"Short hike to the top. The trail between the PCT and the paved road to the top was overgrown, like walking up a very narrow hallway. I came across 3 PCT thru-hikers as I was coming down!" — Mojavewanderer • Mar 16, 2022

"Beautiful day for a hike, sunny compared to the beach. We decided to hike Hayes Peak also to add milage. The climb up the southern park of Hayes was easy to follow. Heading down the west side was overgrown and hard to follow" — tomlinpedque • Feb 1, 2022

"Followed the Alltrails Monument Peak directions. For once, no hiccups! Started out at Big Laguna Trailhead off of the 79. Midday and the temp was still a bit chilly even with full sunshine. Small mud puddles from the melting snow. A little bit of ice, but not so much that we needed spikes. A few other folks on the trail with some pups, all of which were friendly. Lots of narrow spots on the trail. There were a couple of hidden trail turns, so keep you map open. 1:45 total hike time, 3.63mi, 643' elevation gain." — seanfetters • Jan 9, 2022

"We parked at the trailhead to monument peak but we crossed the street and started the big laguna trail. We followed that around to the viewpoint near the campground and then we proceeded to monument peak. From there we dropped down to our car at the trailhead. 8.4 miles total with 1049 ft elevation gain. Views are amazing from open fields on the eastern side of the road to deserts on the west side. " — klausdg • Mar 28, 2019

"Worth the drive, this is a manicured trail that shares, for a very brief period, the PCT. Fantastic views north and east to over the desert. Only downs are the limited mileage and radio hardware at the summit." — JustinB • Apr 2, 2018

"I combined this peak with Hays Peak. I visited Hays first, then took the firebreak to Monument Peak. Once I reached the paved road, it was a quick walk to the summit. I had missed the unsigned Monument Peak Trail from the PCT, but I saw the trail when I traversed the firebreak from Hays Peak. After returning to the firebreak after visiting the summit, I followed the recently discovered trail back to the PCT. The trail starts at a hairpin turn in the PCT, which apparently was enough of a distraction to make me miss it the first time around. Totals for both peaks is 3.8 miles with 550 feet of elevation gain." — MikeTeeples • Sep 11, 2017

"This is a pleasant and short hike, just over 2.5 miles round trip, to the peak. You start at a small dirt parking lot near Mile 25 on Sunrise Hwy (S-1) at an elevation about 5,750'. Coming from I-8 (south), the lot will be on your right. You take the signed Big Laguna Trail for about a half-mile to the northeast. The trail is partly shaded by an open forest of Jeffrey Pines and Black Oaks. You then turn left at the T-intersection onto the Pacific Crest Trail, still under pines and oaks for a short stretch before entering sunny manzanita and scrub oak chaparral. After about 1/3 mile, you will see on your right, an unmarked use trail which you will take up more steeply through dense manzanita, chamise, and scrub oak chaparral as you cross the 6,000' contour. At about 6,100', you encounter a radio facility, head left around it. You can either take the steep climbers path to the left directly the for the last 100+' elevation gain, or go around the paved Monument Peak Road more gradually to the summit. The views are extraordinary because the summit has no trees; it has manzanita, scrub oak, mountain mahogany, ceanothus, and chamise chaparral, boulders, and just a few towers on ..." — brianpowell • Mar 8, 2017

"Nice morning hike to the peak. Wind was incredible at the top! We saw a couple guys trying to do real work on the antennae up there. Good luck in that wind! Their measuring tape was going everywhere!! At this point in the day, we could see lower level clouds overtaking the lower peaks to the west. Strom's a-brewin'!" — benjineer • Jan 30, 2016