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 Reporter |
Summary: The scenery in the Cucamonga Wilderness is breathtaking. Without a doubt, it is the most wild in the San Gabriels. The terrain is steep, dry, rugged, and covered in chaparral. Big Horn Sheep still roam, I saw a buck, fresh tracks and droppings along the trail. At first, you may even begin to question whether this is a trail or not, as you cross a wash, it seems so overgrown that you can't fathom what later on parts may look like. Don't worry, it gets better, and if you have good trail sense, you should be fine. I never got lost, but I would suggest taking time to explore a bit when the trail gets sketchy, so your return will be smoother. Always look back at least. The views are top-notch. I could see the Sierras in the morning and Catalina on top at noon. If you look carefully, you can spot the Ski Hut on Baldy. This is a strenuous trip, but can be done fast. I also took the short trip up Etiwanda, well worth the extra effort. Trailhead: Half the fun is getting there. Take the 15 North exit Sierra Avenue and head Northwest on the road for about a mile and a half. You may almost miss the sign to San Sevaine Flats and Joe Elliot Campground. If you do turn around. Almost immediately this road climbs to command impressive views. It is very narrow, and anyone with a low clearance vehicle won't be able to go very far. You can make it to San Sevaine Flats in any car, but you'll add 4.5 miles to your trip one way, so prepare to be pooped. After the flats the road is impassable unless you have 4WD. Park past the campground and follow the road to the trail signs. The trail is not well maintained - you will lose it in more than a few spots, and you will want to wear long pants to protect your legs from the chaparral. Bring a topo and a GPS if you have one. If you have good trail sense you don't need one, I didn't. Still... (Lat:34.22274 Lon:-117.58539) Trail Guides for Cucamonga Peak from Joe Elliot Campground: Trails of the Angeles - 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: San Bernardino National Forest - Cajon Ranger District (909)887-2576 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 Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Mike on 10/30/2008 At present road is open from Lytle Creek to Joe Elliot. Not much left of old campground and trail is difficult to find. Beyond camp, road is closed. Trail is very brushy.
Reviewed by DJS on 7/13/2008 Also using Icehouse trail. Busy day yesterday, all types of hikers. 12miles in and out, and 4300' of total climbing. Someone elses full writeup: http://tinyurl.com/5bzfna 
Reviewed by Daisuke Umon on 7/3/2008 exactly - that's why no one takes the "Joe Elliot Campground" trailhead, instead we all take the classic icehouse canyon trail 
Reviewed by David on 6/29/2008 This route is supposedly an enjoyable but difficult hike to do. The problem not explained in the write-up are that the dirt road to get to the TH is closed year around except from Labor Day until the first rains. In addition the road requires 4X4 to get to the trailhead otherwise tack on quite a few more miles of walking just to get to the trailhead from where 2 wheel driving has to end. The Lytle Creek route requires significant mileage somewhere in the range of 17 miles or so to the peak. The easier access is Icehouse Canyon. An FYI, a mile further out is Etiwanda Peak which is rarely visited.
Reviewed by Greg A on 6/7/2008 Ignoring "jlf" as well our group of 5 did Cucamonga on 6/7 via Icehouse Canyon. Certainly this looks to be an easier route than what is described here. The Icehouse route also offers several other alternative peaks from Icehouse Saddle. Great day on the trails and I must say that Cucamonga may indeed offer the very best views in all of the San Gabriels. Even the views of Baldy are worth the trip. Trails are dry and clear of snow btw.
Reviewed by Correcting jlf on 3/11/2008 the reasons we post Cucamonga peak via Ice house, is that the localhikes website does not have a page for it, so we re-use the "hike as described from joe Elliot campground" to park our hike log. the Joe Elliot tree is no more, lightning burn. that trail is over grown and unused.
Reviewed by jlf on 1/11/2008 those of you that describe a hike via icehouse saddle did not do the hike as described from joe Elliot campground. The objective is to do the described hike and then retrace the steps. Cucamonga peak via ice house saddle is a completely different hike starting from the other side of the mountain.
Reviewed by rl on 1/1/2008 I hiked in from ice house canyon. It was a beatiful hike, but quite a bit of ice on trail on the ice house trail near the saddle. I hiked in snow from the saddle to the peak which made it fairly difficult. Incredible views from Cucamonga peak and a summit signature can. I would do the hike again in winter, but in late spring, summer or fall absolutely great hike- I wouldn't want to do it in the snow again. 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||