This is a nice and easy trail for any young adventurer. Brought my 4 1/2 year old daughter and she was keeping up with the adults. Water was low today but the falls were amazing. Make sure you check the weather, flash floods can occur. Would recommend as a day trip if you’re from Los Angeles or the OC.
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Solo day hiked Thurs 7/18/2024 - Started early to go up SB East & West peaks on a very picturesque day before hitting the very warm weather on the way down. All the usual, ephemeral water crossings are now dry but Limber Pine Spring is flowing very well with very cold water (6.1 miles from the Angelus Trailhead). Highly recommend hitting East Peak if you have enough time as the peninsular views of most of San Gorgonio are incredible. The trail section between the two peaks is also very scenic, especially looking north towards Seven Oaks & Big Bear Lake. Great views from the stone bench view point on the way down, shortly after passing the Survey Monument (good to see the monument still intact). Only met two people during the entire trek while heading down into the heat, but a nice cooling breeze really helped! Carried a 3L water bladder and 2 half liter reserve bottles but 2L is probably enough for most if filtering from the spring on an out and back trek. Logged 18.0 miles / 5008 vertical ft with Gaia ................................................................................................................................................................................. Solo hiked Fri 09/01/2023 – Angelus Oaks TH-San Bernardino West/East Pks-Anderson Pk-Alto Diablo Pk-Shields Peak-Gerhardt Pk. Early start with an electrical storm in the distance but dry with only a little wind. Great views off the first 4 peaks before the clouds moved in with a few sprinkles. Limber Pine Spring is still a mini waterfall and great place to filter some extra water on the way up. The San Bernardino Ridgeline is a scenic, beautiful hike in itself, much like Ten Thousand Foot Ridge. There are plenty of the original USFS carved tree blazes marking the ridge route but the trail path itself is well defined right now. Several fallen trees to navigate with a few small washout areas but nothing unsurmountable - unless you’re on horseback or leading stock. Most people would have a lot of fun scrambling up the Shields Peak rock pile – I certainly did. Was very luck with the weather today as the clouds didn’t roll in until after the fourth peak (Shields) and then there was a fine cooling mist all the way down with no bugs. Conversed with a lot of nice people on the way down including the trail runners, making it to the car just as the rain started (the day’s weather felt like it was timed as if would be on a movie set). Gerhardt Peak was an ant hill compared to the others but a new peak for me. Highly recommend this hike, even if the turnaround is SB Peak. Logged 24.1 miles/6118 vertical ft. with Gaia
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Solo hiked Fri 08/25/2023 – Momyer Creek TH-Vivian Creek Tr-SG Mtn-Big Draw/Jepson Pks- Little Dobbs/Dobbs Pks-SB Pk Tr-Falls Creek Tr-Momyer Creek Tr. Bugs and bats in the dark on Vivian to make an interesting start. Nice to see High Creek Falls still roaring this late in summer with nice cold water upstream. Gusty on the ridge line but not bad on the summits with very nice weather/views. Spectacular views of Big Bear Lake, Dry Lake, San Jacinto Peak, Yucaipa Ridge and Lake Perris from Jepson and Little Dobbs were just a mentionable few. Going down the Falls Creek Trail was quite an adventure with a few jungle/oasis zones. The 3 lush green oasis areas were like being on a Hawaiian hike with many plant types, flowing strongly with cold water to filter while the White-Buck Thorn/Manzanita jungle zones were easily traversed but make it a “long pants only” trail. As others have said, there are several new blow downs across most of the trails, along with several new washout areas. They were all easy to deal, just requiring a little more care and effort to traverse (like being in the wilderness in general). Crossed Mill Creek easily on the Vivian start but it was not so easy to cross at the Momyer finish. Didn’t see anyone all day on any of the 4 trails I used. Now is a great time to hike these trails with lower fire danger, better weather and still-viable water sources. Trail crews have done a great job this year clearing blow downs and bush trimming but it’s definitely a game of “catch up” after an extraordinary winter and now Hilary. Logged 25.8 miles/6872 vertical ft. with Gaia
