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Hiking Trails Under 5 km near Indio

The directory currently contains 6 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Indio. Their average mapped distance is 2.2 km and average recorded ascent is 56 m (184 ft); the longest route in the set is 3.8 km.

This subset represents 60% of the 10 quality-checked routes near Indio. Its average distance is 2.2 km, compared with 4.6 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 56 m (184 ft), versus 140 m (459 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 3 routes (50%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (33%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.8 km

Ryan Ranch Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Ryan Ranch Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

@ Ryan Mountain Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
72 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
121 m
Typical duration
58 min
Rock formation on the Barker Dam Natural Trail
Easy

California · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
27 min
Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree National Park , California.
Easy

California · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
22 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
60 m
Typical duration
41 min
Easy

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
10 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Ryan Mountain TrailCalifornia2.3 km72 m35 minModerateJune to October
Mastodon Mine Loop TrailCalifornia3.8 km121 m58 minModerateApril to October
Barker Dam LoopCalifornia1.8 km50 m27 minEasyApril to October
Hidden Valley TrailCalifornia1.5 km32 m22 minEasyApril to October
Window Loop TrailCalifornia2.9 km60 m41 minModerateApril to October
Ryan Ranch TrailCalifornia0.8 km0 m10 minEasyApril to October

Ryan Mountain Trail, Mastodon Mine Loop Trail, Window Loop Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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