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 Reporter |
Summary: This trail leads you through an interesting part of the San Jacintos. You travel through an area that isn't quite desert, not quite an oak or maple forest, and not really a pine forest. It is a transitional combination of all of the above. The views from the PCT are incredible, but you attain nice vistas of Garner Valley and Lake Hemet almost immediately. The hike climbs the entire route, and it is very steady - a good cardio trip for about 3 1/2 miles. After that the going gets really steep through a series of switchbacks that lead you to the PCT. The trail is well maintained, but overgrown in parts. Once you reach the plateau that contains Apache Peak, keep a sharp eye out for the trail heading up the peak. You can combine this hike with the Spitler Peak hike adding 2 miles to your round trip, or you may want to venture a little further along the PCT to Antsell Rock, either way you will not be disappointed. Trailhead: Take the 74 or the 243 to Mountain Center. From there, head East on the 74 for 2-3 miles. You will see the signs for Apple Canyon Road and Hurkey Creek. Turn left onto Apple Canyon Road and follow it for another 2-3 miles until you see the wide turnout on your right and a trail sign for the Spitler Peak Trail. Park and take the trail to Spitler Peak. From the trailhead it is 5 miles to the PCT (also called the Desert Divide) in this area of the San Jacintos. If you bring a bike, remember bikes are not allowed on the PCT, make a left at the signpost and continue on the trail to the peak. At the Apache Saddle, the trail is easy to miss, just keep heading to the peak on your left. The trail around the mountain is the PCT. (Lat:33.71862 Lon:-116.62671) Trail Guides for Apache Peak: San Bernardino Mountain Trails - 100 Hikes in Southern California by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses, Ranger Contact: San Bernardino National Forest (951)382-2922 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Allen Riedel, who has posted 123 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Anthony on 4/30/2009 Hiked up to the PCT and over to Apache Peak yesterday. Temps in the fifties to start but seemed much hotter. Trail in great shape, some plants in full bloom, very scenic. Lower sections rolling terrain, mid sections had nice shady Oak woodland. Upper sections very steep in spots but thankfully shady. Great views to the East from the PCT Jct. Left trailhead mid morning, back at car by 5pm. Friendly CCC crew doing trail maintenance. Do this hike before it gets too hot. Went through 2L of water easily. No snow and mild temps at the top, pleasant hike.
Reviewed by JulieG. on 4/18/2009 Absolutely beautiful - vegetation changes make this a visual treat. WORD OF CAUTION I was stalked by a mountain lion on my descent. I went with my dog (who could've been mistaken for a deer as he's 1/2 great dane and 1/2 lab) -and it made for a frightening couple of hours. If you're taking a dog please be aware that dogs can attract a mountain lion - and bringing your dog is frowned on by most wildlife organizations. Predators follow prey, and as much as I love hiking with my dog I got a stark reminder of that fact today.
Reviewed by KTC on 1/28/2009 Continued........ The lower winter creek trail is one mile shorter, but the incline is a little difficult at the end of the day. If you take the upper winter creek trail, you will travel one mile more than the lower trail, and have less elevation change to deal with. Be prepared to need a good fleece and a beanie if the temps in the valley are in the low 60s. Some of the deep canyons that are intersected by the stream can get quite cold. I would estimate the temp to be 42 degrees in some of the more wind sheltered areas of the trail.
Reviewed by Michael on 6/3/2008 Hiked on Memorial Day and conditions were great. The hike has great scenery and views from the peak. We did both peaks which added about 1 mile round trip. Only saw a couple of other people. 
Reviewed by Alan on 4/30/2008 Whole area is on fire as of 4:30 PM 4/29/08 and for at least 24 hours following; several hundred acres are burnt; firefighters have very difficult access and winds are strong
Reviewed by Jennifer on 10/30/2007 Due to extreme fire activity, and to protect public health and safety, San Bernardino National Forest officials are implementing a forest closure, effective October 23, 2007. The closure prohibits public entry to the forest, with few exceptions, and will last until the extreme conditions subside. The few exceptions to the closure allow access to the Serrano Campground, the Alpine Pedal Path and the Juniper Point Parking Area. Access to these sites is deemed safe, but visitors must remain vigilant and tend to current fire restrictions, including no smoking or no wood or charcoal fires anywhere on the forest. http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ for updates 
Reviewed by CAHIKR on 4/15/2007 Did this hike in early Feb. (sorry for the late review) Hike was great, saw no other hikers on this day (very rare in So. Ca.), No snow, the views were incredible of Antsel rock and Red Taquitz. Although a long hike, well worth the effort. I will be doing this hike again.
Reviewed by scott on 3/14/2004 wow, if ever you can be offered it all, and all within a few thousand feet of elevation change. heading up you come across beautiful waterfalls falling from the snow fields above, once atop and cooling down from the switchbacks, the PCT runs either way, to your right is spitler peak, a quick side trip up the snowy peak, back at the saddle continue north just before the side trail up to apache peak, you can take a trail down to the springs, back up and on to the peak one can relax and enjoy the views from its 2 peaks. to make this a loop trip continue north on the PCT, you will come across some vertical carved out sections, that as i found out, is very sketchy with snow on it, continue down to the saddle where a trail leads to zen center Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Riverside County Hiking, Riverside County Trails, Riverside County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||