Pumpkin Rock Trail | Norco, CA

Pumpkin Rock Trail is a 1.76 mile hike with 407 feet of elevation gain located in Norco, California. This hike takes you to a HUGE rock painted to look like a pumpkin. Its a great hike for the entire family! Especially around halloween time.

Parking & Getting There

Getting to the trailhead is very easy. You will end up parking at Pikes Peak Park, then walking down the road to get to the trailhead. As you walk down the road you will eventually reach a gate and you will enter through the left-hand side.

We arrived at the park early so parking was not an issue. If you are going to come around Halloween, you will want to plan accordingly as this hike is EXTREMELY popular during this time.

The Trail

As the trail name implies on this one, at the top of this hike you see a HUGE rock that is painted to look like a Pumpkin. Because of this, it makes it a fan favorite for hiking during the Halloween timeframe. We took my 3-year-old son and he had a blast!

After parking, there are bathrooms right by the parking lot. This will be the only opportunity to use one if you need it. Since we traveled a decent amount to get here it was nice to have this available before and after the hike.

Leaving the park you will continue down the road you came in on until you see the large gate that has an opening in the fence to the left to enter. This will mark the beginning of the hike. After going through the gate, follow the trail to the left to start heading towards the top.

The cool thing about this trail is there are several ways to get to the top. In the AllTrails map you see above, we did a counter-clockwise loop. But that will be up to you. There are several extra trail paths you can take, as well as making the trail an out and back.

Along the trail, you will see some art, like the big metal horses! There is also some graffiti art on the rocks as well. Along the route we took to the top, you will go by a residential neighborhood, this looks like it could be another entry point and would be the quickest route to the peak and back. Parking might also be easier here. If you look at the map there is a sharp 90-degree turn on Crestview Drive where it might be possible to enter. I did not fully investigate this entrance, so please drop a comment down below if you have any insight for our fellow adventurers.

If you go counter-clockwise like we did on the trail, the final ascent to the top is pretty steep. It is short-lived, so doing it with a kid should not be too much of an issue if you are a regular hiker. If you are looking for the most consistent grade on the way up, go clockwise for the route we took.

Once at the top you get amazing views of the Norco area. And let’s not forget the HUGE Pumpkin Rock. It must be over 15 feet tall. When you stand next to it is when you realize just how massive this rock is. Thanks to the volunteers who keep the rock painted nicely and cover up the graffiti that accumulates over time.

After enjoying your time at the top you can choose to make it a loop on the way down, or to do an out and back style hike. The choice is yours. If you have a child, make sure to take them to the playground before leaving. I am sure they will appreciate it!

Lookback

Pumpkin Rock Trail is definitely a favorite hike of mine. Purely for the festivity of the trail. I typically prefer to be on trails without many people, but seeing my son’s face light up and being determined to get to the “Pumpkin” on the way up as we saw it getting bigger and bigger was a moment you cherish as a parent. I might make this a yearly adventure for the family, get some outdoor time and celebrate Halloween before going out and eating all the candy ha.

Photo Gallery

Wrap Up

Is there a specific hike that you would like to see next? Leave a comment down below or reach out via the Contact Form and hopefully I will be able to get a recap and virtual hike posted soon! Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your adventure.