Cactus to Clouds

Cactus to Clouds is an iconic hike in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. It is one of those rare hikes in the world that allows you to gain over 10,000ft in elevation. What makes this route even more special is the existence of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which allows you to skip most of the downhike. The 21 mile route thus begins at 500ft, summits Mt. San Jacinto at 10,800ft around Mile 16, and ends at the top of the tram station at 8500ft. Throughout the hike one traverses multiple climate zones, starting from an arid desert to an alpine forest.

I put together a video of my hike, please enjoy!

See my Strava Activity for more trip report details on weather, navigation, food, etc.