Charlton Peak

Charlton Peak with Little Charlton, photo by Kathy Wing

Charlton, taken from Dry Lake, photo by Kathy Wing

Charlton, taken from South Fork, photo by Kathy Wing

Charlton Little Charlton, photo by Sunny Yi

Ice skating on Dollar Lake, Sierra Club trip 1948, photo by Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Archives

Charlton Peak with Little Charlton, Photo by Kathy Wing.

Peak Name

Charlton Peak

24F

Elevation

10806

feet

Status

active

Region

San Gorgonio Area

Range

San Bernardino Mountains

Nearby peaks

Jepson Peak, Dobbs Peak, San Gorgonio Mountain

Location

34.1144552,-116.8536358

Description

Charlton is the northernmost peak on the ridge that descends northwest from San Gorgonio to Big Draw, Jepson, Little Charlton, Charlton, then to Dollar Lake Saddle before ascending again as the San Bernardino Ridge. The peaks on the ridge drop off dramatically on the northern face, which attracts but also intimidates hikers as they ascend the South Fork Trail.

Route 1 is the shortest route, which starts up the pretty South Fork Trail but continues on the Dollar Lake Trail to Dollar Lake Saddle then to the peak. The easiest route to the peak is from the saddle between Charlton and Little Charlton, which is also worth a stop. There are possible combinations, all long and strenuous, with Jepson, or Anderson and Shields, or a massive loop to San Gorgonio and down the South Fork Trail.

Maps generated from CalTopo.com, reproduced with permission

Downloadable Maps, Files, and Guides

Route 1- South Fork Trail

Elevation Gain

4230′

Navigation Difficulty

Easy

Distance

15 miles round trip on trail

Estimated time

8-9 hours round trip

Route Rating

Class 1, very strenuous

Leader Rating Required

“I”, normal conditions

Driving route

Take I-10 east past San Bernardino to the Orange Street exit (SR 38).
Go one block east, then go north (left) 0.5 mile to Lugonia Avenue. Turn right on SR 38 (east).
Continue east on SR 38 about 26 miles to Jenks Lake Road on the right. Turn right (south).
Continue to the signed South Fork Trailhead parking lot on the left. Park here.

Hiking route

From the parking area (6850′), hike the South Fork Trail (1E04) past the old Poopout Hill trailhead to South Fork at Slushy Meadows where the Dry Lake Trail forks left (8200′).
Keep right on the South Fork Trail and continue to the fork to Dollar Lake (9520′).
Keep right again and continue to Dollar Lake Saddle (9960′), at a junction with the San Bernardino Peak Trail (1W07).
Turn left on 1W07 and follow it south about 1 mile to a point south-southeast of the summit of Charlton.
Leave the trail here and head northeast up to the top of the ridge and then northwest up the ridge to the summit.

Route Notes

Printable Route

Road Type

Paved

Google Maps Link to Trailhead

Additional Peak Information

Special conditions: Permits for day or overnight use are required for all routes and have a limit of 12. Permits can be obtained online from the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association at swga.org up to 90 days in advance or at the Mill Creek Ranger Station, 9 miles from Redlands on SR 38.

Historical notes: The peak was named for Rush Charlton, Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest from 1907 to 1925. Charlton, “the boy wonder” of the Forest Service (he was in his 20’s when appointed Supervisor), was perhaps the most dynamic and most controversial leader in the history of the Angeles National Forest.