Wow! This is what I'd consider a fairly serious hike my friends! It's not a 14ker but you'll work,…read morebelieve me! I faxed in on 5/8 for a Vivian Creek permit to Gorgonio for 5/20 and didn't get it approved. We arrived at 815A to the ranger station on Saturday and were only able to secure a permit for this trail. 13+ miles ONE WAY to Gorgonio Peak. By the time we parked and started on the trail it was 856A. We knew we had very little chance of summiting and making it back to the car before dark and were not prepared with headlamps to make that trek. We revised our plan once it took us 26 minutes to figure out how to cross the very first creek. That was a ton of wasted time and luckily another couple identified some logs to safely cross on. Once started we told ourselves we'd go out until about 245P and then turn back to make it back safely before dark. We went out 9.10 miles (on my Garmin 4,882 elevation gain) and turned back there. We stopped about 3 hours in for a little lunch break but kept a fairly decent pace otherwise with only a few short breaks here and there. If for whatever reason, you chose to do a day hike from this trail to Gorgonio you will want to start as early as possible. Had we had a permit already starting at 6A may have made this feasible but we didn't. We passed Agnar Creek, Dobbs and were almost to Plummer Meadows (I want to believe) before having to turn around. The first 5hrs and 45min were ok, we'd eaten brekke, had snacks, although it was warm the trail had plenty of shade. We only took one slight wrong turn but didn't lose too much time on it (maybe 10min) BUT the return really started to feel a bit brutal into hours 9-10. My legs were extremely sore by the time we reached the parking lot at 705P. I'd done 7000m of indoor rowing the day before so that may have played a role but I immediately popped 4 Advil. I'm still pretty sore in the calves 2 days later but we covered over 18 miles in 10 Hours and 5 min. Since I haven't done Vivian Trail I'm not sure if I'd recommend this trail over that one, but this is said to be FAR less trafficked trail and I can see why because it's almost double the miles one way. Totaling over 26 miles round trip, which again may be ok in the Summer months with the longer days and starting from the crack of dawn. It was a nice training hike, to carry our packs but most people we met along the way were all staying overnight. Parts of the trail were overgrown in areas with a few fallen tree trunks to climb over and several creeks with water to navigate across. I consumed 3 liters of water from my camelbak but if you have a filter, there are several options for refilling along the way. I'd pack at least 4 liters if you don't have a filter. It's the longest in mileage and most elevation gain you can get climbing to Gorgonio Peak, so if that's what you're into - select this route! No Adventure Pass is required for this parking lot.

When my hiking friends asked if I wanted to join them for a day's hike at the San Bernandino peak,…read moreI was super stoked. Especially when she said, "you will LOVE it....it's a beautiful chill hike!" OMG I want to slap her!!!! I'm pretty active and fit for the most part AND have done many hikes (including the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu). The hike to the peak and back at San Bernandino almost BROKE ME....I wanted to cry. It is a 16-mile hike (8-miles up and 8-miles down). We prepped days in advance for this hike. I got my camelback, hiking boots, hiking poles, heart rate monitor and protein bars. We woke up at 3am in order to start our hike promptly at 6am. The idea was to beat the heat as much as possible. The first 2-miles were brutal. I was huffing and puffing.....the slowest one of them all. It leveled off sporadically but it was a consistent uphill. We took many water and snack breaks. Our group of 10 split up eventually as some of us slower hikers could not catch up with the faster ones. At about 5 or 6 miles into the hike, I thought to myself "where the HECK is this peak at?!" It was brutal. You can't see the actual peak at any one point from the hike going up. All I remembered was the trail kept going and going and going. When we did reached the bottom of the peak finally.....it was confusing because there weren't any signs anywhere. I was OUT for 20 mins sprawled out on the ground. I could not talk to my friends. I was totally incapacitated. I had to take ibuprofen at that point for my lower back pain from carrying my camelback up the hill for 4 hours. We ate lunch and rested for about 30 mins at the peak. **I ran out of water halfway through because I had a 2-liter camelback. I recommend that you at least take 3-liters** We were super excited going down because our speed was twice as fast. And it only lasted for the first 4 miles. My toes started hurting gradually from going downhill even though I have really good quality hiking boots. It was also very hot. I remember running into a few people that told us, "you're almost there just another 30 mins." That was the biggest mistake ever because it tortured us. It took us another 1.5 hours to get to the parking lot. I was literally limping those last few miles. We completed our hike at under 9 hours. My toes were KILLING me. I was crying at one point. When we got to the car, I had nasty blisters all around my toes and my heels. I was OUT for 5 days....could not work out whatsoever. Anywho....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Other than above mentioned, it actually was a very BEAUTIFUL hike with picturesque mountains all around.

