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Using This Book

The hiking trips in this guide are arranged by geographical area, generally west to east. Information about each trip is divided into three parts: Trip, Features, and Description.

The Trip section gives vital statistics: where the hike starts and ends; the walking mileage and elevation gain or loss; a rating of easy, moderate, or strenuous; the best time of year to make the trip; and the appropriate U.S. Geological Survey topographic map or maps.

The Features section tells something of what you will see on the trip and gives information on the natural and human history of the area. It also contains suggestions for the particular trip, such as “wear lug-soled boots,” or “bring fishing rod.”

The Description section details driving and hiking routes. The driving directions are kept to the necessary minimum, while the walking route is described in detail. Also, hiking options that a trip presents are described.

The hikes have been graded as easy, moderate, or strenuous. An easy trip is usually 4 miles or less in horizontal distance, with less than a 500-foot elevation gain—suitable for beginners and children. A moderate trip—including the majority here—is a 5- to 10-mile hike, usually with less than a 2,500-foot elevation difference. You should be in fair physical condition for these, and children under age 12 might find the going difficult. Strenuous trips are all-day rambles involving many miles of hiking and much elevation gain and loss; they are only for those in top physical condition and with hiking experience. The most important criteria for grading a trip were mileage covered, elevation gain and loss, and condition of the trail. Of less significance were accessibility of terrain, availability of water, exposure to sun, and ground cover. Obviously, some of the latter criteria depend on the weather and the time of year: a 3-mile hike over open chaparral slopes can be miserable under the hot August sun but delightful in January’s cool breeze and cloudiness.

A season recommendation is also included for each trip. This classification is particularly important in the lower, south-facing parts of the range, where fire danger in summer and fall often reaches what the US Forest Service calls Stage One. During Stage One, campfires are permitted only in stoves in designated campgrounds and picnic areas. Gas-type portable stoves may be used if you obtain a California campfire permit—available at any ranger station or visitor center. In conditions of extreme fire danger, the forest may be closed to entry off of major highways. In recent years a series of disastrous infernos has taken a heavy toll, both in property damage and in the cost required to fight the fires. The result is that wholesale closure of the forest during certain times, particularly the fall months, will increasingly be a common occurrence.

Wilderness Permits

There are five wilderness areas in the San Gabriels—Cucamonga, Sheep Mountain, San Gabriel, and, newly created in 2009, the Pleasant View Ridge and Magic Mountain Wilderness areas. A free permit is required for all entry into the Cucamonga Wilderness, and for entry into the Sheep Mountain Wilderness from the East Fork trailhead only.

National Forest Adventure Pass Requirement

A National Forest Adventure Pass is required to park your vehicle in any of the four national forests in Southern California. Adventure passes cost $30 for an annual pass or $5 for a day pass; they can be purchased at ranger stations, visitor centers, and many business establishments in or near the mountains. Be sure to display the pass prominently on your parked car—otherwise it will likely be ticketed and fined. Please note that most of the trips covered in this book require you to display an Adventure Pass in your parked vehicle. The following are the trips where you park on city streets, or that begin in a park with separate entrance fees, and do not require the pass: 5, 14–15, 23–28, 34, 39–40, 48–50, 67–68, and 91.