The San Bernardino National Forest is huge!!!…read more This National Forest stretches from San Bernardino Couty to Los Angeles County. I've had the privilege to experience the San Bernadino County side of the San Bernardino National Forest when I lived in Big Bear. It was beautiful and fun for hiking adventures. This time, I was on the Los Angeles County side of The San Bernardino National Forest. I was on the side that feels really desert-like. It's dirt and very dry weather, and then suddenly when you hit the National Forest, it is green and gorgeous. Boy, it is really something when you go from the desert to green trees and pretty views!!! The temperature cooled down too. I love the forestry landscape and lush trees everywhere. I'm thankful that we have National Forests like this that are protected! We must protect them at all costs!

3/5 loved the location left out a few stars I'll explain the pros and cons:…read more Pros: Beautiful National forest. Camping reservation is available and brown bins to hide food from animals and bears available. One bathroom available and it's cleaned by rangers. Trash is also picked up if you need help cleaning. Beauty of a sky at night. They gave a fire pit area and three large benches to eat and sit. Cons: The drive as soon as you get to the off road areas you lose reception. We got lost so I recommend having a back up plan with maps that help off roading areas. Also we took our Tundra for the first time off road and regretted it immediately. BEWARE: The bushes and trees are not cut down to clear the roads and our truck was completely scratched from both sides. Only bring cars you don't care about and plan to use them through bushes and trees that scratch the paint. We learned the hard way. Also the drive up and down the mountain is very dangerous. If you come early the fog makes it hard to see. We got rain in the afternoon and it's very slippery cars also drive crazy and pressure you to go over the required speed. We had to wait 45 min coming down the mountain Sunday when we left due to a car accident. Again locals drive crazy and ride your car or pass you up. Be really cautious! All in all great camping trip but the truck issue was horrible. We now have to pay to try and wax the truck or have to fully re-paint.

One of my favorite getaways since I was a kid . If you go please pack it in pack it out and keep…read morethis place beautiful and clean .

The drive up to this trail is not bad at all! I sometimes get scared of driving up high into the…read moremountains but this was a pretty easy drive and there weren't any parts that I felt were scary. I was driving from Ontario, CA. You do need a pass to park in the lot. There are restrooms at the parking lot if you need to use them. The hike up is a pretty short one with pretty views! There are tons of shade from the trees and the water/waterfall was beautiful!

Great little beginner hike. Definitely kid friendly, dog friendly, if you choose the loop up the…read morehill its about 2.5 miles, inclines are kid friendly. Spot for parking and if it's full you can always park in the adjacent neighborhoods, safe enough. Didn't see any people but by the time we left there were a few cars. No restrooms and no shade. There's a cute bench to sit and rehydrate.

Hubby and I decided to take a quick hike up the street from where we live. This hole started out a…read morebit steep and had me worrying I made bad decision. No we did not! This path was great. can't wait till we go right at the first fork and make our way to the water. Great trail!

This is a killer trail and i did not make it up to the top. There were definitely many people who…read moremade it, but not me..so i will be rating this trail advanced. There are multiple trails that lead you to different places and some require you to go through very steep, rocky, and thorny paths. When we were coming down the trail, i realized there was one big path that can be taken there. Becareful as some parts are steep! I slid down a hill and took my friend down with me!

Amazing place to hike it's about 2 miles to the top All Trails says it's 3.8 miles round trip so…read moreyou'll spend a few hours hiking on this trail bring some back up water! Parking is kind of a hassle just don't park on the red curbs and watch out for no parking signs in the neighborhood and you should be fine. Just park along a proper curb as there is no lot to park in here. The views keep getting better and better as you ascend but the very top is breathtaking. You have 360 degree views of the Inland Empire very cool spot. Be careful as some of the edges have steep drop offs. Perfect hike for the moderate hiker.

For camping... There are 12 free campsites spread out over a few miles... quite far apart, and…read moreprivate. Not all sites are conducive to RVs (I have no trouble in my campervan ). Closed in winter. This is the mountains... be prepared for bears, raccoons, coyotes etc. There are fire rings, but no toilets, picnic tables, or water. However, there are bathrooms at the children's Forest (which you pass halfway up) and you are close enough to town to get a pizza (or supplies). Drive (or hike) to the top, take your time, and climb the fire tower. Read about the history of the tower and enjoy the amazing view from up there.

If you're looking for a more strenuous trail, look no further than the Mill Peak Trail along Keller…read morePeak. You'll definitely want to follow along on the All Trails app. Though keep in mind that cell service is pretty limited on most of the trails around Lake Arrowhead. Parking is pretty limited at the trailhead with tiny parking spaces located on both sides of the main road. So arrive early for the best parking options. We hit the trail going clockwise and felt the burn as we headed up the mountainside. It's listed as "moderate" on the All Trails app but we both felt it edged much more into the "hard" category. There is one section where we literally were scaling the steep trail -- taking 3 steps forward and slipping 2 steps back (or so it felt like!). The trail eventually takes you up to the top where you'll get views of the lowlands below. It's truly beautiful. It's also one of the less popular trails so you won't likely see many people along your trek. After wrapping up your hike, head back to the car and make the side trip to Keller Peak Fire Lookout. During our visit, the lookout tower interior was closed due to COVID-19. But it's still worth making the journey to chat with the lookout ranger and hear what it takes to be a volunteer. In one word: peaceful. Though our ranger volunteer was very chatty. Clearly, he didn't see many people this weekend besides us! It was well worth the journey!

