Trip Date: January 19, 2020
2020 CALIFORNIA & ARIZONA ADVENTURE VACATION
Mastodon Trail Loop & Mastodon Peak Day Hike
Cottonwood Spring
Mastodon Peak (3285 ft)
Mastodon Mine
Trip Report Summary
Region: California
Sub-Region: Southern California
Sub-Sub-Region: Cottonwood Mountains
Area: Joshua Tree National Park
Starting & Ending Point: Cottonwood Spring Trailhead at end of Cottonwood Oasis Road (Elev. 3000 feet)
Way Points: Cottonwood Spring & Lost Palms Oasis Trail junction & Mastodon Peak Trail junction & Mastodon Mine & Cotton Spring & Cottonwood Campground Trail junction (trail hike)
Summit: Mastodon Peak (rock scramble via Southeast Face)
Approximate Stats: 3 miles traveled; 600 feet gained & lost; 1.5 hours elapsed.
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Full Trip Report
For our final hike in Joshua Tree National Park, Eileen and I hiked the Mastodon Loop in the Cottonwood area. The main attractions here are a granitic peak and an abandoned mine of the same name. We started at the Cottonwood Springs Trailhead and hiked southeast a short distance before turning up toward Mastodon Peak.
- Mastodon Loop Trail Sign
Along the way, we couldn’t help but marvel at the monzonite (a close relative of granite) that dominates the entire park. On a small scale, the crystals within the monzonite rock are extremely coarse—far bigger than any granite crystals I’ve ever seen. On a large scale, the once-solid rock has fractured and weathered into comically enormous boulders.
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- Stacked Boulders Along Mastodon Loop
The Mastodon Peak summit trail switchbacks over rocks slabs and eventually transitions into a short, fun Class 2-3 scramble on super-grippy monzonite boulders. A stiff wind was blowing across the summit horn.
- Eileen On Mastodon Peak Summit
Continuing on our counter-clockwise loop, we passed by the old Mastodon Mine, where a robust steel lattice has been constructed over the mine shaft opening. The trail then curved us back through Cotton Spring to close the loop.
- Buried Trail Marker At Cotton Spring
Route Map
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge…
