backbone of the San
Jacinto Mountains before
dipping back down to
the San Gorgonio Pass
and intersecting the I-10.
Although only 300 people
hike the entire PCT each
year, there’s nothing
stopping you from taking
a short day hike along
the dirt path, just so
you can say that you’ve
done it.
The Drive » Get back on Hwy
74 westbound, passing the Hwy
371 junction after another mile.
After another 9 miles of winding
through national forest lands,
you’ll arrive at the Lake Hemet
turnoff.5 Lake Hemet
A pretty little reservoir
set in a mountainous
valley, Lake Hemet
(%951-659-2680; http://www.lakehemet.org; 56570 Hwy
74, Mountain Center; day-use
entry per car $12; h6am-
9pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri
& Sat Apr-Sep, reduced hr
Oct-Mar) is the kind of
old-fashioned resort
where rambunctious
kids run wild while
parents snooze on the
beach or cast a fishing
line for rainbow trout.
You can rent a kayak or
rowboat to paddle outCabazon