Little Box Canyon

Little Box Canyon is a sandy off-road vehicle track and hiking trail that winds into a canyon wash at the edge of the Mecca Hills Wilderness. While only lifted 4WD vehicles capapble of navigating the deep soft sand can make it down this canyon, hikers who can endure the slower pace of a such a surface will find themselves deep within high vertical-walled canyons, with slot canyons and ridge roads forking from the main route.

The route meanders up the canyon's very gradual climb toward the Mecca Hills to the east. Sandstone arches, gleaming samples of quartz, ocotillo, nests built into the porous stone of canyon walls, and views of the nearby hills are all features along the hike. Private property guildelines restrict vehicles to only the main double track path, while hikers are free to explore the surrounding landscape.

At 2.3 miles in, the trail comes to an end at the Meccacopia Trail, a more technical ORV path. Hikers at this point can turn around and retrace their route back to the trailhead, or may opt to head north, climbing adjacent small hills to views across the north valley, before their trail winds across ridgelines and eventually back down into Little Box Canyon, rejoining the main trail at the canyon floor. 

From here, follow the course back to the signed trailhead at Box Canyon Road.

This trail should not be attempted if there is any risk of high rain or flash flooding.

There are no amenities of any kind along the trail. There may be very limited shade at different times of day. Plan ahead for this one.