The initial part of the route is called the Skyline Trail, which climbs 7,900 feet from the desert to Long Valley, in about 11 miles.

At its end, it joins the Desert View Nature Trail in Mount San Jacinto State Park.

From here, the route continues to a trail junction called Wellman Divide, before reaching the summit of San Jacinto Peak.

After reaching a set of picnic tables 0.8 miles in, the trail turns into an informal path maintained by hikers and volunteers.

Although the route is generally obvious, there are number of shortcuts and spurs which may confuse hikers and thus pose a danger to the uninitiated.

Continuing out of the hills above Palm Springs, the trail ascends the east side of Mount San Jacinto along a ridge between Chino Canyon and Tahquitz Creek, going roughly westward along the ridgeline.

The primary hazard of Cactus to Clouds is the weather, in particular, the extreme variance between the desert start and the subalpine end.