Sand to Snow National Monument Photo: Bureau of Land Management California / Public domain
United States › California

Sand to Snow National Monument

ByWilderness Experts

Sand to Snow climbs from the floor of the Sonoran Desert to San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest peak in Southern California, between Palm Springs and Joshua Tree. Birders walk boardwalks through desert wetlands at its foot, and hikers climb more than a vertical mile to the summit or follow the Pacific Crest Trail through it.

Fast facts

  • Established: 2016
  • Size: about 154,000 acres (623 km²)
  • Highest point: San Gorgonio Mountain, 11,503 feet (3,506 m), the highest in Southern California
  • Long trail: about 30 miles (48 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail
  • Gateways: Palm Springs, Morongo Valley, Yucaipa and Big Bear
  • Managed by: the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, with partner-run preserves

The landscape

The monument spans desert washes, creosote flats, canyon streams, pine forest and bare alpine summits. Big Morongo Canyon holds one of the largest cottonwood and willow wetlands in the California desert and is a well-known birding site. San Gorgonio’s summit rises above treeline, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness covers the high country.

Best time to go

Spring and fall are best at low elevations. San Gorgonio is usually snow-free from June to October; in winter and spring it is a snow climb. Summer is very hot in the desert canyons.

San Gorgonio MountainPhoto: Doc Searls · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Big Morongo Canyon PreservePhoto: blmcalifornia · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Whitewater PreservePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
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Getting there and around

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is in Morongo Valley on Highway 62. Whitewater Preserve is north of I-10 near Palm Springs, at the end of Whitewater Canyon Road. The high country is reached from the north side through Forest Service trailheads off Highway 38, such as Vivian Creek near Forest Falls.

Things to do

At Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, boardwalks and easy trails wind through the marsh, among the best places in Southern California to see birds. Whitewater Preserve has picnic lawns, a river and the Canyon View Loop, about 3.7 miles (6 km) with some climbing.

The Vivian Creek Trail climbs about 8.8 miles (14.2 km) one way and more than a vertical mile to the summit of San Gorgonio, done as a very long day or an overnight. Other routes cross the San Gorgonio Wilderness, and the Pacific Crest Trail passes through Whitewater Canyon and the San Gorgonio Pass area.

Staying safe

Desert heat can be extreme from May to September, so carry plenty of water and hike low trails early. On San Gorgonio, altitude, cold, wind and lightning are real risks, and snow and ice make winter and spring climbs a mountaineering trip that needs an ice axe and crampons. Streams can flood after storms.

Know before you go

The San Gorgonio Wilderness needs a free permit for day hikes and overnight trips, with limits on numbers. A Forest Service recreation pass is needed to park at many high-country trailheads. The preserves have set opening hours. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report, so confirm permits and conditions with the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service before you go.

Navigation
Coordinates
34.0929, -116.7036
Magnetic declination
11.0° E (2026)

Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.

How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass

61 places in Sand to Snow National Monument

A spread of the park’s main places shows straight away, and the rest appear as you zoom in. You can also search above, or pick any place from the lists below, and the map will go to it. Places in bold, marked , have a short description.

Getting there 2

Visitor centres

On the trail 29

Trailheads

Route

Campgrounds

Picnic site

Sights 30

Waterfalls

Lakes

Peaks 26

Map data comes from third-party sources and may be incomplete or out of date, so carry a current official map (terms).

Trip types
Day hikeWeekend backpackingBirdwatchingMountaineeringWinter trip

Looking for one of these closer to home?Destinations near me by trip type →

Terrain
DesertMountainsAlpineForestWetlands
Key hazards
Extreme desert heatAltitudeSnow and ice on San GorgonioLightningFlash floods
Best seasons
Spring, Fall (low elevations); Summer (San Gorgonio)
Difficulty
Easy to strenuous
Access / trailheads
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve on Highway 62 in Morongo Valley; Whitewater Preserve north of I-10 near Palm Springs; high-country trailheads off Highway 38.
Water
At the preserves. Streams on the mountain are seasonal; treat all water.
Cell / satellite coverage
Good at the preserves; patchy in the canyons and on the mountain.
Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency
Emergencies: 911. BLM Palm Springs office: 760-833-7100. San Bernardino National Forest: 909-382-2600.
Permits & regulations
Free wilderness permit (quota) for day and overnight use in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Forest Service recreation pass at many trailheads. Set hours at the preserves.
Leave No Trace
Stay on boardwalks and trails in the wetlands, camp at designated sites in the wilderness, and pack out all waste.
Conditions by month

October This month

Average high78°F(26°C)26°C(78°F)
Average low57°F(14°C)14°C(57°F)
Rainfall0.2 in(4 mm)4 mm(0.2 in)
Daylight, mid-month11 h 23 minSunrise 6:51 a.m., sunset 6:14 p.m.

What to bring depends on your trip: how long you’re out, where you sleep, and how far you go from the road. The planner builds the list for yours.

Plan a trip here →

Averages for 1991–2020 from NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, measured at the Morongo Valley N station, 15 miles (25 km)25 km (15 miles) away at 3,145 feet (959 m)959 m (3,145 feet). Higher trails run colder, by about 3.5°F for every 1,000 ft (2°C per 300 m)2°C for every 300 m (3.5°F per 1,000 ft) of climb. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th, on the park’s own clock, for a level horizon. Valleys and slopes facing away from the sun are in shade earlier.

Before you go Conditions, permits, fire bans and closures change constantly — we summarise and link out, but always confirm with the managing agency first.
Official monument website → Last verified 2026-09-30

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Straight-line distance between park centres. Road distance is usually longer.

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