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Quail Mountain, at 5,813+ feet above sea level, is the highest mountain in Joshua Tree National Park and the highest point in the Little San Bernardino Mountains. The mountain can be reached by foot from almost any direction. The regular route utilizes the California Riding and Hiking Trail starting from Keys View road and traverses barren, burned desert 4.5 miles to Juniper Flats. From there it is about 1.5 more miles of cross-country hiking to the flat summit which is marked by a large cairn. There are no trails to the summit, all routes involve cross-country hiking. The mountain used to be covered with juniper and pinyon pines, but a series of devastating fires in 1999 and 2001 burned the mountain, and now it is very barren. Occasionally one encounters a pinyon pine, joshua tree, desert oak or juniper bush that survived the fires, but most are gone. The best times to hike the peak are Fall, Winter and Spring. Winter can be very cold and windy, and summer is very hot and not recommended. Fall (October-December) is probably the safest time to visit the peak. Watch for rattlesnakes in the spring. There is no water or shade en route. A few Desert Bighorn Sheep live in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, and seeing one or a herd is a rewarding experience.
At the summit of the mountain you will notice a few pieces of aircraft wreckeage. On February 4th, 1999, two civilian T-28's (N628B and N128BJ) piloted by Bill Jones and Greg Weber crashed into the side of the mountain killing both of them[1]. They were flying to Thermal Airport from Van Nuys Airport as a flight of two and impacted at the 5300-foot level on the west side of the mountain. At the time of the accident the mountains were obscured by cloud cover.
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