SoCal Hiker

Hiking to San Bernardino Peak via Angelus Oaks

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Hiking San Bernardino Peak via Angelus Oaks

Trail Details
Distance: 16.5 miles
Time: ~9 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 4,702 ft
Dogs: Yes
When to go: June-October

Find out more about the SoCalHiker Six-Pack of Peaks
This hike is the fourth in my Six-Pack of Peaks series of training hikes. I used them to train for hiking the John Muir Trail, but others are doing it to prepare for hiking Whitney, or simply just for the adventure, the scenery and the mountain views.

One of the best-kept secrets of Southern California is San Bernardino Mountain. Just five miles away from the highest peak in SoCal — San Gorgonio — San Bernardino tops out at a respectable 10,649 feet. Hiking from Angelus Oaks, this 16-mile out-and-back trail climbs over 4,600 vertical feet. It makes for a very long day hike or a great weekend backpacking trip.

Sign to the trailhead parking

The first challenge with this hike is finding the trailhead. I was able to find it on Google Maps, but the directions Google gave me neglected to point out that many of the streets in Angelus Oaks are missing street signs. Not helpful. The key is to look for the fire station (it’s on Manzanita). Turn torwards the station, then an immediate left on the frontage road. That’s where you’ll see what might be the most detailed road sign I’ve ever seen.

You’ll drive about 1/4 mile along a bumpy dirt road. You can take a passenger car up there driving slowly, though I was glad to be driving my Xterra.

Angelus Oaks Trailhead

The trailhead parking requires an Adventure Pass. There is a message board and the ranger regularly posts updates (“rattlesnake seen on the trail” or “be sure to carry your permit”). Check the board for any special notices before heading up the only trailhead which begins just to the left.

Permit Availability

Permits are required to hike this trail, even as a day hike, and group size is limited to a maximum of 12. Permits are free, and can be obtained online on the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association website.

You can also backpack overnight up San Bernardino Peak, coming either at Limber Pine Bench.

There are three distinct sections to this trail. The first section climbs steadily up well-engineered switchbacks through oak and pine forest. You gain a lot of elevation quickly, but the trail is smooth and not too steep. I was impressed with the great views out toward the Inland Empire and north towards the snow-capped Mt. San Antonio (aka Baldy).

Angelus Oaks trail

Eventually you emerge at Manzanita Flats — the main junction along this trail. Note: read the trail signs, and head toward Limber Pines.

Manzanita

The second section gently climbs through manzanita, with beautiful views to the north towards Big Bear. The trail beings to climb up the final slope as you near Limber Pines. There is a small seasonal creek that you’ll cross about 1/2 mile before Limber Pines. I wouldn’t count on using from mid-summer on, but with this year’s bumper crop of snow, it was flowing pretty well in mid-June.

Limber Pines is where the weekend backpackers often setup camp, and it makes a great place for a break before your final climb. The third and final section follows switchbacks up the steep slope to Washington’s Monument, then parallels the ridge to the top of San Bernardino Peak.

San Bernardino Panorama

This is last section of the trail, you may really begin to feel the altitude, and depending on the time of year,  you may find large patches of snow covering entire sections of the trail. Fortunately the warm weather has been melting what snow remains pretty quickly, and we were able to get by without crampons or ice axes. Well, most of us anyway. More on that later…

Washington’s Monument is the tongue-in-cheek name for a what is really little more than a pile of rocks with a pole stuck in the middle. In 1852, Colonel Henry Washington and his Army survey party were directed to erect a monument atop San Bernardino Peak. The monument was the east-west reference point from which all future surveys of Southern California were taken.

Washington's Monument. Photo credit: Emily Doti

From Washington’s Monument, the trail follows the ridge for another 3/4 mile to the summit, where you can take in the 360 degree views.

Snow on San Bernardino Peak

View from San Bernardino Peak

The inland empire. Photo credit: Emily Doti

So the observant ones out there may have noticed that sometime after Limber Pines, my photos ceased to be, and were replaced by Emily and Tyler’s photos. You might reason that my camera battery died (and it was low). But sadly, that is not the reason.

