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!

Beautiful day trip good hiking and cool water refreshing and fun for everyone but please when…read moregoing take out anything you bring in

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.

My first San G hike. For some reason, I was really intimidated by this one since it's the highest…read morepeak in SoCal. However, very doable. It took me about 7 hours hiking time discounting summit picture time. We started early at 6:30 and the weather was great with shade. However that changes as the sun becomes more prominent. About 3 miles to summit is full exposure. I hike with an umbrella and people are jealous... but seriously please bring plenty of water and covering. The summit is beautiful. There is a sign for photo op. The down was a bit slippery from the loose rock and gravel. I used poles for the down. Parking lot provided and an adventure pass is needed. Also need a permit to day hike Please come and create your own adventure.

+ Exhilarating experience. Good altitude training before bagging a 14er like Mt Whitney…read more + Peaceful trail. I went on a weekday. There were only 5 cars in the parking lot, and at most 10 people on the trail. I was on my own, so I made sure to prepare well. Bring +3 L of water. + I met park ranger John, who was very friendly and knowledgeable. After he checked that I had my permit for this hike, he shared a lot of info about hiking preparation. I felt resassured and safe knowing that staff are monitoring these trails. . Lot of loose rocks. Ankles rolling left and right. Hiking poles help maintain balance on uneven terrain, clearing spider web, and sharing the backpack weight off your spine. + Glorious summit. Couple large handheld signs up there for photo ops. + Not a lot of annoying flies flying at my face on this trail like at Mt Wilson. - No restrooms on this trail. - The restrooms at the parking lot don't have hand sanitizer. + But they have strong running water. . The trail has just a few small streams. . First time I did it 2 yr ago, I experienced strong AMS symptoms: nausea, fatigue, strong lightheadedness. This time I'm in much better shape. Only felt some windedness, but taking breathing breaks, drinking water, taking time to stretch took care of that no problem. . Parking in the San Bernardino National Forest requires a pass. I use the $5 day Adventure Pass. . Towards the end as the trail got dark, I think I saw a few bats flying around. Don't wanna stick around to discover if they're the bloodsucking kind! Tips: . If you're day-hiking, start before 7am. I started 8:30am, took two meal breaks, and ended around sunset at 7:30pm. I was afraid they'd close the parking lot gate before I could drive out. Now I realize the rangers close the gate at 10pm, but preferably you won't rely on headlamps. . I recommend downloading CalTopo app and adding San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek trail from HikingGuy to keep your gang on track. . Using a GPS smartwatch like Garmin fenix also helps you find your way back. The first third of the trail is well marked. The second third becomes kind of an unclear network of trails. Easy to get lost. The last third becomes well marked again.

A beautiful, well maintained preserve with a stream, a few small ponds and waterfalls, and many…read morethemed trails such as: Hummingbird Hill, Falling Waters, Sunflower Lane, Pioneer Loop, Conifers of California, Wetlands Boardwalk, Deciduous Forest, The Artist's Palette, Hidden Hollow, Sacred Springs, and Children's Forest. While there are some dirt walk paths, it be difficult to navigate if in a wheel chair or if you have a stroller. There's a good sized parking lot, though during apple-picking season and when it snows it can be a bit difficult to find a spot. Regardless, if you're in the area, it's a place definitely worth the visit. Love and appreciate that they are dog-friendly to leashed and well mannered dogs and free admission, but donations are much appreciated.

Beautiful is all you can say. It is a place where my family and I go for the weekend day trip and…read morerelaxing hike experience.

We went for a hike yesterday and Bonita Falls was 22 minutes drive. The location was in Lytle Creek…read morein San Bernardino National Forest. The weather was great. We parked in the designated area. It was around 2.8 miles round trip . Make sure bring water, sunscreen, good hiking shoes and hiking stick. The trail was very rocky and steep going to the waterfalls. The running stream was amazing. Water was cold but soothing to listen to the sound of the water. The waterfall was high , great to take pictures and can get to the waterfalls area. There were people doing rock climbing too. Great adventure.

It's a decent hike and a good way to get out in nature, but good luck taking photos without…read moregraffiti in them. That's the most disappointing part of this hike. The waterfall is cool, but the area is completely tagged and dirty. The hike itself is only difficult because of the rocky terrain. Otherwise, it's not bad. A couple locations you have to work your way across the water but you can usually find something pretty easily. An adventure pass is needed for parking at the trailhead. I've seen bear scat here previous times, so be careful and alert out there!

