Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Hike Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Class 3 13.8 miles 3600 gain 7-10 hrs Loop Mar 19, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon GPX Track

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By far my favorite Joshua Tree National Park backcountry loop to date, this route up Munsen Canyon links the very popular Lost Palms Oasis Trail with the not nearly as popular Eagle Mountain route via a super fun boulder-filled remote canyon with at least five palm oases, two of which don't appear to have names, despite my ample research. Although there are some footprints up Munsen Canyon for a time, any human impact disappeared about a third of the way up.

From the Cottonwood Spring Trailhead, follow the Lost Palms Oasis Trail until you reach the palms, and then continue down the canyon. You'll scramble down a bunch of boulders before reaching Victory Palms, where there are only a couple of palms. Much more interesting oases to come, for sure. An old pipe marks a fairly easy way down until this point. Head through a sandy wash and turn left up Munsen Canyon, where you'll do some more scrambling and soon meet up with Summit Spring Oasis, a much more remote version of Lost Palms. Onward to Munsen Canyon, with similar scrambling and progressively more gorgeous rock formations everywhere. If you're feeling tired here, best to head back. The next couple of oases (unnamed) are in my opinion more interesting than anything so far, but there's lots more scrambling to come.

The section between Unnamed Oasis 1 and Unnamed Oasis 2 (see map) is beautiful but has some bramble to bushwhack through, but it is gone for good once you reach Unnamed Oasis 2. If you make it to this oasis and are feeling good, I recommend you keep going because the best views are yet to come. There is also a gorgeous natural arch with no name that you can see if you look back toward Unnamed Oasis 2. There may be an easier route, but the mapped route that I took includes some rough Class 3 scrambling and route-finding under and over bright-hot white boulders and with the occasional inconvenient cactus. As soon as you get past the Class 3 section, however, it's smooth and easy hiking up to the summit of Eagle Mountain. There's a cairned route that is easy to lose that brings you to a steep descent gully that open up into open desert. I passed a small but pretty natural arch, and I'm sure you can find lots of other cool stuff in this section of slickrock granite. Continue through the easily navigable wide open desert until you get to a wash that leads to the Cottonwood Campground.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Eagle Mountain
5350 ft
2230 rise

