If You Are Fan of Slasher Movies, You Might Recognize Suicide Rock
Suicide Rock is a granite outcropping popular with rock climbers.
Day hikers can hike to the base of the famous Suicide Rock near Idyllwild.
The 1.8 miles round trip Climbers Trail (3E06) is used primarily by rock climbers to access the base of Suicide Rock. Temperatures there will be cooler than the Coachella Valley’s desert floor in summer, so this makes a nice getaway from May through September.
To reach the trailhead, from Palm Desert take Calif. Hwy 74 (the Pines to Palms Highway) south into the mountains. At Mountain Center, turn right/north onto Calif. Hwy. 243. Once in Idyllwild, turn right/north onto North Circle Drive then at the sign for the Humber Park trailhead head right/east onto South Circle Drive. Then turn left/north onto Fern Valley Road, which winds through the village toward the mountain divide. Just past the Forest Drive junction, park off the road. The trailhead is on the road’s left/west side. If there’s no parking, you can find it at Humber Park and walk back the minimum of 500 feet to Climbers Trail.
From the trailhead, head northwest. Register at the sign-in box a short way up the trail; this is your permit.
You’ll cross Strawberry Creek before arriving at Foresthaven Drive. Turn right/northeast onto the asphalt. This part of the trail travels through private property, so stay on the path and be respectful of property rights.
The trail crosses Strawberry Creek, which during summer is but a trickle of a stream.
Plenty of granite chunks can be seen along the trail.
The trail mostly is shaded by pines, though there are some open patches where you pass manzanita and oak.
At the end of Foresthaven Drive, the trail re-enters the woods and the invisible boundary of the national forest. It then curves west. You may encounter fallen trees across the trail; if unable to go under or over them, take the shortest path you can around them to minimize erosion.
You’ll cross an intermittent tributary to Strawberry Creek then ascend to Suicide Rock’s base, which sits about 0.9 miles from the trailhead.
The granite outcrop rises to 7510 feet. Thanks to its sheer walls, the white rock stands in stark contrast to the pine-studded woods around it.
The outcropping with its 27 different walls is a popular rock-climbing destination. More than 300 climbing routes have been identified on the rock wall.
If a fan of 1980s slasher films, Suicide Rock may look familiar to you. The outcropping played a vital role in the movie “Prey,” where it starred in the role of a Colorado mountain on which a group of campers is stalked and murdered.
The outcropping got its name from a legend in which a Native America princess and her lover, ordered to separate, instead commit suicide by jumping off the rock. There’s probably no truth to the story, though, as that legend is popular at a number of high points from California to the Midwest. It likely was appropriated for the rock in an effort to boost local tourism.
Once you’ve taken in the sight, retrace your steps back to your vehicle.
Editor’s Note: Climbers Trail topo map above
