Where the Desert Keeps Its Secrets: Hiking Cathedral Canyon and the Ghosts of Dunn Road

I had hiked a small portion of the Cathedral Canyon trail as part of the Citizens Science projects with Friends of the Desert Mountains and wanted to experience the entire loop trail. So we started out early on a spring morning from the entrance in the Cathedral Canyon neighborhood.

Hike Distance: 11.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,392 feet

TrailsNH Hiking Difficulty Calculator: 236– Very Strenuous

Click here to navigate to the TrailsNH website for a description of the hiking difficulty calculator

Let's Start Hiking the Cathedral Canyon Loop Segment

The trail started out with a reminder that it is all uphill for the first 4.7 miles until we reach the Hahn Point trailhead.

A series of switchback right at the start..

Following a climb of 700-800 feet, you can enjoy views overlooking the Cathedral City Cove neighborhood.

We reached a narrow plateau with views of the surrounding foothills.

The pyramid shaped peak visible in the distance (to the right of center) is Murray Hill, a hike we completed several years ago. Here's a link to that hike and blog.

We started to climb once more, but the views made it worthwhile. Although we began in the neighborhood, it didn't take long to feel that sense of isolation.

We were surrounded by the hills and mountains of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

There were lots of flowering cacti in the wash. This strawberry hedgehog cactus or Engelmann's hedgehog cactus is common in desert areas of the southwestern US. It usually grows in clusters often with up to 20 or more stems. It has bright magenta flowers that bloom in April. Perfect timing for us.

In addition there were plenty of flowering beavertail cactus. These cactus can grow to include hundreds of fleshy, flattened blue-gray pads. They are typically spineless, but have many small barbed bristles that can easily penetrate the skin. Beaver tail cactus have pink to red flowers and bloom from spring to early summer.

Dave was obsessed with taking pictures of the these flowers.

But his obsession paid off with some great pictures.

Hiking the Dunn Road Segment

We entered a broad wash and continued along it until the path crossed with Dunn Road. We took the Dunn Road route, which we needed to follow for 2 miles. This road winds through the foothills of the northern Santa Rosa Mountains.

In the early 1970s, desert entrepreneur Michael Dunn of Rancho Mirage bulldozed a dirt road (Dunn Road) with the hope that it would lead to a mountainside hotel. Although the hotel never materialized the dirt road persisted. Unfortunately for Dunn, the Bureau of Land Management disagreed with his right to construct the road. As a result, the Bureau blocked the section of the road that crossed public land, making it inaccessible and crushing Dunn's aspirations.

Murry Hill dominates the view looking back at Cathedral City and Palm Springs. You can see how Dunn Road cuts through the hills.

Isolated patches of wild flowers lined the trail including these rosy apricot mallow.

After one mile we encountered the first of the abandoned road construction vehicles that were used by Dunn.

One mile later we found more abandoned construction equipment and a multi trail crossroads with picnic tables. Here is the spot where Dunn Rd connects to the Art Smith Trail and Hahn Vista Trail.

Hiking the Hahn Vista Trail Segment

We've hiked Art Smith multiple times (click here) but for today we'll take the Hahn Vista Trail which joins up with the Cathedral Canyon Loop.

Lots of plant lined the path.

We climb quickly leaving Dunn Road in the distance.

We saw this amazing plant called a Panamint Liveforever growing out of a rock wall. This perennial succulent desert plant is native to the rocky slopes of the many Southern California and Arizona mountain ranges.

When these flowers open they will have yellow petals

Beautiful views of the snow-covered San Jacinto Mountain range.

We climbed quickly leaving Dunn Road in the distance. The yellow bulldozer is still visible on the road (far right of center).

The trail continued to follow the ridge line as we made our way northwest, returning to the hike's starting point, with approximately 5 miles still ahead of us.

They call it the Hahn Vista Trail for a reason with great views across the valley.

From here it was mostly downhill through the hills of the National Monument.

People wonder if we get bored when we begin the second half of a loop trail since it's often the same or similar terrain that we've already crossing. The answer is easy - NO!' It may be the same terrain but it's also different views and angles. For me this scenery never gets old. Sometimes it's easy to see the beauty.

Sometimes you need to get closer to the ground to see why.

Sometimes you need to look quickly or you'll miss the opportunity.

Sometimes you need to look up and glimpse a soaring Swainson's hawk.

My rule of thumb - be patient and look all around. There is so much more to see than different shades of brown.

Over the course of an hour we gradually made our way back onto the flats. We needed to reach Dunn Road which is barely visible (upper far right) in this picture.

Back on the Cathedral Canyon Loop Trail

We crossed the intersection with Dunn Road and rejoined the Cathedral Canyon trail.

On the last leg of the trail as it runs parallel to Cathedral Canyon.

Soon the Cathedral Cover neighborhood was in sight and so was our car.

Here's the hike from the MapMyRun app.