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Solo hiked Fri 08/25/2023 – Momyer Creek TH-Vivian Creek Tr-SG Mtn-Big Draw/Jepson Pks- Little Dobbs/Dobbs Pks-SB Pk Tr-Falls Creek Tr-Momyer Creek Tr. Bugs and bats in the dark on Vivian to make an interesting start. Nice to see High Creek Falls still roaring this late in summer with nice cold water upstream. Gusty on the ridge line but not bad on the summits with very nice weather/views. Spectacular views of Big Bear Lake, Dry Lake, San Jacinto Peak, Yucaipa Ridge and Lake Perris from Jepson and Little Dobbs were just a mentionable few. Going down the Falls Creek Trail was quite an adventure with a few jungle/oasis zones. The 3 lush green oasis areas were like being on a Hawaiian hike with many plant types, flowing strongly with cold water to filter while the White-Buck Thorn/Manzanita jungle zones were easily traversed but make it a “long pants only” trail. As others have said, there are several new blow downs across most of the trails, along with several new washout areas. They were all easy to deal, just requiring a little more care and effort to traverse (like being in the wilderness in general). Crossed Mill Creek easily on the Vivian start but it was not so easy to cross at the Momyer finish. Didn’t see anyone all day on any of the 4 trails I used. Now is a great time to hike these trails with lower fire danger, better weather and still-viable water sources. Trail crews have done a great job this year clearing blow downs and bush trimming but it’s definitely a game of “catch up” after an extraordinary winter and now Hilary. Logged 25.8 miles/6872 vertical ft. with Gaia
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Started at 7:30am at the trailhead to beat the heat. It did get hot but wasn’t too bad in the morning. The first 3 miles are brutal because of elevation change and being exposed. There is decent coverage though too.
We got to camp at 11 and then just hung out at the river almost the entire day. We did a couple cold plunges as well.
Mosquitoes were annoying all day and would be interested in us but we both only got a couple bites. I did stay pretty covered up the entire time.
We met another hiker named Cory who was up here along and only on his second trip. We had dinner together and hung out for a couple hours.
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Hiked Friday 06/09/2023 solo – Shields-Alto Diablo-Anderson peaks from Momyer Creek Trailhead. Wow! Very scenic, beautiful trail up to the SB Trail with great views the whole way. While the Buckthorn and Manzanita are dense in some stretches, it’s passable in pants and isn’t mile after mile. That said - thanks to everyone currently trimming it – very much appreciated. The sun cupped snowfields topside gave me more grief. There is still a lot of snow on the ridgeline here-more than the Charlton-Jepson-SG ridge line. Boots only to top ridge and then crampons for direct ascents. Decided to traverse the north slopes back from Alto Diablo as it was easier than going through the softening sun cupped snow (2 ft cup depth). The weather was great and the bugs took advantage of it but didn’t need my mosquito net, just repellent. Lots of Grape Soda Lupine and Whitethorn in full bloom right now. Had a hard time finding a place to cross the Mill Creek torrent in the evening but found a bridge downstream (34.090320N, 116.920135W) made of a dozen 4 inch logs to which I added a few more. Shields and Anderson Flats now have some dry ground to camp on. Logged 20.5 miles/6147 vertical ft. with Gaia
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Hiked Friday 02/17/2023 – South Fork Trail to Dry Lake Trail, south-southwest gully from Dry Lake to Jepson Bowl. Snowshoes were perfect for the snow on the Dry Lake winter trail and trip to Jepson Bowl. Climbed the Big Draw Couloir to the Jepson ridge line and then up Jepson and Big Draw Peaks. Vistas from both peaks were far reaching in spite of a few clouds, definitely worth the climb. The top of the Couloir had a steep faced wind slab for the climb out but the snow on the ascent was mostly pencil hard and free of exposed ice, perfect for crampon front pointing and axe protection. The snow on the ridgeline to Jepson was stable, soft over packed powder with some exposed ice but turning to solid surface ice on the way to Big Draw Peak and San Gorgonio. Wanted to spend a half hour to go up the last bit of San Gorgonio Mountain but my turn around time and the increasing wind speed sent me down-climbing the chute. Glad to get this hike/climb in before next week’s storm. Wanted to climb Jepson NE chute but the ice was gleaming and plentiful when looking up from the base. This was the third week of great snow and good weather, making it yet another enjoyable day in the SG backcountry. Logged a little over 14 miles and 4335 vertical ft by Gaia.
