Ryan Mountain, Lost Horse Mine and a Keys View Sunset: A West-Side Joshua Tree Day Trip

The best fall day trip in Joshua Tree National Park this week stays on the west side and ends with a sunset. Enter at the West Entrance on Park Boulevard south of the town of Joshua Tree, climb Ryan Mountain in the morning (3 miles round trip, 1,050 feet of gain), walk out to the Lost Horse Mine stamp mill after lunch (4 miles round trip), and finish at Keys View, which looks out over the Coachella Valley, for sunset. The whole day is about 50 miles of driving inside the park, and a $30 vehicle pass covers it. This morning the park listed no closures on this route. Wednesday through Friday look sunny and cool, Saturday brings a chance of evening showers, and clocks fall back Sunday, so Sunday's sunset at Keys View comes at about 4:52 PM.

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, 7:15 AM PT

Is the west side of Joshua Tree National Park open this week?

Yes. These are the official reports from this morning:

• Joshua Tree National Park: the park's alerts listed nothing for Park Boulevard, Keys View Road, Ryan Mountain, or Lost Horse Mine. The three active alerts are elsewhere. Part of the West Side Loop trail in Black Rock Canyon is closed for trail repairs, with reopening estimated for November. The Oasis of Mara Trail in Twentynine Palms is closed past the oasis after flooding. The third alert is a general warning that some third-party hiking apps give wrong trail information, and the park recommends its official NPS app instead.
• Highway 62: Caltrans still shows SR 62 closed from Godwin Road, 2.4 miles east of Twentynine Palms, to the SR 177 junction because of flooding. That's far east of this route and doesn't affect it.
• Weather alerts: the National Weather Service had no active alerts posted for the Ryan Mountain area this morning.

How far is it, and how long does the drive take?

The town of Joshua Tree is the park's west-side gateway. Park Boulevard runs south from Highway 62, past the Joshua Tree Visitor Center at 6554 Park Blvd., to the West Entrance. These are the park's own distance and time estimates from the Joshua Tree Visitor Center:

From Joshua Tree Visitor Center to	Distance	Drive time (NPS estimate)
Hidden Valley	14 miles	26 minutes
Cap Rock / Keys View Road junction	16 miles	29 minutes
Ryan Campground (near the Ryan Mountain trailhead)	16 miles	30 minutes
Keys View	21 miles	37 minutes

The Lost Horse Mine trailhead is 2.4 miles down Keys View Road, then 1 mile on a dirt road, per the NPS trail page. Counting the drive back to town, the day comes to roughly 50 miles. That figure is our estimate, not an official one. Fill your tank in town before you head in.

What does it cost to get in?

From the park's fees page:

• Private vehicle: $30, good for 7 days for everyone in the car
• Motorcycle: $25 for 7 days
• On foot or by bike: $15 per person
• Joshua Tree Annual Pass: $55
• America the Beautiful pass: $80 for the annual pass for U.S. citizens and residents, or $20 for the annual pass for those 62 and older. The Military, Access, and 4th Grade passes are free.

The West Entrance station takes debit or credit cards only. If you want to pay cash, buy your pass at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center on Park Boulevard, which the NPS says takes cash or card and is open 7:30 AM–5 PM.

How hard is Ryan Mountain?

The NPS rates Ryan Mountain a difficult hike: 3 miles round trip with 1,050 feet of elevation gain. The first stretch is fairly flat, then the trail climbs steadily on rough rock steps to a summit with panoramic views across the park. The park's hiking table estimates 1.5–2.5 hours and the trail page says 2–3, so give yourself the longer window.

• Parking: use the lot on Park Boulevard between Ryan Campground and Sheep Pass Campground. The Sheep Pass trailhead is for campers only, and non-campers can't park there.
• Shade: there's very little. That's why the park recommends this trail for fall, winter, and spring, and why late October is a good time to do it.
• Crowds: the NPS calls it one of the most popular hikes in the park. Start early.

If you'd rather skip the climb, the park's 1-mile Ryan Ranch out-and-back starts about half a mile east of Ryan Campground. It follows an old ranch road to a historic adobe, with 135 feet of gain.

What's at Lost Horse Mine?

According to the NPS, Lost Horse Mine was one of the few successful operations among the more than 300 mines in what's now the park. Between 1894 and 1931 it produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold and 16,000 ounces of silver, and the park puts that at about $5 million in today's money. The park also tells a legend about it. The day shift kept outproducing the night shift, so owner J.D. Ryan hired an investigator, who found that original claim holder Johnny Lang was pocketing ore. Lang sold out. In 1905, miners hit a fault and lost the vein for good.

There are two ways to hike it:

• Out and back to the stamp mill: 4 miles round trip with 550 feet of gain, 2–3 hours. This is the right size for a day that already includes Ryan Mountain.
• The full loop: the NPS trail page lists 6.8 miles with 900 feet of total gain over 2–4 hours. The park's hiking table lists the loop at 6.5 miles, so expect something in that range.

The trailhead lot is small and fills quickly on busy weekends, and the park asks drivers not to park along the dirt access road. There's limited shade and unreliable cell service. Stay outside the fencing around the mill and mine. The ground there is unstable, and taking historic artifacts is illegal.

When is sunset at Keys View this week?

Keys View sits in the Little San Bernardino Mountains and looks south over the Coachella Valley. The park's hiking page says you can see the San Andreas Fault, Mount San Jacinto, Mount San Gorgonio, and the Salton Sea from there, and the NPS says that on a very clear day you can see Signal Mountain in Mexico, 90 miles away. A steep, paved 0.25-mile loop runs from the upper lot. Lower Keys View has a flatter 0.1-mile paved path and is the better choice for anyone with mobility concerns. There's a vault toilet at the upper lot, but no running water.