Zanja Peak Trail Head is easily a five star hiking/biking location. I was expecting it to be an…read moreeasy hike, but man was I wrong. I hike here and there, but for zanja I had to take a few breaks on the way up. This location offers many routes and it all depends on your skills. It is most inclines with very few declines. Signs and easy to follow dirt routes will guide you all the way up and down. Worth of advice, bring some water, snacks and some hiking shoes. There is no problem using running shows, but hiking boots make it easier. The Zanja trails are located in a good area near nice neighborhoods, but I did see a few transients. Dirt parking is available at the entrance and cell reception works just fine. The scenery is totally worth the challenge.

Great hike, lots of different paths to take. Definitely be cautious of mountain bikers as they tend…read moreto haul ass down, but are polite and courteous. Some steep inclines but nothing too bad or dangerous. Some shade when you're about half wayish. Definitely go early morning or evening in summer. Nothing but friendly people, and a good time! Plenty of parking in the trail lots, and there are business close by if needing restrooms.

This is a great hiking trail: open space, views, and still close to town. Located in San Timoteo…read moreCanyon it is readily accessible. At the beginning of the trail is a small, but adequate blacktop parking area. It is also dirt bike friendly with wide paths. Please see my trail maps pic. This shows the overview of the area, and a website for specific maps. At the end of the trail is a loop to a great lookout. There is some up hill grade to get there so pace yourself. The hike is well worth the views of San Tim canyon. There is plenty to see along the way: hawks, lizards and tons of flowers (seasonal) and native vegetation. On the southside of the trail there is a meandering creek that is usually running - so peaceful to hear a babbling brook. The Redlands Conservancy has done a good job in maintaining and protecting the area.

Beautiful trail, easy walk . Loops so you don't get lost , Lots of wild life , a perfect hike for…read morebeginners :)

The San Gorgonio wilderness is 58,969 acres of incredible wilderness. There are numerous trails…read moreand is a great place to go for a day hike or a weekend backpacking trip. My husband planned a wonderful trip for Labor day and even though this is one of the most popular trails and on a 3 day weekend, it wasn't crowded. We saw a good number of groups but there was very little passing along the trails. This particular trailhead is located only about 1.5 hours from West LA and really easy to get to. Just past the town of Mentone, continue along highway 38 about 20 minutes past the ranger station and arrive at Jenks Lake where the trailhead begins just past the paved parking lot. To summit Mt. Gorgonio, which is the highest peak in southern California at 11,502 ft is the ultimate goal and starting from this particular trailhead it will be a trip of about 24 miles. It can be done in one very long day or campsites are available for a more leisurely trip. Permits are required but are free. To park you need an adventure pass to display on your car. To get a permit you need to send in for one using the website listed above. Parking passes can be purchased in advance at REI. The trail head at Jenks Lake starts you off at 6,900 ft. After 2.5 miles is Poop Out hill where the trail will split to Dry Lake or Dollar Lake. We took the route towards Dry Lake. It is about 7.5 miles from the trail head until Dry Lake at 9,000 ft. Dry Lake is where some campsites are offered, it is also the place to stop and refill your water. As with all backpacking, you have to carry in everything you need including water. You can refill here using your preferred sanitation method. There are two campsites at Dry Lake and the next site is Trail Flats about 1.3 miles past Dry Lake, which is where we camped. From Trail Flats, you can begin the summit at Sky High Trail and will be another 4 miles to the top. This is incredible scenery and remember to bring plenty of water as your last water source was Dry Creek. Also bring a hat because at this elevation, you probably don't want the sun beaming down on you. There are a good number of switchbacks but I didn't find it to be that strenuous but at that point, I had put down my 25lb pack at the camp site. It will take about 2.5 hours and affords incredible views including the wreckage of plane. The main perk of taking this trail is that the ascents are gradual. The scenery is just amazing and the trails are well maintained. It's incredible to see entire hillsides and trees just flattened due to previous avalanches. The trees are just beautiful and even uprooted are interesting and intricate. Overall I really enjoyed this trip as it can be taken as leisurely as you'd like or as quickly (and much more strenuously) as you'd like. The air is thin but it feels wonderful to get away from the smog of LA. The view a the top includes Mt. Baldy, the San Bernardinos, Mt San Jacinto, and various other things I probably can't identify. The hike goes through mostly tall shaded trees but changes to rocky meadows and falling trees, and some small streams to cross. It's anything but boring! Be careful of altitude sickness, it can hit at any moment, be prepared for possible rain, and enjoy this beautiful wilderness. Check out this great blog for more detail: http://www.modernhiker.com/2009/09/22/hiking-san-gorgonio-mountain-via-south-fork-trail/