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Solo backpacked Thurs 2/15/2024 – South Fork Trailhead parking lot is inaccessible even by 4x4 - it’s not plowed and the 3 foot Jenks Lake Road snow berm blocks the entire front. I parked in the snow at the forest road 1N78 gate which is 7/10 of a mile before the usual TH. The snow on the SF trail was firm enough to bare boot early morning with a heavy pack up to the wilderness boundary but snowshoes required beyond. There were a few water crossings on the Dry Lake Trail to contend with but carefully crossed with snowshoes. Camped in great weather at the always beautiful Dry Lake near Lodgepole Spring. Climbed the north chute after setting up camp and switching to B3 boots and a lighter gear pack. The snow in the center of the chute was well consolidated and free of surface ice, holding every point put to it. Avoiding the upper wind slab areas was easier than last year at this time, making for great fun but still an absolute leg burner. No slab headwall to climb at the top, just the usual late day winds to contend with. Watched the sunset from San Gorgonio summit before descending straight down the center of the chute with crampons/axe/pole and then snowshoeing from the bottom back to Dry Lake by head lamp. Tested the snow on the sides of the chute a few times and post holed 2-3 feet every time. Very calm, peaceful night despite the coyote network in full swing! The following day’s mid-morning return trip to Jenks Lake Road was in very sloppy snow, occasionally post holing 2-3 feet on 25 inch snowshoes. Despite this warmer slow-going exit, it was a very enjoyable trip and always nice to experience the lake and the summit ............................................................................................................................................................................................ Solo hiked Fri 08/04/2023 – Same peaks-new route. Early start on the South Fork-Dry Lake trails to Dry Lake and Mineshaft Saddle. Up Zahniser Peak, out Sky High trail to the C-47 Memorial crash site and up to San Gorgonio summit. Descent to the Big Draw rock pile and then returning via the San Bernardino Peak – South Fork Trails. A few side excursions - south face direct ascent of Jepson, west face direct ascent of Charlton, out and back to Red Rock Flat from Dollar Lake Saddle. Another day of great summer weather in SG with a cooling breeze. Wanted to get some mileage on a loop I’ve never done and this was a good one. Dry Lake is still very picturesque these days and worth the hike in itself. Still one last snow patch on the Sky High route that others have mentioned, S-SW of summit (near the awesome view of Dragon’s Head). Depending on time of day, you can navigate it easily with bare boot step kicks or take the high and dry scramble around it. Self-arrest with a shortened trekking pole will not work here with a short and possibly deadly runout on to the rocks. Scrambling up Jepson linking use trail segments with the rocks was a blast, especially after climbing the ice and snow chutes from Jepson Bowl all winter. Tried to first ascend Charlton with from the east but the Chinquapin/Whitethorn thickets had no use trails through. Ended up going down the SB trail closer to Dollar Saddle and going up the west side which was a good rock scramble. Upper South Fork Trail is very scenic in the afternoon and a great way to come down. A few blowdowns left to hop but not too bad. Thanks again to the trail crews for all of the spring-summer tree removal/cutbacks. Having hopped 35 trees on a day hike in the dead of winter here, I have to say it’s nice. Logged 23.7 miles/5701 vertical ft. with Gaia ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Hiked Weds 05/10/2023 solo – Out on South Fork Trail to Dry Lake Trail to Dry Lake with bare boots. All fallen trees easy to get around even with a full pack but some of the water crossings at South Fork Meadows take a little work. The Dry Lake thaw is really picking up and the lake level is higher than I’ve seen in the past. Climbed the North Chute to San Gorgonio Summit (axes/ crampons) with firm