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP! ... And is it ever True Here! As we turned onto the Camp Cedar…read moreFalls Drive, we were met by Pastor Paulo and three of his awesome staff: Sayji, Will and Sean. They greeted us, performed an initial "check-in: for our Family Camp Reservation ... and Offered to have a Greeting Prayer with us - Absolutely Beautiful. This Prayer Set The Tone For The Entire Camp Stay. The Amazing Blessings that our family ended up taking home were Beyond Anything We Expected Or Imagined - A True Ephesians 3:20 Experience. The Camp Schedule, its Coordination and Execution was Tick-Tock-On-The Spot! Event after Awesome Event - they run a tight ship! The Care and Attention that each and every one of the Camp Counselors demonstrated from the very beginning was beyond Impressive -especially when the large majority were totally new to working as Camp Counselors. From the outset, at our first meal, Counselor Melanie came and sat down with us, chatting -welcoming, and incredibly Sweet! Ashley the Camp Media Star also came and sat next to us at our table. We chatted nicely, when suddenly, Ashley noticed a new family sitting at a different table... but were all alone. She mentioned this to Melanie, politely excused herself and went to make the new family feel as though they were at home and among Family! THE FOOD IS PHENOMENAL! Chef Oscar is one dedicated individual! Together with his Son Vincent, Each and Every Morning and Night they serve up A New Deliciously Tasting Meal! Raviolis, Pasta, Enchiladas, Chinese Food, Pancakes, Waffles, Biscuits And Gravy, Lasagna, On and ON!!! DELICIOUSNESS! Only someone who has to cook for a family knows how difficult of a task and feat it is to accomplish this type of tasty Variety Successfully! All Meals Were Also Vegetarian --EVEN HARDER! The attention to detail as far as Snacks And Treats for All the Campers was unparalleled! SMORES Galore, Cotton Candy, Shaved Ice, Ice Cream And Popsicles, Coffee, Fruits Yogurt and Granola... we were taken care of in quite the All-Inclusive Fashion - AMAZING! The attentiveness of the rest of the Camp Counselors cannot be dismissed. Constatly looking to Help and Clean, Zeon(sp?) from South Africa, Gabriel from PUC, Natalie in the Camp Store, the rest of the girls and our Amazing Worship Leader: Jordan. Wow...what an Amazingly Assembled Crew! The Facilities were impeccably clean and ready for our stay. The Lodge "Hotel-Like" accommodations were wonderfully prepared with clean beddings and linens, clean towels, and the necessary soaps and toiletries that were provided. The Wrap-Around Balcony was a Special Treat on the second floor, as I was able to spend some time sitting and reading my book, outside in the Quiet of the Natural Surroundings, with a Fresh Breeze Blowing while listening to the rush of the River Below and the Beautiful Songs Of The Birds Singing Above... Wow - what an Incredible Setting! Each Worship Experience outdid the ones before. As we worshipped, the Spirit of God was palpable and increasingly present. These wonderful Worships culminated in quite an Incredible Friday Evening Agape Feast, where the Staff and Pastors went All Out. They provided a wonderfully delicious candle-lit dinner preparation and feast where the evening ended with individual family prayer and devotions. Pastor Jaime Heras was our Main Speaker for the duration of our Family Camp. Interesting, Funny, Captivating and Relevant, Pastor Heras instructed, enthralled and ... Touched the hearts of every one of us! His wife Jenny joined us as well and only added to the Sweetness, Care and Kindness that they brought to the Camp experience. My two sons Absolutely Loved The Preaching of Pastor Heras, wanting more and more! Ultimately, there was a call to Baptism ... And Both of My Boys Gave Their Hearts To Christ and Were Baptized the following day at Camp! INCREDIBLE! Pastor Paulo and his Wife Ana are true Servants of Christ. They gave of themselves to the point of Total Exhaustion! Together with their two beautiful little daughters, Family Tenorio ministered to each and every one of the families in attendance that week. Leadership here is Top Notch. It is filled with Love, Dedication and True Care. The Unequaled Setting In God's Natural Beauty Of Angelus Oaks, CA, is as Pastor Paulo stated: An Evangelism Series On Steroids... Nature, Praise, Worships, Incredible Speaker, Amazing Food Three Times A Day, Wonderful Counselors -The Presence Of The Holy Spirit Is There. Camp Cedar Falls Is Back And Is Here To Stay! You owe it to yourself and your family to check out the available Camps at Cedar Falls. You Will Not Regret It -- Quite the opposite - you Will be forever grateful that you attended! Events and Activies: Arts And Crafts Archery BMX Biking Go Carts Swimming Foosball Water Slides Jumpers Basketball Volleyball Pickle Ball Cornhole Sports Olympics Hiking Nature Center Neon Night Glow Party!

Was there in April to enjoy a weekend with my church family. The camp was blanketed with beautiful…read moresnow and the weather was just perfect. Stayed in the lodge which was clean and comfortable. My shower has great water pressure and plenty of hot water :) The camp has improved tremendously from when I used to go there as a teen in the 90's. Back then the food was bland and without any thought put into it. Boy has it changed...we had focaccia pizza with tomato bisque soup our first night there! Pleasantly surprised to find Vegan options are available now not just your plain vegetarian SDA options. The weekend was filled with various delicious options and I looked forward to the savory experience of every meal! Thanks to the friendly kitchen staff for taking the time to make us all feel welcomed and for placing so much love & thought into every meal. Looking forward to our next visit. God Bless CCF!

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

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.