The trail reopened in 2017. It's a nice area for the most part, but the fire that came through…read morereally destroyed a lot of the environment. The first part of the hike really looks like a warzone, or some scary setting for a Lord of the Rings film. Luckily there are small trees sprouting from the ashes, as well as bushes closer to the ground that are thriving. The second half of the trail looks more normal, right around Dollar Lake, then soon after that the trees eventually thin out as they're starved of oxygen at higher altitudes. Unfortunately this place will take a while to fully recover, but it will be fun seeing it come back to life. My dad really loved the meadows and ferns and lush greener that used to be here, but I didn't get a chance to see it, and now it's gone. If you want a longer hike and gentler incline to the top of San Gorgonio, this is the one for you. If you want scenery not devastated by a fire, and a little shorter with a more rapid incline, I'd recommend starting at the Vivian Creek trailhead instead.

To complete the San Gorgonio 9 Peaks Challenge, you climb up the following 9 peaks along the San…read moreBernadino Peak-San Gorgonio Mountain ridge in a single trip: San Gorgonio Mt. 11,502' Jepson Peak 11,205' Little Charlton Peak 10,696' Charlton Peak 10,806' Alto Diablo 10,563' Shields Peak 10,701' Anderson Peak 10,864' San Bernadino Peak East 10,691' San Bernadino Peak 10,649' The trip can be a dayhike or a multiday backpacking trip, and the order can be done as shown or reversed depending on which trailhead you start at. I did a variation of this hike with a small group of hardcore hikers from the Los Angeles Hiking Meetup group, led by hiker extraordinaire Ze. We started at the Vivian Creek Trailhead, but soon left the trail to take a steep cross-country route to Dobbs Peak (10,469') and East Dobbs Peak (10,510'), so we actually did 11 peaks total. After East Dobbs Peak, we headed to San Gorgonio Mountain and then generally followed the San Bernadino Peak-San Gorgonio Mountain ridge to bag the rest of the peaks, ending with San Bernadino Peak. The descent was generally down Momyer Trail, but we went off-trail quite often to take cross-country shortcuts down the mountain. The cross-country shortcuts were actually really fun, but were a lot steeper than staying on the regular trail and resulted in a few slips and slides. Also, the upper part of Momyer Trail had quite a bit of buckthorn, so long pants are highly recommended. With all our shortcuts, the hike was about 21 miles with 8700 feet elevation gain. One unique thing about this SoCal hike is that such a large portion of the hike is above 10,000 feet elevation. Once you bag the first peak, you stay above 10,000 feet until after you bag the final peak and begin your descent. In our case, about 12 miles of the hike was above 10,000 feet. The extended hiking at high altitude can really make the hike tough.

Okay so this I actually not the correct spot to start the 9 peak challenge and the pin falls a…read morelittle short from where you are supposed to park. Now this trail start will lead you to the San Gorginio east peak or if you do not want to to head to the peak there are 2 beautiful creeks that will fork to the right when you head up 4 miles up the mountain. Now the best part about this hike is that you are able to camp out at the two creeks. My GF and I just camped down there last week and had one of the most relaxing fun time just hanging by the creek. The first creek name is Alger Creek and the second Dob Creek both are awesome to stay at. You will need to stop at the ranger station to check in and let them know how long you will be out there for. Now in the summer time the first 4 miles up the mountain are very brutal because of the heat. We started at 7:15am and the sun was already starting to heat up but by starting tht early the hike was very enjoyable especially cuz we were caring up all out gear. We made it to camp around 1030am and enjoyed how quiet and secluded it was at the campsite. This hike is definitely more for advance hikers in my opinion. I have seen a lot of people turn back due to the steep climb up but if you make it past the first 4 miles, the reward is definitely worth it. I recommend this trail for backpackers who want a quick get away from the city without having to travel to the Sequoias or Yosemite. Also you have to cross a very dried up creek from where you park to even get to the start of this trail head

I connect with this trail at the end of the cougar crest trail and take this all the way up to…read moreBertha Peak. It's mostly up hill but totally worth it! It also gets really windy and cold up here so make sure you bring a warm jacket and a few snacks for a little pick-me-up. This trail is actually fairly extensive too! I've never gone through it all before but definitely something to do some day! Don't doubt yourself if you're a bit out of breath up there by the way. You can always blame the altitude as I do! haha

The famous PCT a National Hiking Trail that starts at the CA-MX border and goes up to Canada. On…read morethis stretch of the PCT in Big Bear, CA you will meet up with moderate hikers coming up from the vacation lodges. The hike up to the PCT is moderate and from the Discovery Center it is about 2.5 miles. Bring water and snacks as well as good hiking shoes. Be prepared to stop do to the altitude.

