Murray Canyon

Overview

There are few things more wonderful than trekking across a foreboding, seemingly barren desert landscape and ending up welcomed into a lush canyon oasis — and Murray Canyon provides that feeling in spades, with the additional joy of a series of small cascades tucked deep in its rocky recesses. This is a wonderful desert hike — but despite the ample oases and water, remember that it is a desert hike. You’ll want to start early and pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and hats — especially for the sections where you’ll be hiking out in the open. But with the proper gear and right attitude, this can be a fairly moderate family-friendly hike and a wonderful introduction to the world of palm oases. The trailhead begins at the same developed trailhead for Andreas Canyon (if you want, you can drive a bit farther through the picnic areas, which will cut off a little under 0.4 mile roundtrip from the distance listed here).  Follow the signs toward Maynard Mine and Murray Canyon and head south, crossing the dirt road over Andreas Canyon Creek. Keep left immediately after crossing to continue toward Maynard Mine / Murray Canyon. You’ll follow a road that passes several picnic areas shaded by bending palms, then arrive at another trail sign and map marking the trailhead for Murray and Maynard. Here, the trail begins — and you’ll lose that welcome shade of the palm oasis. You may notice the temperature feels like it jumps up a bit because of that — which again, is why it’s so important to pack in enough water for everyone even though this is a relatively short hike. The non-oasis landscape is still pretty darn stunning, though — especially in early morning or late afternoon light, when shadows truly accentuate the rippling geography of the nearby San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains. The rocky trail has a very gradual descent here before widening out and becoming sandier.  Just before the 0.4 mile mark, keep right at the junction to stay en route toward Murray Canyon. The next 0.4 mile of trail is broad, sandy desert washes and

Trail Stats

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