The real reason is… I didn’t summit. I got about 10 minutes away from Washington’s Monument, and decided to stop. It wasn’t altitude sickness (I did Baldy the week before). No, my friends, I succumbed to run-of-the-mill dehydration. Consider it a lesson in what not to do. I considered it a great lesson in handling the unexpected and being flexible.

I did almost everything that I tell my hikers not to do. I didn’t get adequate sleep (4.5 hours). I went to bed thirsty. I woke up, had a light breakfast (good) but didn’t hydrate! (Very bad.) I brought along 3 liters of water and by the time I reached Limber Pines Bench I had downed about 1-3/4 liters (including 16 oz of electrolytes). But the damage was done. When I started the hike I was already dehyrdrated. Had I not hiked, I probably would’ve been fine, maybe suffering a little headache and then recovering quickly. A strenuous hike coupled with altitude did me in.

Once I realized that what I had done, I had sense enough to do the right thing. I stopped. My stubborn determination could’ve driven me onward, but I stopped, rested, and rehydrated. I headed back to the car. I rested some more. Hydrated more. By the time we were back at the car, I was back to my normal self. Only wiser. So let this be a lesson to you, as it was to me.

2015 Update

I went back and summited San Bernardino!

October 2015 - I summited San Bernardino Peak!

San Bernardino Peak Trail Map

PRO TIP: I track all my hikes using GaiaGPS. It’s the best solution for staying on the right trail, it works even when you don’t have cell service, and there are versions for iOS and Android. The app is free, and you can get a discounted membership for maps here.

Photo Gallery

Click any thumbnail image to see the larger version.

Bag the Six-Pack of Peaks
2018 SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge

  1. Mt. Wilson 
  2. Cucamonga Peak
  3. Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy)
  4. San Bernardino Peak (you are here)
  5. Mt. San Jacinto
  6. San Gorgonio

What is the SoCalHiker Six-Pack of Peaks?

Additional San Bernardino Peak Resources

 

Special thanks to my friends from Hiking OC: Lily, Jim, John, Ivana, Emily, Kristin, Dave, Tyler, Kelly and Joan for joining me on this epic hike. All photos from our hike on June 22, 2010. 

Celebrate the Summit!

Comments

  2. Thanks Jeff, what’s a great memory you have for others, it’s very inspiring. I like the most is the sign to get to the trailhead, that one alone is already a big stress for those who’ve never been there before, a hidden treasure turns out good, not too crowded trail 🙂

    • Lily, you’re so right — this trail is a gem. Very beautiful. And even though it’s long and has a lot of vertical gain, the trail is gradual and never feels too steep. I’ll definitely do this one again.

  5. Hi Jeff,

    Enjoyed hiking Baldy with you. Tyler shared some of the experience via Facebook and some back & forth messages. Now I’ve read your blog too — good job! This is what I like to do too, though I put mine on Picasa and call them photoblogs — no text as such, but I tell the story with extensive captions. Though I’ve never thought of climbing Mt. San B before this, now I’m bitten and would like to do it some time.

  6. Jeff, this blog is fantastic! I love love love the pictures (and I’m not talking about my own haha!). Great write up, you captured the hike perfectly. I’d love to do this one again sometime…but continuing on to East Peak ;D

  8. Another nice hike! Somewhere in my files I have a picture of me, 30 years younger and 50 lbs lighter on top. I did the ol’ Barton Flats to San G out to Angelus Oaks along the 9 peaks trail. If you don’t mind an older slower hiker I’d love to join you guys sometime!

    • I’m not out to break any speed records, just hiking to enjoy the wilderness, the exercise and the camaraderie. You’re welcome to join anytime. I often hike with the Hiking OC club. They post a calendar of hikes that covers a broad range of ability, duration and geography.

