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** Use at Your Own Risk **
See the Retired Peak Guides in the Archives for Microsoft Word and other versions of this peak guide.
Location: San Bernardino County, about 6 miles northeast of Yucaipa, 81 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
Nearby Peaks: Allen Peak, Cedar Mountain, Wilshire Peak, Wilshire Mountain, Little San Gorgonio Peak
Printable version of this route
ROUTE 1
(USFS Adventure Pass may be required)
- Distance: 12 miles round trip on road, trail, and cross-country
- Gain: 3300'
- Time: 6 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
- Navigation: Easy
Original: Warren E. von Pertz
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Take I-10 east past San Bernardino to the Orange Street exit in
Redlands (SR 38).
- Go one block east, then go north (left) 0.5 mile to Lugonia Avenue.
Turn right on SR 38 (east).
- Continue on SR 38 14.2 miles to Valley of the Falls Road junction
(Forest Falls Road). Park here.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- From the parking area hike across Mill Creek to the south on
1S08.
- Hike up 1S08 through privately owned land 2.6 miles to
1S09 (Yucaipa Ridge Truck Trail) at the Allen-Birch saddle (5160'+).
- Turn left and hike east on 1S09
approximately 1.8 miles to a saddle at 6160'+. At the saddle there is a
trail on the left called the Oak Glen Divide Trail.
- Turn left and
hike up this trail 1.4 miles. At this point the summit of Birch Mountain will
be on your right to the southeast and about 200' above the trail.
- Turn right and hike up the southeast trending ridge to the summit. Use
care when descending this route, as you want to go down the trail on the west
trending ridge and not down the trailless northwest trending ridge.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
This route crosses private property and permission must be obtained well
in advance of the day of the hike.
Printable version of this route
ROUTE 2
Yucaipa Ridge Traverse (5 peaks) from east to west
From Cedar Mountain
(USFS Adventure Pass may be required)
- Distance: 1.8 miles one way on trail and cross-country
- Gain: 300'
- Time: 1 hour one way
- Rating: Class 1, very strenuous when combined with other peaks in
the area
- Navigation: Moderate
Original: Warren E. von Pertz
DRIVING ROUTE 2
- See the driving instructions for Route 1 above and
Little San
Gorgonio Peak Route 1. This route assumes that you are
hiking each peak
along this section of Yucaipa Ridge (5 peaks) from east to west.
HIKING ROUTE 2
- From Cedar Mountain, hike west and then northwest
down the ridge following the route of the trail shown on the topo map
until you reach the saddle just east of Birch Mountain.
- Leave the trail
here and hike up the ridge to the summit.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
The Yucaipa Ridge Traverse continues west down the Yucaipa Ridge to the
Allen-Birch saddle and to the west shuttle parking area. This route crosses
private property and permission must be obtained well in advance of the
day of the hike.
ALTERNATE ROUTES
It is possible to descend north from the Birch Mountain-Cedar Mountain
saddle to Forest Falls. The descent starts in the easternmost part of the
saddle and descends on an eastern diagonal to the gully. Stay high on the
ridge until it runs out, and then descend into the gully to take advantage
of the scree slope. If you encounter brush you are too far to the west.
There is no brush if the proper descent route is used. This route should
be used by experienced hikers only. The route goes across and down
steep rocky slopes where rock fall can be very dangerous. This route
can be used without permission from private landowners. The driving
instructions for where the route ends in Forest Falls are as follows:
- Turn right (east) on The Valley of Falls Drive. (See Route 1). This is 6.5
miles past Mill Creek Ranger Station on SR 38.
- Drive 1.4 miles east on The Valley of the Falls Drive and turn right onto Prospect Drive.
- Drive southwest on Prospect Drive about 0.1 mile to near the intersection of Mountain View Road. Park here. You will exit the gully near this spot.
The USGS topo shows a trail starting at Pilgrim Pines Camp
in Oak Glen and going up to a point near Cedar Mountain.
This trail crosses private property and must be used only with permission.
Call Pilgrim Pines at (562) 335-7697 for permission.
Please report any corrections or changes to the
Mountain Records Chair.
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