Wildrose Peak Trail

Located about seven miles from the tallest peak in the park, Wildrose Peak is no less spectacular than the taller Telescope Peak. Along this trail, visitors will have the opportunity to take in sweeping desert at almost any point. Beginning from the Charcoal Kilns, the trail begins a gradual ascent. A look out .25 miles in gives visitors a chance to enjoy the view and take a short break. Enjoy the gentle grades early on, as a few steep trail segments lie ahead! Visitors will continue to pass through a Pinyon Pine forest as they gain a ridgeline. All of the hard work to reach the ridge immediately pays off, as views are expansive. The snowy salt flats come into full view, providing an unexpected scene, especially in hot summer months when valley temperatures easily surpass 100 degrees. You'll have a respite from the steep climbing for a while, and instead you'll take a circuitous route to the summit. Take in the views around you, and catch your breath. The last half mile to the summit begins to climb steeply, and you'll be working your way through a multitude of switchbacks. Keep at it until you hit a false summit, and then enjoy the tame slope to the real summit. By this time, you'll have left most vegetation behind, so you'll have unobstructed views. Take in the desert landscape, and stop to have a snack before heading back down the way you came.