This is just the Parking Lot!

A good mid-level trail is Fish Creek Trail, used as a trailhead for San Gorgonio Peak Hikers. We went into the wilderness for a Day Hike.

You can drive all the way in to the Fish Creek area with your Adventure Pass, but you’ll also need a free Wilderness Pass from the Discovery Center, if you want to hike.

From Big Bear, Fish Creek is down Hwy 38  beyond Onyx Summit; at the top of the uphill passing lane before the Barton Flats Campground. The sign is marked well, but at a dangerous left turn. You would be better to pull to the right and prepare for a U-Turn.

The road is dirt and rocks for the next 10 miles. Many places are one-lane. Take your time. Enjoy the traffic. Low profile vehicles are not recommended. The view will make up for the rocky road.

Fish Creek Trailhead

The trail heads downhill at the beginning. This is unusual, as everyone knows, ALL California trails go UP!

A short hop off the trail is this lovely meadow. We had a short break and watched the birds chasing after insects.

Fish Creek Meadow

When you reach this sign, you may follow down the Aspen Grove trail or head up.

Aspen Grove Trail Crossing

We headed up. AH! There IS water in Southern California!

Fish Creek Trail Crossing

Fish Creek Trail Elderberries

Those Elderberries were ALMOST ripe! Sure look tasty.

You have a choice at this sign. The Fish Creek Camp is just below in a lovely ravine. If you’re not feeling “broken in”, you may want to spend the night there.

Fish Creek Saddle Sign

From here on, the trail gets drier and steeper. Fish Creek Saddle is many hikers’ goal for the first day. Some will continue over the saddle to Dry Lake. Directly in front is Onyx Peak. Fish Creek Camp is just down the ravine in the trees.

Fish Creek Camp

We hit our “Altitude” and sat down at a point off the trail for our turnaround break. You can just see the 38 between the 2 cloud shadows. Wildhorse Canyon is above. Onyx Peak is behind the trees to the right.

View looking North at Hwy 38 and Wildhorse Trail

These are the coordinates of our resting place:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=217034181853490561302.0004ac34a82ab3b858474

Hiking in Big Bear Lake CA

SEVEN WAYS TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS

Conquer the Seven Highest Peaks of Big Bear

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif./ May 19, 2011 – This summer local hiking enthusiasts in Big Bear are inviting anyone who wants to join them on free guided group hikes to conquer the Seven Summits of Big Bear Valley. The series of hikes was inspired by the Seven Summits of the world, which are the highest elevation points of the seven continents. To summit all seven summits of each continent is regarded as the ultimate mountaineering achievement. Big Bear’s version of the Seven Summits gives recreational hikers the opportunity to see Big Bear from seven different vantage points, a fun way to get exercise, a chance to meet with local hikers for an intimate perspective of Big Bear and personal triumph at the end.

“The Seven Summits of Big Bear gives participants an opportunity to set attainable fitness goals, and they get to see some of the most remarkable panoramic views ever!” said Heather Devito, lead guide and owner of Mountain Fitness Center. “But it’s the camaraderie and fun social atmosphere that really attracts people to our group hikes. In fact, people from off the mountain get a kick out of hearing colorful stories that can only be told by our Big Bear locals.”

The group outings begin May 28 with scheduled hikes throughout the summer. At the top of each summit is an orienteering stamp punch that is unique in shape at each summit. The goal is to punch all seven stamps onto an official Seven Summits punch card, which are free and available at Big Bear Visitor Center, Big Bear Discovery Center, Mountain Fitness Center and North Shore Trading Company.

Gray’s Peak kicks off the Seven Summits series on Saturday, May 28 at 8 a.m. Gray’s Peak, located in the northwest region of Big Bear Valley, rises 7,920 feet above the town of Fawnskin. Each summit in the series of hikes progressively gains in elevation including the grand finale hike to the top of Mt. San Gorgonio at 11,502 feet, which is the highest point in Southern California..

The second group hike is to the top of Bertha Peak at 8,201 feet. The date of the hike is appropriately scheduled on National Get Outdoors Day Saturday, June 11. The hike to Bertha Peak starts at the Cougar Crest trailhead, and is approximately a seven-mile roundtrip with 1,500 feet elevation gain.

