San Bernardino Mountains

Dave Daly on 'Arrowsphere' (5.9), Pinnacle #...

Description 

Rising east of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains, the San Bernardino Mountains are home to the tallest peak in Southern California, Mt. San Gorgonio (11,502'/3506m), as well as numerous hiking trails, campgrounds, off-road trails and thousands, yes thousands, of rock climbs.

The rock in the San Bernardino Mountains (SB's) is mostly granite which ranges in quality from excellent to somewhat grainy ala Joshua Tree, with most being quite good. Because many of the routes are newer don't be surprised if some are a bit dirty and sport some residual lichen - it's nothing a bit of traffic won't take care of.

Routes in the SB's are typically single pitch affairs with the odd exception, but what the SB's lack in height they make up for with diversity and a plethora of crags scattered far and wide. Oddly, the neighboring San Jacinto Mountains (home to Tahquitz and Suicide Rock) seem to have gotten the wealth of multi-pitch crags. Many traditional and sport routes are found here, often with both styles at the same crag. The bouldering potential here is huge and much potential still exists for those so inclined.

Three major climbing areas exist in the SB's - the Lake Arrowhead Pinnacles, Keller Peak and the Holcomb Valley Pinnacles; these are areas with enough climbing to keep one busy for days or more. There also exists many other minor areas which are worth checking out for a day or less of climbing.

Getting There 

Four main routes exist for getting into the San Bernardino Mountains:

• Highway 18 (southern approach) - Starts from Hwy 30, climbs into the mountains quickly via a 4 lane road, and then pinches down to a narrow and windy 2 lane road when you hit the rim, just past the Crestline turnoff. Plan on 30 minutes to the rim and another 15-20 minutes to Running Springs.

• Highway 330 - Short and direct, this mostly two-lane highway with the odd passing lane breaks off Highway 30 in the town of Highland and ends at the junction with Highway 18 in the town of Running Springs. Expect about a 30 minute drive from Highland to Running Springs; holiday weekends can more than double this time, so plan accordingly.

• Highway 38 - Starts at Interstate 10 in Redlands and takes a scenic route through the moutains to end at the Big Bear Lake dam. Also known locally as the "back route", this road tends to avoid the traffic common to Highway 18 with it's lack of facilities along the way. Plan on a one hour drive from Redlands to Big Bear City and note that this is a two-lane road most of the way with the odd passing lane - getting stuck behind a motorhome will increase your drive time.

• Highway 18 (northern approach) - Leaves Highway 247 (aka the Barstow Road) in the town of Lucerne Valley and climbs steeply up the northern escarpment of the mountains to pop out on the eastern end of Baldwin Lake, which lies due east of Big Bear Lake. Plan on about 45 minutes to Big Bear Lake from the bottom.

Weather 

• Big Bear Weather Cam

• Snow Summit Cam

Camping 

Free camping is available almost anywhere in the forest, often with established campsites near the climbing area. Fire restrictions are commonly in effect during the summer months, meaning no open fires, but stoves are usually allowed.

Scattered throughout the area are a number of pay campgrounds with varying fees and degrees of comfort.

See the individual areas for more detailed camping information.

Climbing Gear 

If sport climbing nothing more than a dozen draws are needed, and if climbing some of the traditional routes a standard rack to 3" should suffice for the majority of the routes. Check the individual area descriptions for more details.

Guidebooks 

Hidden Treasures, the only comprehensive guidebook for this area, is currently out of print. Overall a good book if you can find one but be aware that being older many new routes are not included in it and a number of the ratings are suspect. A newer book covering Big Bear East is now available which covers climbs in that area.

The Southern California Sport Climbing Guide has a limited amount of information on the area making it more of a "select" guide, but be warned that it's full of mistakes (and not just the Holcomb Valley section).

The Classics

Featured Route For San Bernardino Mountains

The Incinerator 5.12a  CA : San Bernardino Mountains : ... : Incinerator Wall

A local classic that tackles the steep face/arete on the north side of the formation. Mostly good holds the entire way with an obvious crux past the third bolt, where a long reach gains better holds above. A hold broke in the crux area several years back, but the grade remains intact, if not more solid than before.Super fun and well-protected, this is a popular one to finish the day or oneself on. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

Photos of San Bernardino Mountains Slideshow

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Bryan cruising on Jet Blue (5.11b), Crafts Peak.	Mike making the long reaches on Segments in Space,...	Hitchcock Ranch near Holcomb Valley.
Nearing the top of Powder Keg (5.10a), Holcomb Val...	Sunset from the top of Hungover Wall	Hawks on the pacific crest
Fire on Butler Peak (9/01/07).	Butler 2 fire from Keller Peak 9/15/07	High above the treetops on Pistol Pete (5.10a), Ho...
The main headframe of the Lucky Baldwin Stamp Mill...	Closeup of the massive bolts used in the Lucky Bal...	Pre-thunderstorm cloud formations,"no photo doctor...
Rustic cabin in Holcomb Valley, Big Bear.	Looking into Holcomb Valley from the Pinnacles, Bi...	Cool-looking cloud (Altocumulus Lenticularis), 800...
A beautiful day on Big Bear Lake	BETA PHOTO: Stone Wall, at HVP	Boulder Cove in Big Bear Lake
California Buckwheat bloom in the foreground