Palm Springs Museum Trail to North Lykken Trail

I thought the trail was challenging, wife didn't like it at all. at the end of the hike, we were glad we finished it.

steep but great views. lots of maskless tourists. picked up a bunch of trash.

I’m going to write a detailed review to be as helpful as possible. Which side you begin this trail on greatly affects your experience, but I like to start from the museum parking lot, so this review is based on that direction. First of all, I LOVE this hike. There are beautiful, almost panoramic views of Palm Springs very shortly into the hike. From the parking lot, I would consider the ASCENT ‘advanced intermediate’, and the DESCENT ‘advanced beginner’. On the way up, the trail is rocky and uneven, and you will have to climb over a few 3-5 foot rocks. Pay close attention to the trail markers, which as of Dec ‘20 were spray painted white dots/arrows. If you have the pro version of AllTrails, it’s worth downloading the map ahead of time. After about half an hour of scrambling (I was hiking fast), you will reach a picnic table. Great place to catch your breath. Shortly ahead, the trail will veer off to the LEFT to connect with the north Lykken trail. If you miss this, you can get off track a bit and continue to ascend the mountain. The descent is fun and easy and much smoother than the ascent. It’s also the North Lykken trail, so it’s MUCH more crowded. If you have trouble with your knees, it’s worth bringing light poles with you for the descent, regardless of where you start. Stay on the streets for about a 20 minute walk to return to the parking lot where you began. I Was finished with the hike, and the return to my car in an hour and 20 minutes. Like all trails in Palm Springs, it’s safest to go between November and May, or when the temp is below 90. Wear shoes/boots with good grip for the rocks, and bring water. Hope this helps!

Great hike! Going down was a little steep. Needed better shoes.

awesome.

Moderate hike! Great going up, easy going down.

Pretty easy hike. Museum trail is pretty straight up but short, down the lykken and walked through the neighborhood back to the museum. Good short workout.

Very nice trail up and down but we chose to not do the loop and instead walked back to the Museum through the nice neighborhood.

Went museum to Ramon direction and was a good hike. A little steep heading out, but rest of trail was great.

Great weather. pretty crowded with holiday vacationers.

Nice view on Palm Springs.

Good workout, lotsa good climbing

Great workout as an alternative to the longer trail, only about .7 miles total & about 500 feet of elevation gain. Finished in about 35 minutes. No shade, bring water- was sweating bullets (August 1) but felt great! Definitely didn’t see any other crazy hikers in the afternoon today.

I live nearby and do this trail regularly for a workout. Starting from the museum, it’s a nice, steep 900+ feet climb in about a mile. If you do the trail though as depicted here -down to Ramon and back up the mountain again- it’s over 5 miles, not 3.7 miles as AllTrails says. If you attempt to hike it when it’s over 90 degrees, you better be in shape and carry plenty of water. Wear good, grippy hiking/trail running shoes to safely navigate the rocky terrain. I always go late in the evening, when the sun is over the mountain and it’s not beating down on me. Love the views, the pink-blue desert sunset sky, and the lights in the valley coming on. It’s also gorgeous in the Spring. Oh and watch out for the miniature Indian settlement in the rocks ;) at around 2.2 miles.

Very cool & a great work out. Be prepared for incline the whole way, and pack twice as much water as you think you need! Hiking boots highly recommended & the earlier in the day the better. Overall a great workout. Not recommended for kids

Such a fun hike! A lot of climbing and a few difficult areas. Probably not for new hikers, dogs, or children under 7 or so.