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Summary: This hike is a significant and spectacular all day adventure. The hike starts deep in the San Gorgonio Wilderness at the 8200 foot level, and travels 9 miles to the 11,499 foot San Gorgonio Peak. The trail starts out along the banks of Fish Creek, passing a lovely meadow, and wonderful pine forests. As you gradually gain elevation, the trees begin to thin out and the landscape becomes progressively more rugged. As you near the tree line, you begin see the fascinating Limber Pine, with its twisted and bent form. The barren peak provides you with stunning views hundreds of miles in every direction. It was quite something to look across the desert and Palm Springs to see Mount San Jacinto directly across from us. One of the more unusual aspects of this hike is the wreckage of a DC3 cargo plane that crashed in the 1950s. The fuselage and wings literally straddled the trail. Make sure to take lots of water, as this hike could take up to 12 hours including breaks and lunch. Trailhead: From the east bound 10 in Redlands, exit on Orange Street and follow the signs for highway 38, which heads east into the San Gorgonio Wilderness. About 5 miles along highway 38, stop at the Mill Creek Ranger Station and pick up a permit for this hike (you may want to call ahead for permit reservations). Continue along highway 38 for another 25 or 30 miles to the turn off for Fish Creek and bear right. After a short paved section of road, follow the dirt forest service road IN05 for 10 miles to the Fish Creek trail head. (Lat:34.12477 Lon:-116.7694) Trail Guides for San Gorgonio Peak via Fish Creek: San Bernardino Mountain Trails by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Summer, Fall User Groups: Hikers Ranger Contact: Mill Creek Ranger Station - (909) 794-1123 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by LYFSAKIK on 7/28/2008 Hi All, Three of us were provided the perfect opportunity to hike the highest peak in SOCAL on Sunday, 07/27/08. More ideal conditions, I could not imagine. Please allow me to share a bit of the delightfully delicious day. After getting our wilderness pass from the ranger station in Mentone, traveling another 30 miles into the San Bernardino range, & then driving 10 miles on dirt roads, we arrived at Fish Creek. We did not get started on the trail until just before 10 a.m. So, I had a few misgivings about whether the 9.2-mile trek to the summit of San Gorgonio & then back down was going to be doable in the space of nine hours. Well, we were able to move at a steady clip of just under 2.5 miles/hour. Starting at 8100 feet & cl 
Reviewed by Jeff on 7/28/2008 Great hike, but make sure you have a truck/SUV for the service road to the trailhead. I didn't read the reviews, and it took over an hour and several scratches to get my friend's Mazda to the trailhead. Not too hard or strenuous, great views 
Reviewed by DA on 4/17/2007 Please forgive 70 yr memory. It was Mt.Baden Powell that I climbed in 1948. What I wrote holds true just the wrong Mt
Reviewed by DA on 4/15/2007 I think I hiked this trail in 1946, when I was at a Girl Scout Camp in San Bernadino. I didn't know anything about hiking. We left the beginning of the trail about 10pm and reached the top at daybreak. I remember putting my name on a list that I completed the hike. It was a long time ago. I think we did 39 "switchbacks" I am not sorry I took this hike the sight from the top was spectacular. I could never do it again.
Reviewed by Tim on 9/24/2006 I found this trail to be incredibly long (20.5 miles round trip according to my GPS unit!) and a little bit annoying, definatley NOT the most direct route to the peak. Depending on where your coming from it is a long drive in to the trail head as well (make sure your vehicle has good ground clearance for the dirt road!) However, the scenery is beautiful, it's not very steep, and it can be a nice relaxing walk through the woods. If I ever did this trail again I'd split it up into two days and camp at the Fish Creek Saddle, so I could take my time and not worry about running out of daylight.
Reviewed by A. Riedel on 7/9/2006 Incredibly long hike, not too steep, but still brutal enough to kick your butt all over the place. We had a pretty good clip for most of the way, and it still took 11 hours with breaks and a long stop on the summit. You wont find Disneylanders on this one. It is another bear of a way to reach San G.
Reviewed by Dave Ray on 6/26/2006 To get to the trailhead I would recommend having a truck or utility vehicle (although there was Ford prism in the parking area!?!?) as the fire road, at times, is very rough and reasonably steep. I started at 8:30am and got back to my car at 7:30pm. One of the best aspects of this hike is that although it is quite long - the terrain is not difficult and the trail is not too steep. The views are unmatched by any I have seen in SoCal! You get a great view of Dry Lake, Big Bear Lake and a stunning view of San Jacinto and the Indio Valley. For more experienced hikers, I recommend to take a map and compass and do some off trail exploring, it is well worth it - especially the view of San Gorgonio from Lake Peak!
Reviewed by Xiaoliang on 9/19/2005 The trail is great. The view is spectacular. I've been to the summit via vivian creek. Fish creek is less steep and less strenuous. We started at 9am and reached the top at 3:30pm with a lunch in the middle. The summit was very windy. There were still some snow. We returned to the trail head at 8:30pm. Some details: 1. The 10-mile dirt forest service road is impossible for conventional passenger cars. An SUV or pickup is needed. There are many rocks and bumps and dips on the road. It may take up to an hour to finish the 10 miles (at least for a driver that never drove on a forest service road ). 2. Altitude symptom may be a threat when asceding beyond 9000ft. According to a volunteer ranger, a small bottle of oxygen may help. 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, San Bernardino County Hiking, San Bernardino County Trails, San Bernardino County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||