Next up is Gold Mountain on Saturday, July 2. This classic summit sets 8,235 feet above the northeast area of Big Bear Valley with great views of Baldwin Lake. Hikers get to experience a portion of the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) en route to Gold Mountain.

Delamar Mountain at 8,398 feet is the fourth hike scheduled for Saturday, July 23 at 8 a.m. This hike takes hikers on portions of the PCT en route to the summit that offers awe-inspiring views.

Butler Peak at 8,535 feet is the fifth group hike slated for Saturday, August 13 at 8 a.m. The hike traverses to the Butler Peak fire lookout tower offering 360 degree views of the San Bernardino National Forest. On a clear day Catalina Island can be spotted from this vantage point.

The sixth summit is Sugarloaf Mountain set for Saturday, September 3 at 7 a.m. Sugarloaf Mountain is the highest point in Big Bear Valley at a towering 9,952 feet, with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet. Sugarloaf Mountain is 10 miles roundtrip. At one point along the trail hikers are treated to views of the Mojave Desert to the east, Big Bear Lake to the northwest and Mt. San Gorgonio to the southwest.

The final group hike is an all-day expedition to the top of the grand daddy of them all – Mt. San Gorgonio. The impressive mountain is the highest peak in Southern California at 11,502 feet. It is approximately 22 miles roundtrip with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain. The trek begins at dawn and takes more than 10 hours to complete. The expedition requires all participants to make reservations with lead guides Ted or Heather Devito at Mountain Fitness Center to get cleared for the hike due to length, elevation gain and wilderness permits needed. To make reservations email heatherdevito22@gmail.com before September 3.

The Seven Summits of Big Bear group hikes are open to the public and free to join.  Each group hike meets at the designated trailhead for each summit. Hikers should bring plenty of water, snacks, proper footwear, sunscreen and a hat. Maps and directional devises are highly encouraged, too. Participants who are not able to attend any of the group hikes are encouraged to climb the summits on their own time to get the punch stamps. Adventure passes are required to park at all trailheads, and are available at Big Bear Discovery Center.

Big Bear Hiking

Entrance to the Sugarloaf Trail, 15 minutes east of Big Bear Lake

We wanted to see what the conditions were in the back country. The Santa Ana River seemed to be full of melted snow water. With warm Spring temperatures on Saturday, we parked and walked up the headwaters. After three hours (we were taking pictures), we finally found a snow patch and then a gorgeous green valley. Hiking in this area makes one forget they’re in Southern California. There are black bear and deer. Be sure to visit the Ranger Station and get your Wilderness Permit.

View

Alpine Meadow, San Gorgonio Wilderness Area in a larger map

More Big Bear Hiking

A great hike, with potential for a view and/or TOTAL WORKOUT is easily available just a short drive from the Moonridge Golf Course.

Head into Sand Canyon. Be sure you have your Adventure Pass…
At the hairpin, back up and park under the trees. Walk right in. (

MAP)

If you follow the footpath, it will take you to a crossroad. Going left/north along the road is the easiest walk, until you realize it is a 2-lane stairclimb to the top of the hill.
Going up the ravine directly across to the East takes you to a ridge and VERY steep climb from there on to the South.
Well, so does the South road.
The West heading footpath follows the side of the hill and winds in and out among some very big boulders.

Many people have used these trails for their workouts, as it only gets steeper as you rise. I guarantee a great view if you persevere and follow one of the ridges. Just keep the ravine behind you, or you may return in the next valley.

Sand Canyon Trail, Boulders

Additional Resources:

• Buffalo National River In Arkansas- Canoeing Hiking Camping . - We’ll be making our annual Memorial Day weekend pilgrimage to the Buffalo River this coming weekend! The weather has finally decided to cooperate in recent days. We’ve had no rain and the temps have jumped up into the mid to upper 80\\\’s. Hopefully the weather will hold out for the weekend.
• Zion National Park | alexking.org – Here are some photos I took in Zion National Park. The canyon walls were pretty amazing and hiking through the Narrows was quite the experience. The first evening we got there, we had these incredible dark clouds with the sun still illuminating the rock walls.
• Mountain Biking over Oat Hill Mine road » Zovirl Industries – 3 weeks ago my wife, brother, and I got the opportunity to mountain bike from Aetna Springs to Calistoga. This ride starts on private property but my parents obtained permission to cross through a friend of the owner. The route follows an old wagon road which goes over the mountains between Aetna Springs and Calistoga.

