Rock and Roll Dino!

Hike Deer Springs Trail in Mount San Jacinto

06.16.2015

Assignment: Survey 14,000 acres of wilderness for the existence of Indominus rex. Location: Mount San Jacinto State Park. Tip: Find a high vantage point! Climb to new heights on a challenging 6.6-mile (round-trip) trek up Deer Springs Trail to Suicide Rock—so named for the story of a Cahuilla Native American couple who jumped off it after being forbidden from seeing each other. The wilderness here is lush green, but the terrain you'll ascend is rocky and relentless: You'll gain nearly 2,000 feet in elevation, passing beautiful manzanita trees with their smooth crimson bark. If the intense climb doesn't take your breath away, the view at the top might. The pine trees of the valley sprawl below as the vista sweeps north to south from towering Mount San Jacinto to sparkling Lake Hemet. Sometimes clouds blanket the valley … beware the hidden Indominus rex.

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