Pine City via the Eagle Cliff Hills - 9.4 Miles Round-Trip

Pine City is located in a maze of rugged and heavily vegetated canyons in the northeast corner of Queen Valley. It's named for a high concentration of pinyon pine that are sheltered and funneled water by surrounding canyons and rock formations.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

While easily reached from the Pine City Trailhead, a more adventurous route begins from the Split Rock Loop Trailhead and navigates the lightly traveled Eagle Cliff Hills:

The trail begins on the north end of the parking lot at Split Rock, a large boulder with a pronounced split in its base. Go left around Split Rock and look down to your left for the trail.

The trail weaves through open rock gardens to the Eagle Cliff Trail split (.35 miles : 4,225'). Note the sign reads: SL (left) - EC (right). Bear right toward EC (Eagle Cliff Hills).

The Eagle Cliff Trail bends NW and undulates to the basin wall, which it scales on a steep, narrow and faint path (.75 miles : 4,263'). Anticipate slick footing over loose rock and sand.

Note higher concentrations of juniper, pinyon, oak, nolina, and yucca as you gain elevation. Mound, beavertail and hedgehog cacti also appear on this challenging climb. The trail squeezes through a gap beneath adjacent boulders (.95 miles : 4,574'), and continues up to the crest of a high ridge (1.0 miles : 4,602').

Ignore an unmarked spur that branches right just before reaching the crest, and aim for the lone pinyon pine straight ahead (atop the ridge) to remain on track.

Survey the basin below before dropping in. Rugged travel moderates on a more distinct path through the Eagle Cliff Hills, a stretch highlighted by large rock formations and dense vegetation. Remain vigilant through this complex and indistinguishable landscape.

At 2.0 miles (4,383') you'll reach the Desert Queen Mine complex, a cluster of gated mine shafts on a high ridge overlooking a deep canyon.

The Desert Queen Mine was a lucrative gold mining outfit that operated 1865 - 1961. The trail skirts the mines (left) and drops on a wide path into the canyon. It bottoms out on the canyon floor and crosses a wash (2.2 miles : 4,287'); once over it climbs steeply back up the far canyon wall. Keep left at a faint split shortly after the wash crossing (2.3 miles : 4,347').

The trail winds uphill to a sparsely vegetated plateau and unmarked junction with a dirt road (2.6 miles : 4,435'). Turn Left. The dirt road leads to the Pine City Trailhead (2.75 miles : 4,432'). The Pine City Trail heads north and level across Queen Valley, formed by different rates of erosion between the surrounding mountains and underlying rock.

Negro Hill (4,875') stands prominently over the Pine City Trailhead area, while Queen Mountain (5,687') and its east ridge frame the northern horizon. Joshua Trees dot the great expanse, but grow poorly in the far east end of their range.

The trail runs across the valley to a brief wash merge (4.0 miles : 4,538'), beyond which the landscape diversifies with large rock gardens and a variety of trees, cacti and shrubs (4.2 miles : 4,538'). This is generally considered the south edge of Pine City, and the Day Use Area demarcation.

The trail continues northeast to Pine City Overlook and an end of maintained trails sign (4.7 miles : 4,578'). Social trails branch down into canyons and along high ridges, the latter providing excellent views of the pine-filled maze below.

Steep pitches, large boulders, and tangled vegetation make canyon exploration difficult, but patient hikers will find safe passage. Skilled route-finders can drop into Pine City Canyon and follow it northeast through the mountains and across a bajada to connect with Park Boulevard near the North Entrance Station.