snow and smaller ice zones. Since it was still on the early side with good snow and not very windy, I skipped the chute down climb and took the scenic ridge route back across Big Draw, Jepson, Little Charlton and Charlton peaks. Decided to make a straight descent down Dollar Couloir since the snow was good enough for the late day elevator ride down to Dollar Lake (empty). From there, I completed the loop back to South Fork Meadows. Knowing that the snow is rapidly disappearing and this was probably the last chance to climb it, I made a long day of it and it was definitely worth it. Lots of deer on the way out as the sun went down. Didn’t bring/need snowshoes and was in a T-shirt for most of the afternoon. The kind of day that makes you remember why you hike. Logged 15.7 miles/5000 vertical ft. with Gaia.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hiked Hiked Friday 02/10/2023 – Left the South Fork Trail at the Dry Lake Trail junction and went through South Fork Meadows by snowshoe. After switching to crampons and a summit axe, I ventured part way up the base of Charlton Peak’s northern Couloir (col) to check the snow stability. In most places, it was a four finger soft top layer, alternating with a few firmer zones, all free of ice. It was easy to make a good snowball. Although the days have been warmer, it was too early for the sun to affect the snow. Taking a direct route up was long and steep but the snow was great for the most part. Near the top, the snow was very firm with only one small wind slab zone to bypass. The weather on Charlton Peak was very nice - clear with very little wind. The view of Dry Lake was spectacular as were those of the Jepson and San Gorgonio peaks. While following the ridgeline over to Little Charlton Peak, the wind steadily picked up but the view was still amazing. Moving down the ridge further towards Jepson Bowl, I could see the powder/spindrift carry across the summits and down the Jepson chutes which was really something to see. After a food break, I went back to the Charlton summit and decided on a way down. Since the snow on the col was still stable (northern aspect between trees) and there was no easier descent, I down climbed the top third of the col and then tried to glissade but the snow was not hard enough to give a fast ride. I turned on my helmet light at South Fork Meadows and didn’t bother with the snowshoes since the snow had really firmed up on the S.F. Trail (only post holed in a couple of places). I met a couple of nice people ski touring on the way out, the only people I saw during the entire day. This was the second week of great snow and clear weather for me so it was another awesome hiking day. Logged about 13 miles and 4386 vert ft.
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Solo hiked Tues 10/15/2024 – No time for the Sierra this week so I was looking for a “maintenance hike” close to home and Vivian is always a great choice. Started very early in perfect weather with a nearly full moon and had a nice go of it. Summit views were nice but a little hazy with 15 minutes of wind gusts before settling down. I brought up a new register pad as there were only fully used or shredded ones in the box on my last trip up. I couldn’t find the newer painted sign while the older wood sign with steel handles has been split in two. Mill Creek is dry, lower Vivian is still flowing well at the first crossing but is flowing very slowly at the Halfway Camp crossing (you can scoop water for filtering here as of 10/15). High Creek is flowing well and still provides fast vertical bottle/bag fills. Met a handful of people on the way down on a quiet day and was back to work in the early afternoon. Logged 18.4 miles / 5632 vertical ft with Gaia
