A strenuous hike with almost 7,000 feet of elevation gain, the San Bernardino Peak to Shields Peak Traverse makes for a challenging day hike or nice overnight backpacking trip.  The route takes you through juniper, pine and fir forests to the summit of four peaks over 10,000 feet while enjoying spectacular views of the Inland Empire 10,000 feet below.

Located in San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California, the trail is easily accessible from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. If you are up for the challenge, this hike will reward you in spades.

Location: San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Trailhead: San Bernardino Peak Trailhead on Forest Road 1W07 near Angelus Oaks

Length: 23.0 miles roundtrip; +6,918 ft. gain

Difficulty: Strenuous

Trail Type: Out and back

Parking: At trailhead. Must display an Adventure Pass or Interagency Pass.

Permits: Day hiking in the San Gorgonio Wilderness no longer requires a permit. All overnight trips require a free permit that can be reserved in advance or applied for as a walk-up on the day of your hike, space permitting. Contact or go to the Mill Creek Visitor Center for your permit.

Concerns: Trail may be partially snow-covered, especially at higher elevations, during winter and spring. Bring appropriate equipment for snow travel and check current weather conditions.  Be prepared for colder temperatures as you climb and bring ample water in the warmer months. Check with the Mill Creek Visitor Center about water sources along the trail.

Map: I highly recommend the Tom Harrison San Gorgonio Wilderness Map. It’s waterproof, tear-resistant, and detailed.

There is no doubt that this hike is a challenge, but it isn’t continuous climbing all the way to Shields Peak. Rather, there are periods of climbing broken up by sections of comparatively flat trail. This allows you to catch your breath and enjoy the surrounding views, which really are a treat.

From the trailhead, the well maintained trail begins climbing for about 3 miles via sets of well graded switchbacks.  The surrounding trees give you shelter from the sun as you progress. Make sure to stop at the viewpoints that dot the trail and note your progress as you climb.

Eventually, you will come out of the trees and things will really open up for the next 3/4 mile over relatively flat terrain. The trail is lined with green leafed and red barked Manzanita and beautiful Ponderosa Pines standing tall against the wind.  This section of trail is a great place to take a rest. After 3/4 mile of easy trail, you will pass Columbine Camp 4.7 miles into your hike and your first option for spending the night and getting water. The camp is to the right (south) of the trail and .7 mile and 300 vertical feet below it. This junction is well marked. Continuing on, the climbing begins again as the trail curls along the mountain slopes and you are treated to great views looking out toward San Bernardino and Mt. Baldy.

You climb for 1.2 miles until you reach Limber Pine Bench Camp, which is well signed. This is where I decided to camp for the night. Not only is it nice an flat, but it has great views out to the west looking out over San Bernardino.  The beautiful sunset and city lights twinkling almost 9,000 feet below were magical.  There was some wind overnight, but the boulders and windbreaks built by previous campers helped me get a good night’s rest.  Water is just .3 miles past the camp right on trail. (Please note that according to information provided by the San Bernardino National Forest, the distance from the trailhead to this point is 6.7 miles, but my GPS indicated it was only 5.9 miles.)

If camping, I strongly recommend waking up before sunrise and giving yourself enough time to hike the 2 miles to the top of San Bernardino Peak (10,649 ft.) . The sun coming up over San Gorgonio Peak and basking the peaks lined up before you is a treat that not many people get to experience.

Anderson, Shields on the left and San Gorgonia Peak mid-right.

Once you have reached San Bernardino Peak, you have done all the hard work. Now you can run the ridge to San Bernardino East Peak (10,691 ft.) and then continue on the relatively flat ridge. Where as there are easily identifiable spur trails to the previous two peaks, Anderson Peak (10,840 ft.) and Shields Peak (10,680 ft.) require some off-trail scrambling to get to the top. The actual trail will pass below the peaks.  Using your map or GPS device will come in handy where, but it really isn’t too hard to visually see each peak from the trail. Don’t forget to sign your name in the summit register of each peak, which can be found in an ammo canister at the top of each peak.

Anderson Peak as seen from Shields Peak

After reaching Shields Peaks, turn around and start making your way back to the trailhead in Angelus Oaks. It is nearly all downhill and you should make good time on your way back.

One of the great things about this hike is that you can easily tailor it to your fitness level and ambition. Feeling like you have had enough? You could easily turnaround  at San Bernardino Peak (7.85 miles one-way, +4,625 ft.) or Limber Pine Bench (5.9 miles one-way, +3,353 ft.) and be satisfied with your effort and the views. Feeling like you want more? You could even push all the way to San Gorgonio Peak (16.5 miles), though I would recommend exiting via the Vivian Creek Trail if you do.

Helpful Links:

San Bernardino National Forest Trail Information

San Gorgoni Wilderness Association

Water Source Information