I was fortunate to cross this one off my list. We hiked it on Saturday (10/20/18)…read more Getting there: for most people it is going to be quite a drive unless you live in this area (obviously) which I do not. It took me about an hour and a half to get there from the Long Beach area since there was no traffic on a Saturday morning at 5 am and about 2 hrs to get home; the dirt road to the trailhead is near the Angelus Oaks Fire Station...the road is narrow and quite bumpy but I saw small cars handle it fine going slowly; the parking lot area was not crowded that early but it was quite crowded when we finished at 2 pm...Adventure Pass is needed Trail- it is a pretty easy trail to follow and not get lost especially if you are using the ALL TRAILS app which is incredibly useful; the first 3 miles are steep but not too extreme (about 600-700 ft per mile) and then the trail flattens out a bit for the 4th mile and miles 5-8 are moderately steep with elevation gain of about 500-600 ft per mile; the scenery is beautiful and surprisingly green for what you may think San Bernardino to be like...lots of tall green trees and around the halfway part an open area with manzanita; beautiful views along the way in all directions of other nearby mountains, views of the Inland Empire, and a view of Big Bear Lake Peak- I've read complaints of people complaining of obstructed views at the peak due to tree coverage but I didn't really find the views lacking from up there; there were only a few people at the top while we were there and we had a good time talking to our fellow hikers, enjoyed a Stella Artois celebratory drink, and took our pictures with the wooden sign and added our hiking group sticker to the box at the top; there were some patches of snow and ice along the trail on the final mile to the peak but no special equipment but hiking poles were helpful My experience: I think we lucked out and had great conditions for our hike with temperatures in the 40's and 50's on a weekend when most cities at lower elevations were experiencing temps in the 80s and 90s; I've been hiking quite a bit in the last few years including longer and longer hikes and more hikes at higher altitudes so I think I was well-prepared to handle this hike without any major difficulties and I found this hike to be hard more for the pure length (my longest hike to date in terms of distance and San Jacinto has been my longest hike in terms of duration); I didn't experience any altitude issues and it wasn't windy or too frigid which I hear it can get this time of year Details: Distance- 16.2 miles (I think people who have recorded longer distances usually are tracking it on watches and I have noticed people who use that come up with inaccurate distances) Difficulty- Strenuous because of distance more than steep incline Duration- 7.5 hrs (4.5 up, 2.5 down, with a half hour at the top) Elevation Gain- 4,700 ft Peak Elevation- 10,649 *a hiking permit is no longer needed for this if you are doing a day hike

Hike number 5 for my SoCal Six Peak Challenge. Here was our experience on a Saturday morning…read more Directions: It's self-explanatory in the beginning but when it comes to parking you do have to drive maybe 1/4-1/2 a mile down a bumpy path and that's where the parking spot is at. Hiking Difficulty: Hard This is not a cute hike, I repeat, this is not a cute hike. It is a pretty lengthy hike (16 miles) with a few switchbacks and steady incline. There is one stream if you need to refresh on water. The thing that mainly gets to me was the duration of the hike. Overall: 4 Stars. Out of all the SoCal Six this would probably be on the bottom 3 of my favorites (This is coming from a non-hiker enthusiast). It does have a nice view as you are above the clouds and there are some nice monuments to see but my oh my, I am not about these hikes. Advice: * NO PERMIT REQUIRED, but do e-mail them to notify them that you are hiking * Come early to beat the hype (before 6am) * Hiking shoes are recommended * Make your own restroom

Update March 2026…read more Parking: Sunday parking at 0730 hours at Ryan Bonimo park was PACKED!!! You can park on the street, but at your own risk. There are signs that says "No Stopping entire block" Bathrooms: Public restroom at the park. NONE on the trail. Round trip: 2.9 miles with 608' of gradual elevation. I love this easy hike.

One of the bigger dog parks around. 3 areas for your loved pups. Very secure gates and there are a…read morefew benches to sit at. Downfall is there are quite a few homeless that do tend to hang out here but anytime I've gone they have never bothered me. Great park to make other doggy friends!