Riverside County, California packs alpine climbs and stark desert basins into one striking hiking region. From Palm Springs, the brutal Cactus to Clouds ascent rises toward Mount San Jacinto, while Marion Mountain and the San Jacinto Trail reach cool pine forest and high granite views. Farther east, Painted Canyon and Ladder Canyon cut through sculpted badlands, and Agua Tibia lifts above the county’s wilder southwestern edge.