I started this hike from the San Juan Trailhead located about 2 miles down Hot Spring Canyon Rd.
This hike is 11.6 miles one way. So to avoid a 23 mile round-trip hike we parked one car at the beginning and one at the San Juan Trailhead in the bluejay campground.
(This is where you will end your hike.)
Right off the back you are faced with 17-20 switchbacks (I lost count). The elevation gain is gradual so you will barely notice it. Soon you will be rewarded with great views.
This trail is popular with mountain bikers so be extra cautious as they sometimes come speeding down in the opposite direction.
There are a few connecting trails along this hike so remember to stay to the left at every junction. Look for the mile markers to make sure that you are on the right trail.
About 6 miles in you will reach the Los Pinos Potrero this is a flat meadow with lots of Oak trees. This is a great place to take a break and relax in the shade.
The remaining 5 miles are pretty shaded and make for a great hike out.
Happy Trails
Alex G.
• 11.6 miles one way
• Elevation change- 2600 ft
• Difficulty – moderate
• Forest adventure pass
The stinging nettle is one plant you don’t want to mess with. I’m not sure if I’m just extra sensitive to it or what, but my skin’s reaction to the stinging nettle was nearly identical to when I encountered poison oak. The only current being that I knew immediately that the nettle had stung me.r
The stinging nettle is covered in fine hairs. When they come in contact with your skin you will definitely feel the sting. It feels like little needles jabbing you. The hairs can easily pierce thin layers of clothing too. When these hairs break of, like tiny splinters, they inject toxins which cause itching, redness and in my case blisters.
I have read that most over the counter itch fighting creams can provide relief, but I guess I’m just an odd ball because nothing seems to be giving me any relief!
Los Pinos Peak (4,510 ft) is the 4th tallest peak of the Santa Ana Mountains and is located in the Cleveland National Forest.
The peak is accessible via the Los Pinos Trail and can be accessed from two points. One being via the Main Divide Rd, which is the easiest route to the peak. The 2nd is from the Los Pinos Trail via The Lazy W. This is the hardest route to reach the summit and is the way we decided to ascend the peak.
We parked one vehicle at the San Juan Trailhead which is in the back of Blue Jay Campground. We then carpooled to the other end of San Juan Trailhead which is located just before The Lazy W Methodist Camp. Before attempting this hike be sure to ask the camp for permission, being as the trailhead is on private property.
This is a tough hike! Only attempt it if you are ok with hiking long distances and are used to inclines as this trail is a combination of both. The hike was a total of 14 miles from one car to another. The elevation change from the base to the the peak is 3,300 ft but the total gain with all the”up and downs” is closer to 7,200 ft so be prepared!
On a clear day the hike along the ridge offers great views of the Pacific ocean, Catalina, San Jacinto, Baldy, San Gorgonio, Lake Elsinore and of course Santiago Peak.
The hike is along the ridge the whole time and it’s not very shaded. Be sure to bring a hat and sun block as you will be exposed to the sun the majority of the time.
Earlier this year our hiking group decided to tackle the Bridge to nowhere hike. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
We started our hike early in the morning seeing as this is 10 mile hike we wanted to get as much sunlight in as possible. The drive in was amazing. After leaving the city behind you find yourself driving along the San Gabriel Dam/Reservoir and soon after that you’ll be driving along the San Gabriel River. Beautiful views the whole way in!
Once you reach the parking lot, place your forest adventure pass on your dash and gear up for an amazing,challenging and one of a kind hike.
Not even 10 minutes into the hike and we were already faced with a river crossing. This was our first hike that involved river crossings. Prior to this we had only had to cross small creeks and streams, so this was definitely a shocker to see the raging river. Due to the heavy rains in the earlier months the river was still roaring in May. We cautiously crossed the river in groups of 2 and 3 and walked against the current in knee-high water. Success! Everyone in our group of 16 made it across the first crossing. Just 5 more to go! Yes, that’s right, this 10 mile hike has a total of 6 river crossings, so be prepared!
The easiest way for us was to stay to the right of the river as much as possible and crossing the river when we ran out of land. The scenery is nice and the sounds of the water make for a great hike. After a few river crossings you get to point where you have gained some elevation and soon after that the trail comes to an end.. Not to fear, this is where you will get a self taught lesson on rappelling. That is right, there is a rope anchored into the rock-face that assists you as you guide yourself down the cliff-side. It sounds difficult but was pretty easy.
Now that the hard part is out of the way from here its a relativity easy hike to the Bridge. One of the first things you will notice is people bungee jumping from the bridge. I believe reservations are required and can be made at Bungee America. Once here you can find a spot near the bridge to have a snack or lunch or you can follow the trail down to river to cool down or do some further exploring.
