The Pumpkin Rock in Norco, CA is a giant 15-foot tall rock that is painted like a Jack-O-Lantern. As a fan of Tim Burton and the Nightmare Before Christmas, Pumpkin Rock reminds us of Jack Skellington and Halloween Town. Since we first discovered this super cool rock, it has become our Halloween tradition to go visit the Pumpkin Rock every year.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surround areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no carving and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Pikes Peak Park
97 Sixth St, Norco, CA 92860
Coordinates:
Equestrian Event Center trailhead:
33°56’12.9″N 117°31’13.0″W
Shortcut:
33°55’59.7″N 117°31’14.0″W
Parking
There is plenty of parking at Pikes Peak Park. The shortcut one is on a residential road. There is room for a few cars. Please make sure to obey parking signs, park off the road, and respect the neighbors.
Restroom
There are restrooms at the Pikes Peak Park.
Fee
Free
Weather
Distance
0.9 miles R.T. for the shortcut. 1.7 miles from the Pikes Peak Park.
Elevation Gain
380 ft
Level
Easy, with some moderately steep and slippery section.
Time:
Less than 1 hour
Pet-friendly
Yes. There were plenty of dogs out there.
Ideal Weather
Cooler weather. There is no shade. It gets very warm in Norco. Falls and Springs are the best seasons to go.
Ideal Time
Early morning or later in the evening. It’s a popular trail so early morning will give you some time alone. The evening will give you the best light for photos.
Video
History of the Pumpkin Rock
Before it became the famous Pumpkin Rock, this giant rock was called “elephant butt rock” because it resembled an elephant’s butt in its natural form. Over the years, this rock has been painted into different things, from a Christmas ornament to a 76 gas station ball. Starting mid-1990s, it became what it is now, a Jack-O-Lantern.
Pumpkin Rock has been a local celebrity of sorts ever since. There are even some locals who pride themselves on taking care of him. Every so often, vandals will come along and graffiti the giant pumpkin. However, they are quick to repaint him and return him to his previous glory.
The Adventure
Getting There
Pumpkin Rock is located in Norco, CA. The main trailhead starts just right past the gate for George Ingalls Equestrian Event Center. However, you can’t park there. Therefore, you need to park at Pikes Peak Park and walk there. You should be about to use a GPS to navigate to Pikes Peak Park.
The shortcut starts at the residential area on Crestview Drive, just around the block from Pikes Peak Park. Since the gate at the George Ingalls Equestrian Event Center opens at 7:30 am and closes at sunset, you can take the shortcut if you’re planning to go earlier or stay later. The full trail will eventually join up with the shortcut.
The Hike to the Metal Horses
Since it is such a short hike, we usually opted for the full trail from Pikes Peak Park. From the park, if you look toward the hills, you can see the giant orange rock, peaking out. After parking, we follow Sixth Street toward Pikes Peak Drive. Sixth Street curves toward the right and ends at a metal fence. There is a sign for the Pumpkin Rock trail as well as the opening hours. The actual trail for Pumpkin Rock is just a short distance from the fence.
We follow the dirt trail curving up the hill. It is a gentle climb before it’s flatten out a bit. From the distance, we spotted an interesting fixture. As we came up next to it, it was a giant USA sign made out of lights. The sign is pretty cool. We’re not sure if the sign ever lights up but it’s still cool to look at. At point trail, the trail splits. It is the start of a loop so you can go in whatever direction. We opted to go straight because I was excited to see a horde of metal horses, galloping across the trail.
The Metal Horses
There were about 5 or 6 metal horses, dashing up the hillside. As we took a closer look, we realized the horses are the work of Ricardo Breceda, the same artist responsible for the awesome Galleta Meadows in Borrego Springs. It was really cool to see his work again. The little pony was definitely my favorite!
Climb up to the Pumpkin Rock
After taking photos with the horse, we continued on our way. The hill right after the horse becomes quite steep. Then, it drops down and then goes back up. It can get a bit slippery at some spots. After crossing through a small ravine, we follow the trail to go up the hill, toward the Pumpkin. This is where the shortcut trail starts.
Although there are a few other trails, it’s pretty hard to get lost here because you can’t miss the big orange Pumpkin Rock. We follow the shortest route to get to the rock. After the ravine, the dirt trail becomes steep and slippery. Not too bad on the way, but more so on the way down. Make sure to wear shoes with good traction.
The Pumpkin Rock
As we got closer, the great Pumpkin’s eyes were just above the horizon. They were peering down and taunting us as we made our way up the slippery hill. The higher we climbed, the more he was revealed to us until at last, his sinister smile was revealed. Someone was very determined to pull off this project because it probably took a lot of trips up the hill with buckets of paint to pull off the monster Jack-O-Lantern.
The View From the Top
The last few times we went, it was quite hazy. However, we were lucky this time. The sky was clear with a promise of a good sunset. Up here, we get a 360-degree view of Norco and part of Corona. If you have time to explore, you can spend time around here looking for other painted rocks or testing out the extensive network of trails.
Since it was almost sunset time, there were a lot more people than usual. Besides the great Pumpkin Rock, this spot right here is a perfect place to watch the sunset. After watching the beautiful sunset, it was time for us to hurry back. This time, we took the trail near the Pumpkin Rock to go down to complete our loop.
The Way Back
The way down got quite slippery. There were a lot of loose rocks. After we got down, we then followed the trail toward the middle of the hillside. This trail will eventually meet up with the giant USA sign. At the sign, we turn right to follow the dirt trail back to the metal fence. Luckily, the gate was still open by the time we got down. I’m not sure how serious they are about closing the gate but we were happy that it was open.
Pumpkin Rock trail is a fun and quick hike. If you find yourself in Norco, we think you should definitely give the big Pumpkin a visit! If you’re looking for other unique adventures, don’t forget to check out our other blogs. You might like our adventure to Big Horn Mine, hike to Painted/Ladder Canyon or spend a day with the monkeys at Animal Tracks.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
Good hiking shoes are recommended on these adventures. Vy uses the Merrell Women’s Moab 2 hiking boots
Dustin’s shoes are Targhee III Waterproof
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
- If you’re planning to go for sunset, bring a headlight for the way back.
- Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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