Bedford Peak via Silverado Motorway(edit)

Overview

This is a moderate out and back trail to Bedford Peak in Cleveland National Forest. It's popular with main hikers, except some stalwart bikers use this as part of loops, generally coming down sometimes slowly with control and sometimes not. I've even seen bikers with headlamps on this trail.
The trail burned during the Silverado fire of 2014, but the chapperal is fully regrown.

This trail goes by Maple Springs Visitor Center.

This is one of our favorite local hikes. We do it in the cooler winter months or any other time of the year for a night hike during the last couple of days before the full moon. The trail is utterly exposed, which makes for great skygazing, but terrible sun exposure in summer. The trail starts about 400 yards beyond the Maple Springs Visitor Center on the left side at a widening of the roadway. The trail is even marked these days with sign on the west side of the parking lot.

You pass over two metal barriers to keep the cars out, and then the trall curves round climbing around the hill along a sycamore-filled canyon (below you, who are exposed) to the back of the canyon where one large, lonely Sycamore lets you know that you won't see any more trees.

The trail then climbs steadily (some say relentlessly) up 4 switchbacks, providing steadily improved views of the Silverado Canyon, Orange County, and Catalina Island. After the last switchback, the trail climbs up the ridge to some great exposed geology depicting lithology tortured by folding and twisting and even a couple faults. You're halfway there!

The trail continues to climb steadily, rounding the hill and turning toward the peak. After another mile, you climb under the power lines that you've been seeing for most of your hike. The trail makes another couple turns, then starts to shallow out as you reach the main ridge. The spare, rusting pole on the left makes a bare rounded area that was once a landing pad for the helicopters from the Marine Corp Air Facility in Tustin. The trail becomes flat and meets up with the main divide road. We usually stop at a bare hillock just beyond the road junction that provides great views of Santiago, Modjeska, Riverside County, Lake Matthews, Lake Elsinore, and, of course Orange County in the other direction.

If you are a peak baggers, you'll want to continue to the actual peak to the southeast where there is a bench, sometimes a trail register, and not much else. Othewise, it's time to return back the way you came. Under the moonlight on a warm evening, the views walking down are mystical. Bring a pole to improve your footing and try doing it with no lamp at all. It's pretty nice. Depending on your speed, you can climb to the top in 2 to 2-1/2 hours and the same for the climb down.

Getting Started

Go to Maple Springs Visitor Center. The gate is usually open, and drive down across the concrete stream crossing and the parking area just beyond. The trail starts there.

Taking Children

This is a nice hike for the right child, but that would usually mean not doing the whole hike or having a pretty tough kids. The moderately steep and continuous climb is more than most kids will do. Since it's Cleveland, it's dog friendly, but again, it's not the best choice for a first hike for Fido if he's been sedentary. (See Black Canyon or the San Juan Loop at the Candy Store.)