  9. Great description Jeff! Thanks so much for your blog. My friends and I are planning either this one or San Jacinto this weekend as part of our Whitney training. And you could not be more right about hydrating. We hiked Baldy a couple of weeks ago and it was about 15+ degrees warmer than it had been. Not enough sleep (only 2 hours) didn’t help, but running out of water (about 120 oz) on the way back down 3 miles from the end led to a bad headache that only got worse. By the time we got the car, I felt absolutely horrible. I didn’t feel better, despite LOTS of hydrating and aspirin, until the next morning. I had never had that experience and hope never to again. I really thought I had plenty of water. I didn’t. A mistake I won’t make again. Great advice in your blog.

      • What an incredible hike! Temperature when we hit the trail at 6am was about 70. By the time we returned at 3:30pm, it was 93. So it was a hot one. But I learned my lesson the hard way on Baldy and was prepared. We all had plenty of water, and drank more by far on this hike than any previous. It made for a much, much better experience.

  10. The hike is not an elevation gain of 4900+ feet. I do this hike every Saturday and have since 1979, weather permitting (and I exclude Jan-April!) It’s 4702 feet.

    • Thanks for the correction, Candace. I was going by what my GPS recorded, which (as I admit in the post) was not 100% accurate. I’ll update the post with your expert guidance.

      By the way, that’s a heckuva Saturday routine!

  11. I was told at the ranger station that no adventure pass is required to park at trailheads with no bathrooms… so no adventure pass is needed for the angeles oaks trailhead.
    Nice writeup — it really IS a great hike!!! Thanks for all the information!

  12. Hey Jeff, thanks for the informative posts as always. Just out of curiosity, what’s the water situation like on this trail? Anywhere to filter?

  13. Jennifer, there isn’t much water on this trail. At the top of the initial series of switchback there’s a spur trail that heads south that supposedly used to lead to a seasonal spring, but I didn’t see it, and given the low rainfall this year I wouldn’t count on it.

    There are two possible water locations en route. Manzanita Springs and Limber Pine Springs. Of the two, Limber Pine Springs is fairly reliable in normal years. I’m not sure I would count on it this year.

    That is a challenge with this trail — you’ll need to carry your water.

  15. Matt, yes you can hike this solo, but you’ll still need a permit and I’d make sure you tell someone else your plans (especially when you should be back). You should also have a “turn-back” time. Know your pace and how many miles you can handle, then calculate the absolute latest you’ll need to turn around to make it back to the trailhead before darkness sets in. When you reach that point, turn around. The mountain will still be there for next time.

  16. Jeff,
    Good feedback and I love your philosophy.and site. Just found your website. I am training for a trek culminating in an ascent to Whitney this July. I hiked San Jacinto last Friday up the Fuller Ridge trail. Awesome! I have some great photos. I am planning on hiking Baldy this Friday. San Bernardino sounds like another good training run.Maybe I can catch up to you on one of your hikes.

  17. Sounds like a great hike! Bummer on being dehydrated, but sounds like you made the right call. Dehydration isn’t something to mess around with. Also, great additional info for getting to the trailhead. That stuff is always helpful.

  19. I have similar issues with glitches in my GPX files. I edit my GPX files in Garmin Basecamp (free download with garmin product) all the time. It’s really easy, you just open the gpx route details select the erroneous track plots and hit the delete key, and save. Easy peasy. You also will want to make a backup copy of your original gpx file in case of a fat finger which deletes the wrong section… yes, I have done that too, and there is no undo.

  21. @jazminortega — Yes, it’s the same form as San Gorgonio (they are both in the San Gorgonio Wilderness). You’ll be hiking the “San Bernardino Peak Trail” which starts in Angelus Oaks.

  22. Hello- I will be hiking this 7/17. The permit I obtained through the Ranger Station for day hike indicates the entry trailhead is “San Bernardino”. I am assuming this is in line with your write-up and I will be able to follow your directions on the peak? Thanks in advance- BQN

  23. I just did this solo in mid-summer and it was my first of the six pack. Left at sunrise and it was warm but enjoyable at the summit. I took plenty of water but all the springs were flowing. Stopped for a refill at Limber Pines spring. The upper 1/3 of the trail is steep and rocky in places. Trekking poles help a lot even without snow. I was surprised that there wasn’t an official wooden summit marker, only the geocache/ammo can.