Here are the sunset times for Keys View from the U.S. Naval Observatory:

• Tuesday, Oct. 27: sunset 5:57 PM, last light (end of civil twilight) 6:22 PM
• Wednesday, Oct. 28: sunset 5:56 PM
• Saturday, Oct. 31: sunset 5:53 PM
• Sunday, Nov. 1: daylight saving time ends at 2 AM, so sunset moves to about 4:52 PM standard time

Get there 30–45 minutes early for a parking spot, and bring a jacket. The forecast below puts lows in the 40s up high.

What's the weather this week?

These are this morning's National Weather Service forecasts for Keys View and the Ryan Mountain area:

• Tuesday (today): sunny, highs near 63°F at Keys View and 67°F near Ryan Mountain, with southwest wind at 5–10 mph
• Wednesday: mostly sunny, highs near 61°F and 65°F, light wind
• Thursday: partly sunny, highs near 60°F and 63°F
• Friday: mostly sunny, highs near 58°F and 61°F, with a light west wind. Friday is the best day for the full plan.
• Saturday: highs near 52°F and 56°F, with a 40% chance of rain showers after 5 PM, rising to 50% overnight. Gusts near Ryan Mountain could reach 20 mph. A Saturday sunset could get clouded out or rained on.

Overnight lows run in the mid-40s to around 49°F all week, so pack layers for the evening.

What does a good west-side day look like?

• 7:30 AM: leave Joshua Tree with a full tank, at least a gallon of water per person, lunch, and layers. If you're paying cash, stop at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center first. It opens at 7:30.
• 8:00 AM: enter at the West Entrance (cards only) and drive Park Boulevard to the Ryan Mountain lot.
• 8:30–11:00 AM: hike Ryan Mountain while the lot still has room and the light is low.
• 11:30 AM: have lunch at the Cap Rock area, at the junction of Park Boulevard and Keys View Road. The NPS has an easy 0.4-mile loop there through boulder piles and Joshua trees.
• 1:00–3:30 PM: take the 4-mile out-and-back to the Lost Horse Mine stamp mill.
• 4:30 PM: drive up to Keys View, find a spot, and stay for sunset (5:57 PM today). Then head back down Park Boulevard to town.

On Sunday, Nov. 1, move everything an hour earlier, since sunset is around 4:52 PM.

What should you know before you go?

• Pets: the park doesn't allow pets on any trail except the paved Oasis of Mara Trail, per the NPS. See the pets page for the rules near roads and picnic areas.
• Use the official map: the park warns that third-party apps can label user-made routes as trails. Download the free NPS app for offline maps.
• Tell someone your plan: the park asks hikers to leave their route and return time with a friend. In an emergency, call 911 or the park's dispatch at 909-383-5651.
• Leave No Trace: stay on the trail, pack out everything you bring, leave rocks, plants, and mining artifacts where they are, and keep out of fenced mine areas. If you see graffiti or vandalism at Lost Horse, the park asks you to report it to JOTR_Graffiti@nps.gov.

Stop by on your way

You'll drive right past us on the way to Park Boulevard. Come see JT Trading Post at 61716 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, where more than 40 local vendors share the shop. It's an easy place to grab a desert-made souvenir before or after the park. Hours are Mon–Fri 12–5 PM and Sat–Sun 8 AM–5 PM, and you can also shop online at jttradingpost.com. For other things to do around town, see our Around Town calendar.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to hike Ryan Mountain?

The NPS estimates 1.5–2.5 hours on its hiking table and 2–3 hours on the trail page. The hike is 3 miles round trip with 1,050 feet of gain, and most of that gain comes after a short flat start.

How far is Keys View from the town of Joshua Tree?

The NPS lists Keys View 21 miles and about 37 minutes from the Joshua Tree Visitor Center on Park Boulevard.

Can I see the Salton Sea from Keys View?

On a clear day, yes. The NPS says the views from Keys View take in the San Andreas Fault, Mount San Jacinto, Mount San Gorgonio, and the Salton Sea. On a very clear day, you can see as far as Signal Mountain in Mexico.

Is the Lost Horse Mine trail open?

Yes. The park listed no closures for Lost Horse Mine or Keys View Road this morning. The 4-mile out-and-back to the stamp mill is the shorter option. The parking lot is small, so arrive early on weekends.

What time is sunset at Keys View this weekend?

The U.S. Naval Observatory puts sunset at 5:53 PM on Saturday, Oct. 31. Daylight saving time ends early Sunday, so Sunday, Nov. 1's sunset comes at about 4:52 PM.

Sources

• Joshua Tree National Park alerts and conditions, NPS and the NPS alerts feed
• Hiking, Joshua Tree National Park: trail distances, elevation, times, and safety
• Hike Ryan Mountain, NPS
• Hike Lost Horse Mine, NPS and Lost Horse Mine, NPS
• Keys View, NPS
• How Far Is It? distance chart, Joshua Tree National Park
• Fees and passes, Joshua Tree National Park
• Visitor centers, Joshua Tree National Park
• Pets, Joshua Tree National Park
• Caltrans highway conditions, SR 62
• National Weather Service forecasts for Keys View and the Ryan Mountain area
• U.S. Naval Observatory sun and moon data: sunset times

Hi-Desert Field Desk is JT Trading Post's events and guides desk in Joshua Tree. We check every date, price, and closure against official sources the morning we publish.