San Mateo Wilderness from the Bear Ridge Trail

San Bernardino Mountains from the Bear Ridge Trail

Text and photography copyright 2010 by David W. Lockeretz, all rights reserved.  Information and opinions provided are kept current to the best of the author’s ability.  All readers hike at their own risk, and should be aware of the possible dangers of hiking, walking and other outdoor activities.  The author does not take any responsibility for injuries sustained during hikes or walks on the routes described here.   Check the informational links provided for up to date trail condition information.

Bear Canyon Loop

• Location:  Southwestern Riverside County in the Santa Ana Mountains.  From Orange County, take highway 74 northeast for 21 miles and park at the Ortega Oaks Country Store (the “Candy Store”) on the right side of the road, across from the San Juan Loop trailhead. From Lake Elsinore, look for the Candy Store on the left side of the road after 11 miles.  A National Forest Service Adventure Pass ($5 for a day or $30 for the year) is required for parking.  Click here to purchase.
• Agency: Cleveland National Forest/Trabuco District
• Distance: 6.7 miles
• Elevation gain: 1,000 feet
• Suggested time: 3.5 hours
• Difficulty Rating: PG-13 (Distance)
• Best season: October – May
• USGS topo maps:  Sitton Peak
• More information: here; trip reports here
• Rating: 7

Note: This hike begins with the 3.2 mile trip from the Candy Store on Ortega Highway to Four Corners, described in the Sitton Peak post, here.

For hikers who want more of a challenge than the San Juan Loop trail but don’t quite have the time or energy for Sitton Peak, this nearly seven mile trip (a 2.5 mile loop with a 4.2 mile round trip connector trail) might be just the ticket.  There’s geology, botany, solitude, and on clear days, both mountain and ocean views.

Once you arrive at Four Corners, take the immediate left trail (known both as the Bear Ridge and Bear Canyon Trail).  This part of the hike provides wider views than the previous section, including the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains on the left and deep into San Diego County on the right.  There are a few short uphill stretches during this segment, but by and large most of the climbing is behind you at this point.

For a little more than a mile, the trail follows the exposed ridge between Bear Canyon and San Mateo Canyon, and then it dips into an oak woodland, arriving at the split.  From here, you descend the remaining 2.1 miles to the Candy Store.