Ladder Canyon Trail — Attraction in Coachella

We did this hike today (3 over 50 years old, 12 year old and a 15 year old) and it was amazing. I would give it 10/5 stars if I could .

We missed the turn driving there off of Box Canyon Rd. The turn is on to a sand road and you drive on it for approx. 2 kms and I would recommend not taking a car. The way back was worse like a washboard. Having said that I would definitely make the drive out as it is definitely worthwhile.

When you drive in make sure you drive to the very end (past the small parking lot with the washrooms) to a larger parking area - you will know when you get there!

You will see a big arrow on the ground but should have no issues finding the trail head. The hike will take you about 2 hours however there is so much to take in that we spent four hours - admiring the rocks and canyons, taking photos and enjoying the beauty of it all. Lots of great places to enjoy a lunch/snack or take a nap!

The ladders were very easy to climb and felt very secure. Our kids had no problem going up and down.

I would suggest you bring lots of water as it does get hot when you are walking on top of the canyon walls. We started the hike mid day so we had some nice shade the later part of our walk.

I would also recommend downloading the All Trails map as it easy to see where you are if you get a bit turned around. There are arrows on the ground to ensure you are going the right way (large arrows made out of rock) but if you are gazing around you might miss them. There are also rocks across the path in a line that also give you a hint that you may not be on the main trail. You can go down them but they usually lead to a dead end but nice if you want some variety and different view points.

I highly recommend this trail and we will be definitely be heading back to see where the other...

Only 1h away from Palm Springs, ropes and ladder canyon trail is an amazing hike! This hike is a loop and there will be ropes and ladder along your way.

I strongly recommend to start the hike by going up the ropes because it is much easier to go up the ropes and going down with the ladders. I started the hike by going up the ladders and going down the ropes and it gets quite scary and is not super easy. However, if you’re going down the ropes, you’ll notice that there are holes in the rock to put your feet, which makes it easier to go down.

Directions to go up the ropes: once you leave the parking area, walk between the wide canyon. After around 10-15min walk, turn left into a smaller canyon in direction to the ropes. You’ll have to first crawl under two rocks before finding the first rope. If you do not find the first rope within the first 30min of your hike, this means you’re not on the right path.

Please make sure you are feeling comfortable before going up or down the ropes! During our hike, we encounter a young woman who broke her knee while climbing up. Firemen and rescue helicopter had to come rescue her since she could not move.

Nevertheless, if you don’t feel like hiking the ropes, I suggest you to go all the way up using the ladders and then going back down using the ladders. This is...

A great workout and fun hike for everyone. We decided to do the 4 mile loop. We went up the ladders, so we started to the left of the trail. You'll see rock arrows pointing you in the right direction. And some drawing on the rock walls too. The first mile of the hike is shaded and cool; which is where the slot canyon section is. Fun experience to go through that and absolutely beautiful. Be careful, there are some steep sections and areas where you need to climb up/down. Once you're out of the slot canyon, you're exposed. The rest of the trail is in the sun, which is the majority of the hike/loop. So bring lots of water and sunscreen. It's in sand, so it might get annoying after a while. The parking area is pretty small on a dirt lot. There are no restrooms here, so you might want to go before coming here. I suggest starting this hike early, it gets really, really hot once you're out in the sun. The road to get down here is a long, dirt, rocky, windy road. It might be hard to do if you don't have a high clearance vehicle. But I think it might still be doable, it's dicey though! Definitely annoying to drive through even with a truck (washboard road). Salton Sea is close by, if you want to check it out...