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Solo hiked Fri 08/25/2023 – Momyer Creek TH-Vivian Creek Tr-SG Mtn-Big Draw/Jepson Pks- Little Dobbs/Dobbs Pks-SB Pk Tr-Falls Creek Tr-Momyer Creek Tr. Bugs and bats in the dark on Vivian to make an interesting start. Nice to see High Creek Falls still roaring this late in summer with nice cold water upstream. Gusty on the ridge line but not bad on the summits with very nice weather/views. Spectacular views of Big Bear Lake, Dry Lake, San Jacinto Peak, Yucaipa Ridge and Lake Perris from Jepson and Little Dobbs were just a mentionable few. Going down the Falls Creek Trail was quite an adventure with a few jungle/oasis zones. The 3 lush green oasis areas were like being on a Hawaiian hike with many plant types, flowing strongly with cold water to filter while the White-Buck Thorn/Manzanita jungle zones were easily traversed but make it a “long pants only” trail. As others have said, there are several new blow downs across most of the trails, along with several new washout areas. They were all easy to deal, just requiring a little more care and effort to traverse (like being in the wilderness in general). Crossed Mill Creek easily on the Vivian start but it was not so easy to cross at the Momyer finish. Didn’t see anyone all day on any of the 4 trails I used. Now is a great time to hike these trails with lower fire danger, better weather and still-viable water sources. Trail crews have done a great job this year clearing blow downs and bush trimming but it’s definitely a game of “catch up” after an extraordinary winter and now Hilary. Logged 25.8 miles/6872 vertical ft. with Gaia ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hiked 12/15/22 - Vivian gives you a solid cardio workout for the first mile with the snow stepping it up a bit. No tracks on trail after halfway camp but I was able to pick up the trail to high camp with very little GPS help. 8-10 inch post holing on the slope traverses with the snow firm but soft enough to cake my spikes so I switched to snow shoes for the last 1/2 mile up and then the first 3-1/2 miles down. Snow turning to slush in the afternoon on the last 1/2 mile down. Weather was nice with little wind and clear skies for most of the day before the clouds descended. Logged 12.2 miles/3262 feet.
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Backpacking group of 3 Tues 7/2/2024 – Started on the earlier side to beat the heat and patiently allow for a slower group pace. Considering the last 5 years, the SF Trail is in the best shape it's been in during this time with only 1-2 blow downs left for removal (compared to 35 in 2023). Much thanks to the trail crews responsible, especially SGWA. Cutback work is also evident with only a few areas still slightly overgrown. SF water flow at SF/Dry Lake Jct flowing very strong for filtering right next to trail. Not much mud on the trail this year, all of which is easily side stepped. Dollar Lake was a nice but long stop with Dollar Spring flowing very well. Found pristine snow (soft, clean & red algae free) on the NW slope of SG after summiting and melted/filtered 3 extra liters for camping. Dry Lake View Camp was a nice stay with spectacular views of Jepson Bowl, Dry Lake and SG-Jepson-Grinnell summits. Met some very nice fellow backpackers that made it even more enjoyable (there were only 2 groups/5 of us total camped here). We were lucky this time in having low W to E winds but there are bivouac sheltered sites for the typically higher saddle winds so plan accordingly. We pitched tents on the exposed saddle using some of the abundant, loose 8-10 inch rocks on all stakes, building a small wind buffering wall with logs on the west side which worked well. Everyone had a great time in spite of the July bug fest which required repellent but no head nets. For anyone practicing a "climb high-sleep lower" acclimatization regimen, this camp is perfect as you can summit SG at 11505 and then sleep here at 10500 - that magic 1000 ft difference at respectable altitude! Logged 13.7 miles / 4863 vertical ft with Gaia ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Solo hiked Fri 08/04/2023 – Same peaks-new route. Early start on the South Fork-Dry Lake trails to Dry Lake and Mineshaft Saddle. Up Zahniser Peak, out Sky High trail to the C-47 Memorial crash site and up to San Gorgonio summit. Descent to the Big Draw rock pile and then returning via the San Bernardino Peak – South Fork Trails. A few side excursions - south face direct ascent of Jepson, west face direct