    I hiked up the next day from Forsee Creek to Manzanita Springs. It’s 2.2km o/w longer by this route but a bit easier and lots of water along the way. If permits from Angelus Oaks are full you might try from this direction.

  25. Hiked the trail yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that the spring was still flowing above Limber Pines. We got a late start, so we hiked the last 2 miles by headlight — which was pretty cool.

  26. Dear Jeff, thank you for the beautiful website and the amazing recommendations. Those six peaks are becoming the bible of Californian Hikers. Today I decided to hit the San Bernardino Peak alone. I am writing to share my experience because it could help others. I normally use the REI App because it has an amazing GPS tracking system, so even when there is no internet connection i would still navigate my position on the map. Unfortunately, on their app they do not show where Washington monument is, and neither where San Bernardino peak is. The trail on their app is called San Bernardino Peak, and all the time i was following the trail to notice it was leading me to San Gorgonio Mountain through the longest trail (32 miles round trip). I stopped after hiking for 8.6Miles up, and went back the same way I came, feeling sad thinking I lost the trail and didn’t reach the peak. The reason why I am mentioning all of this is that when i came home, i compared their map to your map on your website, and have realized that I have passed by Washington monument and also have passed the San Bernardino Peak without knowing. I know it is very stupid, and I will write to REI about it. I would also suggest if you could add it in your comments that the monument and the peak are not on the trail but couple of feet to the side (as i have noticed from your map) as people can easily miss it. I guess it would help everyone trying to hike there. I wish i looked at your map before going there, i just trusted their GPS a lot and know I have learned my lesson. Also I did notice that you have the map in GPS form, how can i download it to my phone?
    Thank you so much for your understanding and amazing work, your descriptions and assessments of the trails are perfect.

  30. I did the hike this weekend and had to stop about a mile from the peak. We had micro spikes and were still slipping and sliding all over the place. The last two miles are covered in snow that gets pretty wet and slippery making it difficult to manage. The first mile after the Limber Pines campground is doable but I’d recommend micro spikes. After that, only those with experience in snow should proceed as the trail not visible (under snow). From the folks we spoke to, you’ll definitely need full crampons and the ranger recommended an ice axe.

  31. That happened to my husband & I on May 20. We had done the Baden Powell hike a few weeks before & lost the trail to snow. Not thinking of the way down, we went straight up, had lunch at the summit & started our descent. We had micro spikes but no ice ax, just our poles & still slid multiple times. Pretty scary stuff. So when we lost the trail at San Bernadino we decided it wasn’t a summit day for us.

  34. I had a very difficult time hiking San Jacinto a few weeks ago… and ended up not peaking but turning back. Can anyone tell me how strenuous this trail is? Just as difficult or more…I have to make a decision to go or pass…Thanks!

    • Linda, San Bernardino Peak is a strenuous hike, as are all of the hikes in the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. As for difficulty level, that’s a very personal thing to measure. The three things that I look at when gauging the difficulty of any trail are:

      1. The total mileage. Have you hiked that distance before? How recently?
      2. The total vertical gain. Have you climbed that vertical gain before?
      3. The elevation. Higher elevation hikes (usually above 9,000 or 10,000 feet) have less oxygen, which impacts your performance.

      Compare those three metrics with San Bernardino (or any hike) and you’ll get some idea of how hard it will be for you.

  35. Has anyone been up recently, like in the past week or so? I’m trying to assess the water situation at Limber Pine Springs since I’ll be camping next weekend with a big group of people. Thanks in advance!

  36. Hi Jeff,

    Thanks for this post and all the others. I’ve finally started exploring the mountains after years of staring at them from traffic. Great stuff, and I’ve leaned on the skinny from you and your site.

    Now I’m working on the Six-Pack but trying to tick off the 10,000 foot peaks while I’m at it. This weekend, I’m trying to run the ridge starting form Washington Monument to Alto Diablo — getting San Bernardino along the way. (in some future, I’ll try your 9-Peak Traverse.)

