hikespeak

Get to know the plants, animals, and natural history of Southern California at Heaps Peak Arboretum. Located near Lake Arrowhead, the arboretum is a developed piece of San Bernardino National Forest. Sequoia Trail is the main trail through Heaps Peak Arboretum, covering 3/4 of a mile with 90 feet of elevation change. The star of the trail is a planted grove of sequoiadendron giganteum, or what us non-Latin speakers call giant sequoias. ...Read more.

The double-crested mountain of Twin Peaks is located close to the absolute center of the San Gabriel Mountains, making it an ideal mountain for catching big views over the range, including high points like Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy, and a slew of other summits. A trail leads to the 7,761-foot summit of Twin Peaks East, the higher of Twin Peak's sibling summits. ...Read more.

Sometimes it can seem ambitious just to go for a hike in the rugged San Gabriel Mountains, but Thaddeus Lowe was way more determined than that, devising an incline tram and railway to bring guests to a resort, tavern, and mountain overlooks that he created in the San Gabriel Mountains about a century ago. His railway and resorts have long been destroyed, but hikers can still visit the remnants. ...Read more.

Vetter Mountain has got to be one of the more scenic peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, boasting a 360-degree summit that's a total stunner. For decades, hikers marched up the mountain to see the historic fire lookout tower that stood at the summit, but in 2009, the Station Fire destroyed the tower and scorched Vetter Mountain. The area is still in recovery from the wildfire, but trails to the 5,908-foot summit are open, allowing hikers to enjoy spectacular views over the San Gabriels. ...Read more.

The San Jacinto Mountains are a steep rugged mountain range full of challenging trails that put hikers to the test... Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail is not one of those trails. This leisurely alternative is 5.2 miles round trip with 675 rolling feet of elevation change. The gradual and enjoyable dirt single track overlooks the mountain community of Idyllwild and is appropriate for hikers of all abilities. ...Read more.

Within the Cleveland National Forest on Palomar Mountain is a trail through a pleasant woodland that has broad valley vistas en route to a world-renowned destination. What more could you want? Strap on your hiking boots and set out up Observatory Trail, which is 2.2 miles long from point to point with 700 feet of elevation gain. The trail starts at Observatory Campground and ends just outside the Palomar Observatory. ...Read more.

Located in the Cleveland National Forest near Warner Springs, The live oak-shaded Atáxam Mámta'ash Campground (formerly know as Indian Flats) is the start of a short trail to a trickling river fork. It is a 0.5-mile round trip hike from the campground goes down to the East Fork of the San Luis Rey River, which flows down a mountain slope covered in granite boulders. ...Read more.

Mount Baden-Powell is a special summit in the San Gabriel Mountains. It is one of the range's tallest peaks at 9,399 feet and holds particular importance to the Boy Scouts of America because it memorializes the lofty accomplishments of Lord Baden-Powell who founded the Scout Movement. The views are lofty too, lording over an expanse of rugged mountains framed the San Gabriel Valley to the south and the Mojave Desert to the north. ...Read more.

The San Bernardino Mountains are a rugged east-west running mountain range in San Bernardino County east of the San Gabriel Mountains. While the range tops out at the 11,500-foot summit of San Gorgonio Mountain, you can find great panoramic view from a 4,000-foot peak that is much easier to reach. Marshall Peak rises above the foothills of the mighty San Bernardino Mountains and is just a short trip from cities in the San Bernardino Valley. ...Read more.

Half a mile from the start of the crowded trail to the Bridge to Nowhere, you'll find a junction with Heaton Flats Trail, which rises above the canyon carved by the East Fork of the San Gabriel River to offer big views and plenty of solitude. Enjoy panoramic perspectives of some of the most notable peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains (including Mount Baldy, Mount Baden-Powell, and Iron Mountain) along the trail to a 4,000-foot high clearing on the ridge. ...Read more.