ascent of Charlton, out and back to Red Rock Flat from Dollar Lake Saddle. Another day of great summer weather in SG with a cooling breeze. Wanted to get some mileage on a loop I’ve never done and this was a good one. Dry Lake is still very picturesque these days and worth the hike in itself. Still one last snow patch on the Sky High route that others have mentioned, S-SW of summit (near the awesome view of Dragon’s Head). Depending on time of day, you can navigate it easily with bare boot step kicks or take the high and dry scramble around it. Self-arrest with a shortened trekking pole will not work here with a short and possibly deadly runout on to the rocks. Scrambling up Jepson linking use trail segments with the rocks was a blast, especially after climbing the ice and snow chutes from Jepson Bowl all winter. Tried to first ascend Charlton with from the east but the Chinquapin/Whitethorn thickets had no use trails through. Ended up going down the SB trail closer to Dollar Saddle and going up the west side which was a good rock scramble. Upper South Fork Trail is very scenic in the afternoon and a great way to come down. A few blowdowns left to hop but not too bad. Thanks again to the trail crews for all of the spring-summer tree removal/cutbacks. Having hopped 35 trees on a day hike in the dead of winter here, I have to say it’s nice. Logged 23.7 miles/5701 vertical ft. with Gaia ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... Hiked Weds 05/10/2023 solo – Out on South Fork Trail to Dry Lake Trail to Dry Lake with bare boots. All fallen trees easy to get around even with a full pack but some of the water crossings at South Fork Meadows take a little work. The Dry Lake thaw is really picking up and the lake level is higher than I’ve seen in the past. Climbed the North Chute to San Gorgonio Summit (axes/ crampons) with firm snow and smaller ice zones. Since it was still on the early side with good snow and not very windy, I skipped the chute down climb and took the scenic ridge route back across Big Draw, Jepson, Little Charlton and Charlton peaks. Decided to make a straight descent down Dollar Couloir since the snow was good enough for the late day elevator ride down to Dollar Lake (empty). From there, I completed the loop back to South Fork Meadows. Knowing that the snow is rapidly disappearing and this was probably the last chance to climb it, I made a long day of it and it was definitely worth it. Lots of deer on the way out as the sun went down. Didn’t bring/need snowshoes and was in a T-shirt for most of the afternoon. The kind of day that makes you remember why you hike. Logged 15.7 miles/5000 vertical ft. with Gaia.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hiked Hiked Friday 03/17/2023 –South Fork Trail to Dry Lake Trail, Lodgepole Trail to Fish Creek Saddle, N-NW ascent of Lake Peak. Started early to get the best snow of the day but the rain formed a 1-2 inch crust over a softened base. Used snow shoes from Dry Lake up to Fish Creek Saddle/Lake Peak. Didn’t bother with crampons as there was no ice and snow too soft to set points in. Not the same spoiling 1 finger/pencil hard snow from before the closure as I post holed 4 inches on long tail snow shoes for 90 percent of the trek. There was loose powder above 10K ft. It was a great work out and a beautiful day with the view of Jepson Bowl from Lake Peak worth the climb. Nice to get the closure over with while there’s still snow to travel in. Didn’t encounter any sizeable wind slabs on my way up, but there were a few slopes with pin wheeling and several inches of crust with short crack forming. Never had any falling rime ice hit my helmet but heard some sizeable pieces hit the ground. Made stops at Dry Lake and South Fork Meadow on the way down to take in the views with the wind almost non-existent all day. A fun but strenuous day with the weather not as cold as expected. Logged 13.2 miles/3337 vertical ft. on Gaia...................................................................................................................................................................................................
