Nice to see the wells, however going up the Jeep road is tedious. Good hike to take visitors from out of town on. Can enjoy the Indian Wells and still visit with friends or family.
Our plan was only to go to the spring. We decided to head up to the Mesa and have lunch. It is well worth the extra effort.
The trail to the spring is much more scenic and the view from the top of the dry waterfall just before spring is quite nice.
The view from the Mesa, however is so spectacular. It is rather a slow climb at places though. The trail needs much work from spring to Mesa. The loose rock is a concern. I highly recommend a stick or trekking pole to descend.
Took visitors from back east up this well named canyon. We enjoyed much snow in the Alamo Canyon as we approached the Picnic Canyon entrance. The visitors reminded me how unusual the sights of this canyon is. They even took some souvenir home with them.
The final dry waterfall is an amazing place to sit in.
Went to the spring. It is such a lovely trail. The canyon on the south side gives a wonderful view at the beginning of the trail. Also the vegetation seems to happily surround the trail. The view from top of dry waterfall is wonderful.
There are a few places that split on the trail. Remember to head toward Mesa.
The round up cliffs give nice views to the surrounding area. Rather than do the wash to exit we incorporated the off trail cliffs to get to Picnic Canyon (P3) and back to trailhead. It is a very nice cliff on the north side of Alamo Canyon.
Also went across tops of other Picnic Canyon sections.
These wells are always a mystery to see and enjoy. The trailhead can be a bit difficult to find. Be sure to go a bit past the wash for more wells hidden in the scrubs.
Still my favorite. This canyon has the simplicity and diversity to do again and again without boredom. The climbs are not too challenging and there are various ways to do the canyon.
The marbling rock is one of the spots I never tire of enjoying.
This is a pretty waterfall. Climbing the side of it is rather risky. There is too much water and the footing is not good.
The things to see past it are not worth the effort.
The hiker I went with was leading. Lesson learned. Do not let anyone lead you past what your gut tells you is stupid. He ended up seeing a snake, freaking out, falling back, and causing me to fall back on a sharp rock with his 250 lbs on me.
A local hiker showed me this trail. He is a young 86 year old that loves to hike. It actually goes behind the Fire station, thus my name. There are several place to discover off of this.
WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
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