Ribbonwood is the ideal mountain escape for equestrian campers.  The campground overlooks Palm Desert and the Salton Sea  and provides access to hundreds of miles of terrain for riding exploration and enjoyment. At an elevation of 4000’, campsites are surrounded by chapparal  brush, cactus, pinyon pine and yucca plants.

LOCATION

Located approximately 16 miles Southeast of Palm Desert, from Highway #74, across from the Pinyon Flats Campground, take the road South to the designated parking area (This area services BOTH the Sawmill and the Cactus Springs Trail) , just before the Pinyon area Riverside County Transfer Station.  Take the access trail on the east end of the parking area and look for the trailhead sign.  You can register at the sign-in box for your Wilderness Permit.   Roads and spurs are gravel.  

There are eight campsites within the campground, each with the following amenities:  tables, fire rings,  

two 10’x10’ horse corrals, also accessible are flush toilets, hot showers,  hitch rack and  drinking water.

HISTORY/CACTUS SPRINGS TRAIL

Horsethief Creek, during the “Old West” days of the 1880’s, was so named because this area was used for hiding stolen horses.  

During the 1930’s, cattle grazed on Little Pinyon Flat, and remnants of a holding pen can still be seen on the trail before descending into Horsethief Canyon from the West.

TODAY, riders can ride this old Indian trail through pinyon pine, deep canyons with cottonwoods hundreds of feet below and know there is always a chance of seeing the Bighorn sheep bound up a rocky slope. Cactus Springs is a high desert trail, starting at 4000’, descending 2.5 miles to Horsethief Creek, then continuing on 2 more miles to the spring that is difficult to find, the trail is fairly easy to follow to this point.

An option is to continue another 15 miles to Martinez Canyon and Highway 86 in the low desert.  At times, this trail is extremely difficult to follow.

HISTORY / SAWMILL TRAIL

The Sawmill Trail was originally part of the Sawmill Road, which was a road leading up to the actual sawmill near the top of the mountain.  The sawmill and road were built sometime during the 1930’s, during the post WW II period.  Many of the beautiful trees in the Garner Valley and surrounding areas were cut and sent to the mill.  Farther up the Sawmill trail you can still see many tree stumps from that time.

TODAY, one can ride a horse or a bicycle, hike, or use a four-wheel drive vehicle up the first 5.5 miles of the rough Sawmill Trail road. The balance of the trail starts at the top of the road and connects with Santa Rosa Truck Trail Road. The 5.3 mile Sawmill Trail begins within the campground and traverses an old road with 2220’ of elevation gain.  It also intersects with the Cactus Springs Trail near the campground’s parking area.  The road and trail ascend  3,000 ft. to 7,000 ft. and are within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. 

PLEASE PRACTICE LEAVE NO TRACE ETHICS

PRIOR TO RIDING AND/OR CAMPING ALWAYS CHECK CURRENT CONDITIONS (760) 862-9984

THIS IS A MULTI USE TRAIL FOR 5.5 MILES OF THE SAWMILL