Search
Close this search box.
Peak San Bernardino
Group Aqui Nomas Hiking
Trailhead Angelus Oaks Trailhead

This was my first time hiking San Bernardino Peak. I didn’t know what to expect as the 3 peaks I’ve recently hiked for the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge have been 2nd timers for me. Before starting the hike, our group met up at the Mill Creek Ranger Station in Mentone to obtain a first come-first serve permit since most permits have already been reserved for summer weekends. Since the drive to station was a 1.5 hour drive from our house, we had to account for the drive and waiting time for the permit to get adequate sleep for the 17 mile hike. We obtained our permit by piggybacking on another hiker’s permit (he was one of the first people in line) as there can be up to 12 hikers on a permit. Although we were never asked to show our permit along the trail, it’s good to have just in case.

Our group parked on the side of road leading to the parking lot for the Angelus Oaks trailhead. We started the hike at 7:30 am. The first part of the trail is a bunch of switchbacks. These switchbacks came with great views of Riverside. The weather was clear and cool. I had to take off my hoodie and remove the legs of my hiking pants to convert them into shorts because I was sweating like crazy. Our group was separated along the trail as we each have our own pace but we try to meet up 2-3 times along the trail to rest/refuel/make sure everyone is okay. The second part of the trail is Manzanita Flats which was beautiful and I took my time to snap photos and enjoy the views. I met up with my group at Limber Pines, a nice camping ground and rest stop, about 5 miles from the trailhead. We continued up on a steady incline to a section with a stone bench that was great for photos, right before Washington’s Monument (we were only able to see it from afar). There were a few snow patches during the last mile before the peak. Once we arrived at the peak, there were so many hiking groups, making it hard get around and find a spot to sit. We ate and rested at the peak for less than an hour and started the hike down. This was my FAVORITE peak and hike by far! Stunning views of Big Bear Lake, the Inland Empire, and everything Mother Nature has to offer. This was my first time using trekking poles, to minimize the pressure on my knees during the descend on the switchbacks, so I felt great during and after the hike (aside from the normal tiredness). We completed the hike at 4:30 pm.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.