Original Showgirl (Top to Bottom) - 9/14/25

Original Showgirl Trail just before "The Dive"

Sign at bottom of The Dive (Middle Showgirl (R), Lower Showgirl (L), Campground (Straight)

View back to Charleston Peak

Mummy's Nose from top of Original Showgirl

Three Wanderers prepared for a day of hiking the Original Showgirl Trail (top to bottom). The trail begins all the way up at the Juniper Trailhead on Angel Place Road and ends on the Lower Showgirl Trailhead on Kyle Canyon Road just above the Harris Springs Road turnoff. This hike requires a car shuttle so we left a car down at the lower trailhead, Lower Showgirl Trailhead, and piled into another car to drive up Deer Creek Road to the upper trailhead, or Juniper Trailhead. It was a cool morning, absolutely beautiful! Choosing a day for this hike is paramount. At the top, you will be very comfortable but the bottom where we were at noon, can get quite hot. So check the weather for the bottom before going out.

Photo series leading to major Junction (Bottom Right)

Sue and Susan in front of Mummy's Toe

Photo series to Deep Switchback

Arriving at Deep Switchback

The trail leads down the hill in a long switchback and crosses a wash. Hiking into the trees, we enjoyed the very familiar surroundings. We passed a couple of spur trails then came to the first trail sign at 1.5 miles into the hike. Turning left to follow the sign indicators, we hiked another 0.3 mile and came to the first saddle junction. Here a sign pointed us to the left again, at 1.8 miles. The next stretch of trail took us along a beautiful rolling wooded ridge. At the end of the ridge, the descent began. First, we gently circled around to the left and right. At 3.4 miles into the hike, we came to what I would call a deep switchback. With the shade and large boulders here, it is a great place to sit and have a snack.

Heading up the newly maintained trail from Deep Switchback

Hiking up to Little Bald Knoll

Group photo on Little Bald Knoll in front of fall color on the South Ridge

Starting down to The Dive

We didn't stop but continued along the trail to another switchback that dropped down and crossed the wash. Welcomed trail maintenance has been done here. The trail continues down by a wash and comes out on the end of the ridge in the sun. A little undulating and, at 3.88 miles into the hike, we arrived on Little Bald Knoll. Here, we did enjoy a break with a view of Angel Canyon below. The next section took us down to "The Dive." This 1/3 mile stretch of trail loses almost 500' in elevation. Made for bikes, it is slow going for hikers. At the bottom (4.6 miles), we did a little celebrating and came to another trail sign that begged us to turn left. This is the official beginning of the Lower Showgirl Trail.

Scenes from The Dive

Arriving at the bottom of The Dive and heading down through
 the gentle Switchbacks of Lower Showgirl

Stepladder and Odie Peaks from Lower Showgirl

Skinny Footbridge

A few very gentle switchbacks took us down to hike along a long low ridge. We dropped of the end and came to a skinny bike bridge at 5.35 miles into the hike. Continuing the Lower Showgirl Trail, we stayed in the  pinion pines and brush hiking in and out the contours of the hills to the left. At 6.91 miles, we crossed the Wooden Pole Powerline Road not far above the BLM fire station on Kyle Canyon Road. With the elevation being in the lower 6000s', we had begun seeing large groupings of joshua trees. We wondered why they grow in such large groups and not so much singularly here. After crossing the powerline dirt road, the temps were getting hotter and we were kind of ready for this hike to be one less mile!!! 😆

Harris Peak from Lower Showgirl

Heading down through the lower part of the Transition Life Zone

Heading down to the Upper Sonoran Life Zone

Large growth of Joshua Trees

The last part of the hike finishes with a lot of pinion pine, sagebrush, and juniper. The trail dips down into a little canyon to zigzag through its wash. Finally, we hiked down to cross beneath a SR 157 bridge. The tunnel always has a bunch of graffiti inside. I wish it was real artwork like the tunnel over near the Lone Palm Trailhead. Too bad. Anyway, it was quite the hike! Not bad on the lungs or heart but challenging for the feet! All that remained was the drive back up to retrieve the car.

8.6 miles; 359' gain; 2627' loss; 5.75 hours

Crossing the Wooden Pole Powerline Road

Dropping down through a small canyon to the Lower Trailhead

The finish Line (!)