The Ryan Mountain trail is a 3 miles
roundtrip leading to probably the best views in the park. The
trail begins at Ryan Mountain parking area and climbs steadily.
With a 1000-foot elevation gain over only 1.5 miles it will
make you sweat a bit but it's over so quickly that you won't get
tired. On the other hand, now that I think about it, when we
climbed it the weather was cold, a bit rainy even. If you are
doing this hike in the summer than that's another story. I guess
I would rate it as a moderate hike. The trail is well maintained
and easy to follow. Along the way, except for the valley floor view,
you'll be hiking among boulders and small Joshua trees. At the top
you'll get an outstanding 360 degrees view from this 5,470-foot peak.
You can see Queen Valley, Wonderland of Rocks, Lost Horse Valley,
Pleasant Valley and some far-off mountains.
