates, and hopefully more funding and protection for natural areas.