Hiked Friday 02/17/2023 – South Fork Trail to Dry Lake Trail, south-southwest gully from Dry Lake to Jepson Bowl. Snowshoes were perfect for the snow on the Dry Lake winter trail and trip to Jepson Bowl. Climbed the Big Draw Couloir to the Jepson ridge line and then up Jepson and Big Draw Peaks. Vistas from both peaks were far reaching in spite of a few clouds, definitely worth the climb. The top of the Couloir had a steep faced wind slab for the climb out but the snow on the ascent was mostly pencil hard and free of exposed ice, perfect for crampon front pointing and axe protection. The snow on the ridgeline to Jepson was stable, soft over packed powder with some exposed ice but turning to solid surface ice on the way to Big Draw Peak and San Gorgonio. Wanted to spend a half hour to go up the last bit of San Gorgonio Mountain but my turn around time and the increasing wind speed sent me down-climbing the chute. Glad to get this hike/climb in before next week’s storm. Wanted to climb Jepson NE chute but the ice was gleaming and plentiful when looking up from the base. This was the third week of great snow and good weather, making it yet another enjoyable day in the SG backcountry. Logged a little over 14 miles and 4335 vertical ft by Gaia...................................................................................................................................................................
10/11/22 Hike - Trail is in good shape except for standing water on lower part near Horse Meadows after brief rain and a few easily navigated fallen trees previously mentioned. Didn't see anyone from trailhead to S.G. summit all day. Awesome vista points especially above 10,000 ft. Dry on the way up with snow pellets,rain, and infrequent lightning on way down. If you do hike this route in the rain, the lower trail forces you through standing/flowing water so waterproof boots are the way to go. My GPS trackers averaged the out and back distance as 19.6 miles Was a fun, scenic and adventurous hike.
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Perfect weather, great trail conditions. Wore pants and gators expecting brush and my usual snake friends but both were absent. Still one of the most scenic trails in San Gorgonio, Now is the time to do this hike before the weather changes. Only saw one person all day on the way down (started at 5:30 am). All water crossings easy for anyone. Watch Cris Hazzard's Hiking Guy video on YouTube to prep and you will avoid a few wrong turns at junctions. This trail is like being on the John Muir Trail including the waterfalls near Dobbs Cabin
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July 23rd - cloudy most of the way up kept us cool - still warm and a wonderful summit to old gray back - what an adventure....
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If you enjoy a Sufferfest hike, with amazing views this is it. It’s approximately 18 miles with 5k ft elevation gain. This is a great training hike for Whitney or other long treks.
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Arrived on a Sunday at 6:15am and there were still a few parking spots left. Vault toilets at the parking lot. Bugs weren’t too bad, but were more plentiful in the afternoon. Took me 10 hours to complete with all my stops and at moderate pace.
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To start, you definitely need a high clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead. I mean, if you’re mad at your car you could try it, but don’t be surprised if after the beating it takes getting in it decides to quit or get stuck somewhere!
This is a long hike, with almost constant sun exposure and high elevation, you start at about 8100ft and end at 11500, but all things considered, it’s not that hard. Lots of burn scars from recent year’s fires, but still a beautiful hike with lots of wildflowers and wildlife. A couple very small stream crossings in the beginning, but not anything you should depend on for water as it’s too early in the hike. Farthest stream was less than 3 miles from the trailhead.
You will not encounter many people on this trail, but will encounter groups at the summit coming up from the other trails. So if you enjoy the solitude, this is a great hike! I did this on a Saturday morning and saw 6 people the whole way up. There were dozens at the top and more streaming in constantly from the other side. On my way back down I did not see another person until the end of m hike. If that’s still too many people for you, try this hike mid week and you’ll likely have it all to yourself!
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Beware of possible mountain lions and trail conditions! We diverted down this route yesterday after trail (lack of) and snow conditions along the ridge stopped us from descending down to foresee creek via Anderson peak from San Bernardino mountain.
Unfortunately we got to the summit late which meant we were forced to go down this section in the dark. For the most part the trail is in better condition than the other side of the mountain, however it is extremely overgrown and some times challenging to find the trail..
However what we were not prepared for was the multiple possible mountain lion sightings. In our headlamps we came head to head with a very large animal with big eyes and moved like a cat, which we’re pretty sure was a mountain lion. Not long after we saw another smaller one cross the trail which was possibly a cub or bob cat. And finally further down the trail we saw another two large ones, which looked like mountain lions. They watched us then ran away after we made ourselves very loud and big. Please be careful!
