Trail Review: Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail, Idyllwild, CA
- Alyssa
- Aug 21
- 3 min read
Trailhead: Humber Park, 24559 Fern Valley Rd, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
Parking: Parking lot at Humber Park which requires an adventure pass (can be purchased in town), or you can do this hike from the opposite end which has free street parking.
Distance: 5.2 miles out & back
Difficulty: Moderate
Nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains and part of the San Bernardino National Forest, Idyllwild is a beautiful, little town to visit. With lots of trail options nearby, we chose to try out the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail which follows a ridge just on the outskirts of town. There are two ways of starting this trail: at Humber Park at the north end, or on Tahquitz View Drive at the south end. Humber Park does require an adventure pass to park, so if you are looking to save money, you can always do this in reverse from Tahquitz View Drive.
We started this trail at Humber Park. There were a good amount of cars, but we didn't have an issue finding a parking spot on a summer weekend. We couldn't get any of the spots closest to the trailhead though, so we did have to walk up and down the hill that the parking lot is situated on. Not a big deal at the beginning, but when you are tuckered out from a hike, walking uphill back to your car can be a little difficult.
The trailhead is just at the entrance to the parking lot on the right side of the road. You'll see a wooden trail sign.
Starting from Humber Park means the first half of the hike will be downhill. It's gradual so you may not even notice. You will, however, notice on the way back... But for now, the hike starts out in a nicely shaded area with a gentle decline. If you're doing this hike in the spring, there may be a small stream crossing toward the beginning. But in the middle of the summer, it was almost all dried up.
As the trail opens up onto the ridge, you'll be able to see the mountains and forest that surround Idyllwild. In fact, Idyllwild is so nestled in amongst the trees, you won't actually be able to see that many buildings!
Even though the path is well defined and offers a fairly gentle slope, it does have some rocky areas so be careful if you are prone to tripping or have balance issues (hiking poles can help!). Other than that, it's a very straightforward hike. You'll go in and out of the shady areas and you pass by some huge rocks and some funny looking trees. Overall, it was a pretty pleasant time. After 2.6 miles, you'll come upon the end of the trail at Tahquitz View Drive. It was pretty obvious it was the end of the path because of all the cars parked along the side of the road to do the hike in the opposite direction.
On the way back to Humber Park, you'll be headed uphill so it will definitely feel harder than the first half. It's doesn't seem like that much of an incline, but you're also at over 5,000 feet elevation so that could also make it feel harder going uphill.
The view is pretty much the same on the way back. However, as you get closer to the end of the hike, you will get some pretty nice views of Tahquitz Rock, one of the large granite rock formations that sits high above Idyllwild.
The last push for us came when we made it back to Humber Park and had to walk up one more hill in the parking lot to get back to our car!
Bottom Line: A well-defined trail along a ridge above the town of Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains. The occasional rocky terrain and the fairly consistent incline on the way back make it a moderately difficult hike.
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