    My question for you is really a basic one: is there a port-a-john at the parking lot? I’ve done a lot of looking on the internet for this fundamental question, but no answers! I’ll be starting early and will be anxious to make time, so driving around in the dark looking for the loo is going to kill me. Any idea?

    Thanks, and again thanks for the site. Chris.

    • Hey Chris! There are no facilities at the San Bernardino Trailhead in Angelus Oaks. There is a Starbucks on the border of Redlands and Mentone as you approach the mountains — that’s usually my last stop. 😉

  37. Hi Jeff,

    Thanks for the note. I sorted it out in a most elegant way. I broke down and drove up the night before, renting a cabin at the Angelus Oaks Lodge. What an option! I’m too cheap to do that regularly, but I wanted an early start and driving up from Pasadena was going to make that tough. But, I got a great night’s sleep, had a real bathroom to start the day, and the trail head was literally .2 miles away. I was on the trail first at 5:30 or so. Five hours later I’d been to Washington Monument, Mt SB, SB East Peak, and Anderson Peak. 10:30 was my turnaround time, So, even though Shields and Alto Diablo were close, I headed back. The route was my favorite — better than Vivian Creek and way better than anything on Baldy. The views, the meadows, the ridge, it was just terrific. From lunch on Anderson, it became clear that I’m going to have to do the nine-peak challenge. You can see several of the peaks and they’re not that far! I’m sure they’ll feel so far when the elevation gets to me, but clearly a great goal for next year.

    I’m sure I’ll be rereading your post on it as I get close. Again, thanks for the review and the feedback.

    Chris.

  38. I sure did. But, before I get back to the Nine-Peak Challenge, I’ll find you for advice. I’m leaning to going to Gorgonio first and then back to SB and ending up in Angelus Oaks. For me the down hill is worse than the climbing. Last time I came down Vivian Creek I was just beat up. The hike back from Anderson down to Angelus Oaks was long but mild. So, when I read your summit report on your Nine-Peak Challenge, I’m impressed by the length and climbing, of course, but the thing that stands out is you walking down that steep, rocky last mile to the valley floor. Ugh. Maybe with some more training, I’ll get past it. But, I’m still thinking starting with Gorgonio seems easier. Is that cheating?

    If the winter is dry, maybe I can give it a shot in December.

  40. Alissa, there are a few campsite options for you to consider for this hike, including Columbine Springs and Limber Pine Bench (lots of other options if you come in from other trailheads). Keep in mind though these all require an overnight permit in advance.

    -marc

  43. I wanted to share my recent hike, since I wasn’t able to find any info anywhere about the loop I did. I wanted a longer hike that was less out and back, so I turned off to the trail towards John’s Meadow at the Columbine Springs Junction. Eventually that meets up with the Forsee Creek Trail, and that brings you over to the San Bernardino Peak via Trail Fork Springs. All in all, the loop was about 25 miles. I did it in two days, but it could be a nice three-day hike. John’s Meadow was a nice campsite with nearby water, even in November. I could not find the water source at Trail Fork Springs, but it may have just been dry by late fall. I didn’t see anybody in between turning off to John’s Meadow and reaching the west peak of San Bernardino, but that might just be a consequence of hiking on a random Wednesday in mid-November.

  44. Did San Bernardino Peak on Friday, October 25. Beautiful day, not hot, not cold, not windy… perfect day. Left the car at 6:50am and got back 9 hours later. One of the prettiest local (SoCal) trails ever. My app said 18 miles and it was not super hard as most of the elevation gain was steady and the trail was sweet and not too rocky. Great overnight spot at about 6 miles and the spring was still running.

  45. We hiked up to the peak yesterday, my first trip into SGW area. Very sad to see the devastating fire that swept through the area (don’t know when it happened), but I felt above about 7500 feet all the way to the submit it was charred vegetation in all direction you look! I wonder if the tree will grow back in the next 20 years! Heavy snow near the top and crossed two stream where you can probably filter water. Have fun!

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