This hike is about 22.5 miles roundtrip and over 6,000 feet elevation gain. It starts at the Big…read moreFalls Trailhead via Momyer Trail and returns via Vivian Creek Trailhead. The Big Falls Trailhead is less than 2 miles from and reached prior to the Vivian Creek Trailhead. The hike starts with a creek crossing. There are varying sizes of rock underfoot, and the trail is single file. It is not as steep as going up Vivian Creek Trail, but the length of this hike makes up for that. The first 3 miles are at a pretty steady incline; however, miles 4 and 5 are mostly flat or downhill. This is refreshing, as long as you don't plan to return on this route. Much of the trail is heavily wooded, but there are also expansive views. There are at least 2 streams where you can replenish your water. Directly on the trail, this starts at about the 7 mile mark. Once you hit Dollar Saddle (elevation 10,000 feet), it is still about 5 miles to reach the summit. For me, this is the part that seemed to endlessly continue. As the last portion actually joins with the Vivian Creek Trail, you will not really see the summit until nearly the end of the hike. It is about 13.5 miles to reach the peak, so the shorter return is much welcomed. parking - adventure pass required tip - if you don't want to walk extra, have your group park one car at each trailhead

Date visited: June 3-4 Trail: Momyer to San Gorgonio Peak,…read moredescend via Vivian Camp: Dry Lake View (mile 10 at 10540') Distance RT: 22 miles Total Elevation gain: 6062' Difficulty: Difficult & long. Not super steep. Momyer Mile 3.9 Alger Creek 7.4 Saxon 9.7 Dollar Lake Saddle 10.9 Dry Lake View campsite 13.2 San Gorgonio Peak 16.5 High Creek 19 Halfway 20.6 Vivian Creek 22.1 Vivian Falls (1.7 mi from where we started) The Momyer trail is the least used trail in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, probably because it is really long. Steady incline. As soon as you leave the Momyer parking lot, you will cross your first creek! The trail starts on the other side of the creek. It's not hard to find, but you will need to look for the trailhead (no signs). We saw a momma bear and a baby bear maybe 20 minutes after the first creek crossing about 30 years downhill from the trail! It spooked us, but we just made a lot of noise, kept an eye on both of them, and just pushed forward steadily. Phew! What a way to start our adventure! The hike up to Alger Creek felt like forever and it got a little steep. There's a sign that will direct you to Dobbs if you are setting camp there or need water, but note that it is about .5 mile away from the main trail. We continued on to Saxon and eventually found ourselves at Plummers Crossing for our final water refill before we get to camp. The water is great there, so we filled up and rested up for our final push to Dry Lake View campsite. From here to Dollar Lake Saddle, the views were amazing but the switchbacks were killer. They are long, and we were also exhausted. Dollar Lake Saddle has no water source, but there was some snow there that you could melt. The push from Dollar Lake Saddle to Dry Lake View wasn't bad. Dry Lake View is at the top of the hill and semi-snow covered. We set up camp, barely ate anything since we were so exhausted/cold/miserable at this point. The wind wasn't bad when we were setting camp, but in the middle of the night, it sounded like gale force winds were blowing through our site. It was super noisy, super windy, and my boyfriend even had to re-stake our tent down. The next day, we got lost trying to find the trail from Dry Lake View. The sign is super small and posted on a random tree. If we didn't have a map, we would've never known this was the campsite. The trail doesn't continue on from where we came up to the camp. Most of the campsites we went through were OFF the trail. So, we went back down to where we started to look for the trail originally. The trail actually continue onward at the very top of the hill and to the right (again, no signs posted). We walked for about a mile and wasted an hour trying to find this trail because it was buried in snow. Microspikes/crampons weren't needed, but sturdy shoes were a must. This portion took a while since much of the snow would sink down knee deep as we traversed through. Finally, we made it out of that segment, and we were congratulated with one magnificent view of the valley. From there, the way to the summit was pretty easy. There were a few more snow covered patches that we had to move around, but it wasn't terrible. We made it to the peak by about 2pm. The view was simply beautiful, and it was definitely very rewarding to be on the highest peak in Southern California. There are a ton of chubby chipmunks who are the keepers of the San Gorgonio Peak sign, so make sure you treat them with respect! The way down via Vivian was steep, but our trekking poles helped immensely. 9 long switchbacks to High Creek. This was a nice spot for a break and to refill your water. We were chasing sunlight by this point. When we got to Halfway, we only took a 5 min break before we decided to push on again. The last leg was pretty tough on our toes and knees. Steep and narrow switchbacks. Headlamps were needed because it got really dark really fast. Once you get to Vivian Creek camp, there's still another 1.5 miles to get down to the Vivian trailhead and where the cars are parked. Again, there are no signs or arrows. It was pitch dark by the time we got back to our car at 9pm. I've never felt so relieved to see our car! Overall, this was a pretty tough hike for me. It offered some amazing views, but I really wished there were more signs to direct you. I know it's the "wilderness," but since it's an established trail, I think a few signs with the distance would be extremely helpful. We called the ranger station for directions when we got lost, but they weren't helpful at all. The person on phone has never even been on these trails. Water sources with ratings for early June 2017: Momyer: 5 Alger Creek: 5 Dobbs: 5 (note, this is .5 miles away from the main trail, which will add 1 mile to your trip down and back up) Falls Creek (right before Saxon): 4 Plummers Crossing (this is the last water source until summit): 5 High Creek: 3.5 Halfway: 3 Vivian Creek: 4

Great Fishing Spot Near Barton Flats This lake is just a…read morequick 5-minute drive from Barton Flats, making it super convenient if you're camping nearby. While there aren't any shaded areas, my husband absolutely loved this location for fishing. Using PowerBait, he was able to catch two trout early in our trip. Then, on our last day of camp, the lake was restocked--and he ended up catching and releasing 11 more! It was such a fun and rewarding experience for him. If you're looking for an easy-to-access fishing spot with a good chance of catching trout, this lake is definitely worth checking out. Just bring sun protection if you're planning to stay a while!