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From the Big Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce (MAP):

We have two zipline companies which can take you zipping through the trees, enjoying beautiful views along the way, Call ahead. One takes you to the Johnson Valley, and the other is up at the Cedar Lake Camp area.

We have a company that can take you off-roading in their own vehicle, which will save the wear and tear on yours? Just throw your sandwiches and drinks in the cooler , and they can take you where you want to go. There are set tours, but they can be tailored to suit you, and they are very reasonable. This company takes the studios out to search out movie locations for future films.

If you want to do your own off-roading (

MAP for Moonridge to Sugarloaf), pick up a trail map and have fun! And don’t forget to pick up an Adventure Pass, which permits you to stop on Forest roads.

If you brought your own guns, you can try out the Shooting Range at the weekend.

Scenic Flights of the Valley and mountains are available for you to get a bird’s eye view.

Take the family bowling any time! Glow bowling at night, pool table, arcade games and great French fries. There is a full bar and a 105” tv. Don’t worry if you can’t bowl well, just push a button and the bumpers come up on the lanes.

We have a rescue animal park. The zoo (MAP) has been responsible for returning over 8,000 animals back into the wild! They have all kinds of animals you would expect to see in the mountains and desert areas, such as grizzly bear, black bear, wolves, mountain lions, owls & eagles! On the way there, stop at some great shops along Moonridge Rd., and check out the golf course next door. Did you know that your ball goes further because the air is thinner?

There is a petting zoo and horse riding stables at the east end of the valley. Go for a gentle walk, for the time span you choose. Open year round.

Go up to Snow Summit for a ski lift (YouTube Video)  chair ride to the top and hop off and hike around, hop back on to come down. or if you hooked your mountain bike on, on the way up, you can bike down. They have their barbecue going at the top, so it is easy to stick around to enjoy the views.

Stop at the bike rental stores for loads of info. And if you prefer street biking, they can help guide you there also. You can even rent the baby trailers to hook on the back of your bike.

If you like light walking along the shore to vigorous hiking amongst the rocks and trees, we have a trail for you.
The Forest Service runs the Discovery Center over on the North Shore. They run all sorts of activities: canoeing, kayaking, animal tracking, and have a display with animal fur you can touch, a gift shop filled with educational toys and books, and a café that has some outdoor seating with terrific views. People love to go and have their picture taken outside by the huge bronze bear. They run a summer concert series in their outdoor amphitheater and hold stargazing evenings, story-telling, and more……

Water activities include some great charter fishing companies with lake tours, several tour boats (Pine Knot Landing

MAP), parasailing, jet skis, jet boat tours, all kinds of boat rentals, from peddle boats, electric fun boats, to kayaks & canoes, fishing boats and pontoon boats. There are six areas around the lake for various watercraft rentals.

Go for a swim at Swim Beach, cleared of weed, lifeguard on duty, inflatable slide and trampoline in the water, or go to the water slide at Alpine Slide and try the toboggan slide, the go carts, mini golf and arcade games. Meadow park also has a large jungle gym to help the kids burn off some energy.

Be sure to check out our Museum. They have real old cabins, a schoolhouse and even a teepee! All are staged so you can see how it really was.

Our restaurants are all pretty top notch. From special occasion dining to steaks, seafood, bbq, ethnic food and fast food, there is sure to be something for every palette. Only one restaurant on the lake, but several with a view of it. Let’s face it, how could there not be a view of something wonderful in Big Bear?

Shop all around our beautiful valley, from west to east, and don’t forget to enjoy Friday Nights in the Village (

MAP). Family fun with activities, extra vendors, and free entertainment, and Wyatt’s Saloon at the Convention Center for family fun, really good food, and line dancing.

Pick up our information to see what is going on while you are here, and for when you come back!

More Resources;

• Winter Fishing Big Bear Lake – Contact Us | Terms of Use | Trademarks | Privacy Statement
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