Return the way you came and always use caution, especially when crossing the river.
This was definitely one of my favorite hikes and I can’t wait to do it again!
I would never have guessed that a desert hike would crack my top ten list, but the Ladder Canyon is by far the most visually stunning hike that I have personally experienced in Southern California. I would definitely mark this as a must do for all hikers of all experience levels.
Big Ladder Canyon.
This trail is located in the the Mecca Hills of the Coachella Valley which border the northern shore of the Salton Sea. You probably would not want to attempt this hike during the Summer seeing how the temperature regularly surpasses 110 degrees during those months. We happened to catch a great break in the weather over the Thanksgiving weekend and the high temperature barely hit 80. This area is also known for very windy conditions and is also prone to flash flooding.
A portion of the Little Painted Canyon.
The four mile road into the trail, Painted Canyon Road, is unpaved and quite sandy. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended but not necessary as long as you avoid the sandy patches of the road. We did see someone attempt to take their Mercedes coupe up the road for some unknown reason, and they wound up getting stuck in the sand. You should also pay close attention to where you park your vehicle. Try to select the more compacted soil to avoid getting stuck when trying to make your way out of the canyon.
The Ladder Canyon trail is a 4.5 to 5 mile loop, depending on the route you take, that actual begins and ends in the Big Painted Canyon. The slots of the Ladder Canyon are about 1/4 of a mile from the mouth of the Big Painted Canyon and are accessible only with the use of ladders that have been left by previous hikers. I have heard that the ladders can be swept away during flash floods. If we had not had the ladders present on the day of our hike I am confident in saying that the slots would be impassable.
One of the 3 ladders of the Ladder Canyon slots.
The slots only make up about 3/4 of a mile of this trail and then you make your way up 450 feet to the crest which supplies a beautiful view of the Salton Sea. From here you can choose to loop around through either the Little Painted Canyon, to the left, or the Big Painted Canyon, to the right. We came through the Big Painted Canyon and were treated with the opportunity to do a little repelling. The rock-scape in the canyon is not something I expected to ever find in the state of California. You can thank the San Andreas Fault for the spectacular scenery that is around every curve of the canyon. Overall, this is a very family friendly hike. We observed kids of all ages making their way through the slots….not necessarily making it the entirety of the loop. This was a very awesome experience and I will definitely be out there again in the very near future.
Yesterday, the 17th of October. A couple of friends and I were lucky enough to join the members of OC Parks and IRC on a docent led hike to the Red Rocks of Black Star Canyon. They were extremely friendly and very knowledgeable of the land, plants, and history of the canyon.
The park is currently only open for guided tours on select days but will eventually open to the public and will be known as Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park and will span about 2,000 acres.
Due to time limitations we were not able to view the whole park. The hike was scheduled for 2 hours and with 4 stops along the way we only made it about a mile or so into the canyon.
The park itself is plentiful with plant life and signs of wildlife as well. There is also a Golden Eagles Nest on the cliff side, though there was no sign of the eagle, it was still a sight to see.
I look forward to the opening of this wilderness park and I want to thank OC Parks and IRC for their very informative tour.
For information on guided tours and other activities visit IRC website for details.
The County Board of Supervisors voted to purchase the privately owned portion of the Santiago Truck Trail and in doing so have saved a popular access point to the Cleveland National Forest.
The County has also announced several initiatives underway to increase public access to some other popular OC trails, including Holy Jim and Blackstar….
When most people think of Corona they think of hot weather and dusty and dry trails. At least that’s what I was thinking. The Tin Mine Trail was none of the above. The actual trail is very well maintained and marked.
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There are signs that point out the poison oak and there are information posts about the mining history of the area. The Tin Mine is all of a mile into the hike and it is right along side the trail. It is closed off to the public with metal posts of course for safety reasons.
The real fun of this hike takes place after the end of the actual trail. You can follow the creek for an additional two miles or so into the canyon. The vegetation is very dense and the canopy protects you from the sun. On the day that we ventured out here it felt more like a rain forest than the desert.
This hike is definitely only kid friendly up to where the marked trail ends. After that it becomes a hike for the more adventurous adults. For those that are extremely adventurous, you can actually make your way from this trail up to Beek’s Place on top of Blackstar Canyon Road.
Directions to Tin Mine Canyon Trail Head
This list put together by the folks over at REI is very descriptive as is the video. Carrying these items is crucial when exploring the back-country. It’s better to always be prepared. Most of these things can remain in your day pack all the time with the exception of the food.
Turn the batteries in your flashlight around so it doesn’t accidentally turn on
carry a writing tool and paper in a ziplock bag
always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back
Your Favorite Hiker 