I've been to this lake twice and both times the attendant working there had a very bad attitude. He…read moresmelled like marijuana and he treated us as if we invaded his private space. I'm never going back there again.

Just went the other day, the road was still open to make it just a very short hike to get to the…read morecool creek and bridge area. IT DEFINITELY IS STILL ILLEGAL TO VISIT UNTIL MAY 21st 2021 at least. The website doesn't say so but several signs out here do and there is no reversal of that order anywhere to be found in the internet. Honestly was a cool place that i can't wait to explore more but I'm thankful it's closed because it's too easy too access which enables non nature people to go easily and trash it and disrespect the area, and not responsibly socially distance. If you aren't a local please don't visit this spot Go explore trails and nature area in your home towns and if there isn't enough than get your voice heard in local city council meetings and demand some more.

This spot was absolutely perfect for a family hike and some fun splashing about in the river and…read moreswimming holes. It is an extremely simple hike, no rough terrain and clearly marked. We had driven from Arizona for some cooler weather and had the hardest time simply finding a good spot for the kids to play and swim without needing to pay a fortune (We dont have to pay to swim in lakes in Arizona which I didn't know was a novelty??) We rented a cabin by Arrowhead lake and found out AFTER we got there that it is a private lake. We were told by locals that a great family lake was Lake Gregory which was about 20 minutes away. We drove to lake Gregory only to be told by park rangers that we cant swim in the lake unless we go to the designated family beach area and pay $10 per person (adults and children included) to use a small crowded beach area. That particular day I gave in and paid so my children could have some fun outside and in the water. I was determined to continue looking... FINALLY, I searched for rivers, streams and hiking nearby to get some peace and adventure and came across this little gem. Maybe we got lucky since it was in the middle of the week, but there were very few people on the trail, not to mention only one other family with kids at the swimming hole that my kids played with. The water was clean and cool, it was not crowded, there was ample shade and sandy beach areas...it was PERFECT. I would highly recommend this area for family use.

Came out from OC as we heard great things about this hike and the hot springs we could get into…read more They do charge $10 per person for parking depending on how many people are in your car. The hike down is beautiful with wide desert views. Just remember: going back up is a workout. Bring plenty of water and be ready for sun. The hot springs themselves are awesome--several warm pools and the cold creek right next to them. It can get busy, but still really relaxing. Overall, a great adventure spot if you're up for a tougher hike. Would definitely go again.

Clean, beautifully maintained. There's a fire pit by each camp site, and except for the ones for…read morebig groups, lots of space for privacy. The hike back from the hot springs is no joke, especially on a hot day if it gets to 80s. It is nonstop uphill for about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your speed. Still gorgeous.

The Pacific Crest Trailhead - Mojave River Forks End of Road serves as a significant access point…read moreto the iconic Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in Southern California. Situated at an elevation of 923 meters in the Mojave Desert region, this trailhead marks a unique intersection where the vast wilderness of the PCT meets the end of California Highway 173. It is a crucial gateway for exploring the diverse landscapes of the San Bernardino Mountains foothills and the unique desert environment. Visitors consistently highlight this trailhead as the most accessible starting point for reaching the popular Deep Creek Hot Springs, making it a favored destination for hikers. The opportunity to experience a distinctive desert section of the Pacific Crest Trail, with its scenic Deep Creek Canyon and lush riparian vegetation, is another major draw. The convenience of a wide parking area at the end of the paved road also contributes to its popularity among those looking for day hikes or shorter excursions on the PCT. Before setting out, hikers should be prepared for a creek crossing within about a mile of the trailhead, as Deep Creek must be forded. While often shallow or dry, especially during certain times of the year, water levels can rise significantly after rain or snowmelt, potentially requiring an alternative parallel track near the dam. The trailhead offers ample free parking at the dead-end of Highway 173, making it easily reachable by passenger vehicle. This trailhead is ideal for hiking and trail running, particularly for those aiming for the Deep Creek Hot Springs, which is typically a 12-mile out-and-back journey. The arid desert climate suggests that spring and fall offer the most comfortable conditions for exploration, avoiding the extreme heat of summer or potential high waters in winter. Its location also provides convenient access to nearby amenities at Mojave River Forks Regional Park, including camping and recreational opportunities at Silverwood Lake.

i love this trail, but do it on a cloudy day, wont recommend hiking this on a hot day because…read moretheres no shade the whole time. and pls. pick up after your pet. parking is kinda sketchy too. so take the risk. Other than that love the bridge at the end of the trail!