The miles you spend outdoors only matter if you take them and enjoy them
* Initial hike: May 8 and 9, 2021
Well, we needed another challenging hiking trip under our belt to train for the John Muir Trail and what better way than to do San Gorgonio, the highest peak in Southern California. I believe the weekend we chose the South Fork trailhead had just opened.
| Location | Mileage | Elevation gain | Type |
| San Bernardino Mountains | 24.53 miles | 4,675 feet | Back and forth |
San Gorgonio Mountain sits at 11,000 feet above sea level in the San Bernardino National Forest. It is the highest peak in Southern California and is often hiked as a day hike from other trailheads. Via the South Fork Trail, the hike is over 23 miles long and there are many nice campsites along the way where one can stay. Check water sources before your trip as they are very rare.
Vlogging on YouTube
Permits and weather
*A permit is required to hike San Gorgonio at any time, whether you are day hiking or overnight hiking.
San Gorgonio Wilderness Information
Permit :
Permits are required for day hikes and overnight trips, but there is no fee (free wilderness permit). To obtain a permit for either, visit: San Gorgonio Wilderness Permits. This page has information about the trailhead, mileage, campsites, and water sources. Once you click MAKE (or cancel) A RESERVATION, follow the instructions on the form for the trip you want.
Weather report:
I highly recommend checking the weather anytime and anywhere you go, especially when going to higher altitudes. The weather can change at any time. Here are some links for the trailhead and summit.
South Fork Trailhead Forecast and San Gorgonio Peak Forecast
Maps, books and equipment recommendations
- Tom Harrison San Gorgonio Wilderness Map – I know they have a lot of guides on phones these days, but I love carrying an old school map everywhere I go. Tom Harrison, at least for California locals, is the best way to go in my opinion.
- BeFree Katadyn Water Filter – The area doesn’t have much water, but there is a spring where water can be collected. It’s good to always carry a water filter with you!
- Peak Refuel Chicken Pesto Pasta – This is a long hike and Peak Refuel has some of the best freeze-dried hiking meals.
- Garmin inReach Mini2 – I recommend this to anyone going out into the backcountry!
Hiking statistics
Small talk
the start of a long day: South Fork Trailhead
The plan was to run as many miles as possible that day, so we would get used to the long days of JMT training. Our day started early as we had a little over an hour and a half drive to get to the trailhead. We started at the South Fork entrance, which had been closed for a while due to the fire in the area earlier this year. We kept checking for updates to see which trailheads would open so we could hike San Gorgonio! I recommend doing this hike if you are local to train for a larger hiker or for any training hike!
As we started the hike you could see the devastation, but thank you to the foresters for clearing everything out and allowing us to hike the area safely. We crossed about 5 streams, it was nice to see so much water flowing, but this would be the last we would see other than a spring and a dry lake along the way.
reach Dry Lake and springs
The reason we chose this trail for training was the altitude we found ourselves at and the elevation gain. It felt like a never ending climb, but at this point we were in better shape because we had done a few other tough hikes in the previous weeks and had trained with a 30 pound vest. Honestly, I would recommend anyone training for big backpacking trips to use the vests in their training programs.
We reached Dry Lake around 12:30 p.m. and decided to stock up on as much water as possible at the nearby spring; the water of Dry Lake did not look inviting. At this point we decided not to stay near Dry Lake, but to set up camp just before the final push to the summit.
I haven’t been stopped many times by rangers to check permits, but at the springs there was a ranger in the area asking people for their permits. We showed ours and left – don’t go into the area without a permit; It’s for your own safety to have one!
reach the camp, the snack and the summit
Our camping permit was for Trail Flats and honestly I liked the outcome because before the summit we set up our tent, had a nice lunch and headed to the summit. We were alone at Trail Flats, which was pretty nice because I expected more people to stay at this site since it was closer to the summit. We ate a nice hot meal and set off with our lighter packs for the summit with water, extra food, a headlamp and warmer clothes to be safe and as comfortable as possible.
This part of the trail to the summit seemed endless. We only had a few patches of snow left, which we didn’t have to worry about – but we packed our micro-spikes just in case. At the top, we weren’t alone, but it was such a great feeling to have finally climbed this mountain, the tallest in Southern California!
calm night, running speed downhill
After descending to camp, we crawled into our tent and sleeping bags and fell asleep after hiking 16 miles. The night was so quiet, either that or we just fell asleep soundly after a long day on the mountain. We woke up pretty early the next morning, made some coffee and hot chocolate, and headed back to the car. We went down pretty quickly as there was no climb on the way down, that’s how hikes should be, right?
And guess how we ended our hike? We found a little cafe and had a nice breakfast/lunch with mimosas to win. What a way to end a great weekend.
I hope you enjoyed this article and if you have any questions, feel free to write comments below.
Happy adventures! Annette