Mormon Rocks Interpretive Trail

Mormon Rocks Interpretive Trail gives visitors a chance to get out and stretch their legs a little bit along a 1.15-mile loop path through this Mojave Desert landscape.

The trail begins from a gravel parking area located just inside the gate at Mormon Rocks Station, a National Forest Service office near the junction of Highway 138 and Interstate 15. While many visitors will stop at the parking area, relatively few actually follow the loop trail that contains about 190 total feet of climbing, leading to views of the San Gabriel Mountains to the west and the towering Mormon Rocks area located across the highway.

The trail begins with a series of short switchbacks that climb the hillside on a well-defined path. From here, it traces the slope of a hill around as it begins to approach more dramatic sandstone spires that the area is known for. The trail disappears a little bit here. Hikers can veer off and explore the formations, or descend back toward the parking area.

From the parking area, while a flat path leads directly to the base of the rocks, hikers may want to head in a counterclockwise direction. This will save the more interesting landscape and rock formations for the end of the hike.

Visitors should be aware that there are no amenities of any kind located at the parking area or along the trail. There is no shade along the hike. Signs state that the gates to the parking area close daily at 4:00 PM.