Trip Date: 4/15/2018
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Permit/Pass: 7 Day Permit ($15), JT Annual Pass ($30) or National Parks Pass
Trails: NPS
Directions: From Hwy 62 (Twentynine Palms Highway) in Yucca Valley follow the signs to JTNP (south on Park Blvd - Quail Springs Rd - National Park Dr) to the kiosk at the Northwest entrance. Drive 15.7 miles on Park Boulevard (be sure to stay left at the junction with Keys View Rd.) to the entrance to Desert Queen Mine Rd. Turn left and drive the short distance to the parking area. If the main area is full there is overflow parking a few yards back at the fork in the road.
Synopsis: Negro Hill is fine little off-trail experience with the reward of a wonderful 360° view at the summit. It's not a terribly difficult climb but there are no trails and plenty of rocks, so pick your route carefully and take your time.
Trail sequence: Pine City trail / Negro Hill (off-trail) / Pine City trail
Type: Loop
Distance: 2.9 miles (depending upon how much bushwhacking you do after descending)
Elevation: Min. - 4413’, Max. - 4873'
Profile:
Rating: Moderate (factors: heat, rocky route-finding)
Notes: If it's too hot, or you've arrived too late in the day to feel comfortable tackling Queen Mountain, this hike is a fun, less taxing, alternative.
Track: Negro Hill / offtrail - Joshua Tree NP: Alltrails, GaiaGPS
Turn by turn:
-- Shortly after heading north from the Pine City trailhead - and once you've surveyed to hillside and chosen a route, turn west and bushwhack over to the base of Negro Hill.
-- From here it's hard to offer concrete advice. We opted to first head up a low ridge sloping a bit to the south toward a dark rock outcrop. From there west switchbacked west up to the summit. It's a fairly broad, level area that allows for excellent sightseeing.
-- The west side of the hill can get steep, so we headed off and down to the north, having to pick a path through some fairly shaley terrain before finally dropping onto a more gently slope heading east and down into the desert.
-- We followed a wash north, through a typical Joshua Tree rock pile, until the wash ended. From here we turned east again and crossed back over to the Pine City trail.
-- Once you've returned to the trail, either continue out to Pine City, or return to the trailhead (as we did).
Photos: Flickr