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Cottonwood Spring, just after leaving the trailhead.
Cottonwood Spring, just after leaving the trailhead.
Continuing along the Lost Palms Oasis Trail.
Continuing along the Lost Palms Oasis Trail.
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Lost Palms Oasis below.
Lost Palms Oasis below.
Lost Palms Oasis.
Lost Palms Oasis.
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Leaving Lost Palms Oasis, headed east within the canyon.
Leaving Lost Palms Oasis, headed east within the canyon.
Some rock obstacles shortly after Lost Palms Oasis.
Some rock obstacles shortly after Lost Palms Oasis.
Lost Palms Canyon continues below this first section of boulder scrambling. You can see Victory Palms below.
Lost Palms Canyon continues below this first section of boulder scrambling. You can see Victory Palms below.
Flat wash after Victory Palms. Munsen Canyon heads off on the left (north) shortly.
Flat wash after Victory Palms. Munsen Canyon heads off on the left (north) shortly.
Heading up the scramble into Munsen Canyon.
Heading up the scramble into Munsen Canyon.
Munsen Canyon.
Munsen Canyon.
Approaching Summit Spring Palms Oasis.
Approaching Summit Spring Palms Oasis.
Summit Spring Palms Oasis.
Summit Spring Palms Oasis.
Looking back down Munsen Canyon from Summit Spring Palms Oasis.
Looking back down Munsen Canyon from Summit Spring Palms Oasis.
Continuing up Munsen Canyon.
Continuing up Munsen Canyon.
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Approaching Munsen Oasis.
Approaching Munsen Oasis.
Munsen Oasis.
Munsen Oasis.
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Munsen Oasis, super beautiful nestled in the canyon.
Munsen Oasis, super beautiful nestled in the canyon.
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More scrambling after Munsen Oasis.
More scrambling after Munsen Oasis.
The speck of Unnamed Oasis 1 in the center.
The speck of Unnamed Oasis 1 in the center.
Unnamed Oasis 1.
Unnamed Oasis 1.
After leaving Unnamed Oasis 1.
After leaving Unnamed Oasis 1.
Looking back toward Unnamed Oasis 1. The route heads to the right (east) after the oasis.
Looking back toward Unnamed Oasis 1. The route heads to the right (east) after the oasis.
Approaching Unnamed Oasis 2.
Approaching Unnamed Oasis 2.
Unnamed Oasis 2 has standing water.
Unnamed Oasis 2 has standing water.
Unnamed Oasis 2.
Unnamed Oasis 2.
Continuing farther up Munsen Canyon, past Unnamed Oasis 2. The rock pinacles are absolutely massive here.
Continuing farther up Munsen Canyon, past Unnamed Oasis 2. The rock pinacles are absolutely massive here.
Looking back toward Unnamed Oasis 2, you can see a big natural arch on the left.
Looking back toward Unnamed Oasis 2, you can see a big natural arch on the left.
Close-up of the natural arch.
Close-up of the natural arch.
A last look at Unnamed Oasis 2 before heading farther up the canyon.
A last look at Unnamed Oasis 2 before heading farther up the canyon.
The canyon opens up into a gorgeous wash with great views of remote pinnacles in all directions.
The canyon opens up into a gorgeous wash with great views of remote pinnacles in all directions.
Looking back the way I came through the spot where the canyon opens up.
Looking back the way I came through the spot where the canyon opens up.
Continuing up my chosen gully.
Continuing up my chosen gully.
Scrambling toward my gully, looking back down the way I came.
Scrambling toward my gully, looking back down the way I came.
A bunch of fun Class 3 obstacles like this.
A bunch of fun Class 3 obstacles like this.
Looking back from near the top of my chosen gully.
Looking back from near the top of my chosen gully.
My gully flattened out, but still had some boulders to work through.
My gully flattened out, but still had some boulders to work through.
And finally the gully boulders went away and you have a great view of Eagle Mountain ahead, no obstacles in the way.
And finally the gully boulders went away and you have a great view of Eagle Mountain ahead, no obstacles in the way.
Looking back down the wash leading toward my Class 3 gully.
Looking back down the wash leading toward my Class 3 gully.
Looking back down on the way up to Eagle Mountain.
Looking back down on the way up to Eagle Mountain.
Continuing up the fairly steep slope.
Continuing up the fairly steep slope.
Looking back from the false summit leading to Eagle Mountain.
Looking back from the false summit leading to Eagle Mountain.
From the false summit looking toward Eagle Mountain.
From the false summit looking toward Eagle Mountain.
Summit of Eagle Mountain, looking down the way I came.
Summit of Eagle Mountain, looking down the way I came.
Summit of Eagle Mountain, looking along the ridge I'll be hiking along to start the descent.
Summit of Eagle Mountain, looking along the ridge I'll be hiking along to start the descent.
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Some minor obstacles on the way down from Eagle Mountain.
Some minor obstacles on the way down from Eagle Mountain.
Looking back toward Eagle Mountain before starting down the descent gully.
Looking back toward Eagle Mountain before starting down the descent gully.
Descent gully from Eagle Mountain.
Descent gully from Eagle Mountain.
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The gully opens up to wide open desert.
The gully opens up to wide open desert.
Looking back toward the descent gully from Eagle Mountain.
Looking back toward the descent gully from Eagle Mountain.
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A large area of the open desert trek has slickrock that is super fun to explore.
A large area of the open desert trek has slickrock that is super fun to explore.
Small arch on the left. Once you're in open desert, head to the Cottonwood Camground to complete the loop.
Small arch on the left. Once you're in open desert, head to the Cottonwood Camground to complete the loop.

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