Ladder Canyon Hike

Our hike of choice today was the Mecca Wilderness Ladder Canyon Hike. This amazing trail leads through a very narrow slot canyon that has a half dozen ladders to help with access. The route and wooden ladders were originally developed by residents of our very own Happy Wanderer Trailer Park. Some of the wooden ladders have now been replaced by modern metal versions (shown here are both styles), but the trail is still a challenge.

The Mecca Hills are located about 40 miles southeast of Palm Springs, CA. They were formed by the convergence of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate along the San Andreas Fault. The geologic formations of Mecca Hills are among the most unusual of their kind in the world, according to the website describing the hike. My wife, visiting daughter, and I continually marveled at the rock formations and how the trail looked like it would dead end, but a tight turn would take us further into the canyon.