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Pretty short hike less than a mile but very much worth it. Especially in the summer heat, the water will feel great.
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This was an excellent trail to the top of the highest peak in Southern California! The trail was easy to follow, with ample signage at all forks in the trail. The beginning of the hike certainly caught our attention as it is a steep, unforgiving mile before entering the San Gorgonio Wilderness. A steady climb from there passes three campgrounds along the way as we ascended towards the summit. Water was readily available at High Creek Camp, where we chose to fill up during our descent. Be sure to always filter your water. We begun the hike around 5:30am and summited just after 10am. It is certainly important to note that the summit is only half way! We completed our descent at 3pm and passed three uniformed rangers along the way down.
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Major Bucket List hike accomplished. I chickened out and climbed the tallest mountain in SoCal from the easier of the two ascents. The Vivian Creek Trail is longer steeper and harder. That is not to say this was easy by any means.
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The highest summit in Southern California a brutal hike, but great training for higher peaks. Just a relentless uphill slog, one that is seemingly endless on the way down. I’ve done San Gorgonio twice from the Vivian Creek trailhead and I’d say the total hike from the parking lot is about 18 miles round trip. The trailhead is actually 1/2 mile up a dirt road from the parking lot. There are several water sources on the mountain, depending on time of year, so bring a filter if you want to refill. Otherwise bring at least 3 liters of water per person. Give yourself an early start, no later than 6:30 am, and remember to bring an Adventure Pass for the parking lot.
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For a 19 mile hike that ascends 5,500 feet, it feels unaccountably pleasant. Ok. Ok. Ok. The first mile is punishing. And there are some sections there at the end that remind one this isn’t a gimme. But, get there at 6:30, throw back some pre-workout, sip on some protein powder during, and you’re good. I did the hike on a Wednesday and finding a parking spot wasn’t an issue. Even though it was 93 degrees in LA, I was cold at the start of the hike. Light pants and a long sleeve cool max shirt over a T for the ascent. T and shorts for the descent. Choose a day where the weather report has the wind under 10mph. You’ll be happy for that. Oh, and you need an Adventure Pass to park.
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The weather was perfect for this hike. A bit chilly at first, but by the time we got up to the peak it was cold and windy at 1 p.m.
The first mile could be considered a gate keeper, as it can lead you to think that the hike will be brutal for the remainder of the trail. Also the last mile could be daunting, but one foot in front of the other gets the job done.
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vivian parking lot closed (covid?) so add another mile to the round trip. we got to lot at 0600 and there were four legal spots left. halfway camp is really third way to summit. took is almost 6 hours to summit including a few breaks. couple guys passed us and brisk hike made it in just under 4hours. if camping plan on halfway camp since high camp (which is more like halfway up) only has 3 to four spots and was full (Saturday). trail was clean but we picked up two water bottles along the way and there was a cigarette butt in the rocks at the peak.
my knees are killing me as the super steep part of Vivian from the river to halfways really a challenge on the way down for this 55uear old. took us almost 12 hours for the round trip. felt good to soak knees in the cold water at the bottom
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My favorite desert hike, with water crossings at the beginning and a place to sit and have lunch or a snack by the water next to the Red Dome. We’ve done this multiple times, and with facility closures (including the parking lot here), we had to park on the road at the last river crossing and hike from there, but there were no crowds and we loved it.
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Great hike- did this in mid October, ample water in all three creeks and the cedar seep. The fall colors were amazing, watch your step on the trail as the millions of acorns were like walking on rollers. Thank you to the hiker who left a note about the wasp nest- we both still got stung, not badly. Both Dobbs and awger has great sites for overnighting.
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Nice like ride up Canyon House Road. A lot of views of the low Desert and Mission Creek
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