Maynard Mine Trail

Love this trail if you’re looking for a good work out! Good elevation gain but didn’t feel too difficult. Nice views of the desert as well.

Lots of elevation gain so not for casual hiker but good work out if u hike regularly. The extra distance to the mine from the peak wasn’t worth it but does add to workout. Beautiful views up there.

Nice trail. Rocky at times. Elevation is tricky. It wasn’t exceptionally beautiful except for the views.

Tough hike due to gain in elevation and rocky trail fully exposed to the sun. Awesome views! Recommend to take lots of water and use hiking poles.

This isn't one of the more scenic trails in the Indian Canyons (instead try West Fork North Loop or Indian Potrero Loop). But one of the reasons I like it is because there's a 2000 ft elevation gain in the first 2.5 miles. I often hike to the peak and turn back because the decent to the "mine" is rather anti-climatic. Not much to see there.

A very scenic hike with great views into the snow capped mountains or down the valley toward town. Trail was in good shape and easy to navigate overall. Elevation gain is about 1000 ft per mile for 2.5 mile to the top then around 400 vertical feet drop in 1/2 mile to the mine. In other words its steep so bring water and plan for a good work out. At the mine there are three areas to check out. Read the plaque which is adjacent to a collapsed mine shaft, 100’ above the plaque is the old air compression. Check it out and ponder how that got up there. About 100’ below the plaque is another shaft but this one is open. I didn’t go in but it was interesting to see the mining Jim Maynard did to support the war effort with tungsten. Do watch out for the cats claw bush, they are sharp and the slightest bump will draw blood. Otherwise enjoy the work out and stop often to check out the views and different topography.

Beware of the Cats Claw Bushes. It’s a rocky elevated hike, so the way down will take longer than you expect!

We have done almost every hike in the park! This one was INTENSE. Loved the challenge and the views as we went higher and higher. It is 6.6 miles to the top and back, another 1 miles down to the mine and back. Took us 3-3.5 hours return trip. The mine is underwhelming, and no water in the valley. There is also ZERO shade, come prepared with water and energy!

nice day for a hike...trail is good, water in both canyons, and snow on the mountains! 3.3 miles to the mine

Friday after Thanksgiving hike, weather was great, 32oz of water was just enough, hiked fast with a 2:32 RT time. Moderate difficulty, but watch footing on downhill portions. Back Canyon views are spectacular.

Absolutely brutal trail; rocky, technical and very unforgiving with a massive amount of switchbacks. Must be vigilant about every step taken. Views were pretty awesome and vertical gain was a great workout, but I really don't ever need to do that trail again.

Did the trail today, very scenic and wild flowers in Full bloom. 6 mile round trip to the mine, 2/12 mile ascend to the peak and 1/2 decent to the mine. I was the only hiker during entire 6 mile round trip, the trail is very rough, make sure to take plenty of water.

This is a strenuous hike but well worth the effort. I’d suggest an early start as there is little shelte anywhere on the trail. The descent into the mine is well worth the extra effort. Despite what some people has written on this site, there is indeed a mine entrance situated a few feet below the plaque. You can enter the mine itself, but do so with caution. The views from the descent to the mine are magnificent. While the main ascent has magnificent city and valley views, the descent to the mine gives unparalleled views of San Jacinto, sky and wilderness. The descent is a quad-killer but the whole experience makes this an unparalleled hike. Highly recommended.

Nice challenging hike. Not worth going to see the mine. It’s just a plaque

Absolutely brutal trail; rocky, technical and very unforgiving with a massive amount of switchbacks. Must be vigilant about every step taken. Views were pretty awesome and vertical gain was a great workout, but Jen and I agreed we never need to do that trail again.

We did maybe half of this trail after the Andreas Trail loop. The combination of the two trails made for a great morning of hiking.

Did on a Sunday morning with friends of varying skill levels. Hard enough to have the advanced hikers working, but easy enough that the beginners didn't struggle to keep up. Great views throughout.

We paid $18 ($9 per person) as an admission fee to the Indian Canyons and it was beautiful. There are so many trails of varying difficulties, so it was busy on a Sunday morning. We got there right when they opened, at 8, so it wasn't a problem for us. The Maynard Mine Trail is hard. It's listed on the brochure as "strenuous" and all the incline was definitely difficult. I'm not sure why it's listed as moderate here. There is no shade, but luckily we went in the morning and there was a nice breeze. We made it to the top to only realize that we had to descend to get to the mine entrance, which meant that we would have to ascend to get back to the top again. I wish I brought more food because one power bar was not enough for me. The hike was beautiful with flowers, cacti, cool rocks, rabbits, and lizards.

Beautiful trail but I would rate it 'moderate plus.' Then again I am 59. Loved the vistas, flowers and animals.

First off, the trail is more like 2.75 to the "mine". My biggest recommendation is to stop at the peak and not try to make it to the "mine" which is really just a plaque on a rock. The trail, while listed here as moderate, is almost 3 miles of uphill, narrow path, switchbacks which will have you saying "F**K gravity" within the first half hour. That being said, my gf and I thought that this trail was a beautiful workout, boasting amazing views of the Cochella Valley and are sure to go back. FYI, entrance fee is free with military ID, and discounted with a student ID. Parking is Free.