Cucamonga Peak

The good. The bad. The ugly.
Did this hike June 4^th, 2016.
Distance: 11.6 miles
Time: 9 hours
Difficulty: Woof
Elevation gain: 4,300 ft
Parking: Adventure pass required, there is a parking lot available but it fills up early!
Suggestions: at least 2L water, snacks, and trekking poles to save your knees!
Friendly reminder: you’ll run into the rangers and they will ask if you have filled out your permit! Bring a pen, or else wait in line for everyone else to fill out their permits.
This hike took my friends and I around 9 hours to complete. Slightly hilarious considering I was hiking with a couple of different group of friends, the girls I’m prepping to hike Machu Picchu with, one girl I met online (ha!), and then my college friends who haven’t hiked more than 2 hours long — so needless to say, we were having a long day.
A couple of my college friends read the review from Ann C. and they were completely scared to hike with me because of black toes. Did they get black toes after the hike? 1 out of 7 people did. Mostly, people were just complaining how their feet hurt from walking so much and for so long the next day. (Tiger Balm is everyone’s best friend!) When you’re trying to hike this trail, make sure your shoes have some sort of traction. A couple of my friends didn’t have shoes with traction aka Nike Roshes and were very thankful for the hiking poles during the trickier parts of the trail.
Since it’s starting to get extremely hot now, you will want to start early. The early bird gets the worm! Or in this case, the early bird gets to enjoy the cool temps vs the baking hot sun. Made sure that everyone in our group had at least 2L of water, but you can definitely benefit from 3L plus extra bottles in your bag, or having gatorade in the car when you finish your hike. Snacks matter! Once you reach to the top you’ll want to enjoy the views, and you can hang your hammock up in the trees — if you have one!
It was a fun hike, and I’m hoping that my friends will join me for some more — but I think I may have completely scared off some others. Oh well.
The good? Everyone finished! No man left behind!
The bad? Took us 9 hours!
The ugly? There’s no ugly when you’re enjoying the beautiful outdoors with friends!

This is one of my favorite hikes around!
Unfortunately, it seems to be everyone else’s too.
The earlier you start, the fewer people you see. I’ve been able to get to the summit and back to the saddle before seeing people. Ahhhhh, sweet solitude.
After 7 a.m. or so, however, expect crowds galore starting at the saddle. Since etiquette states that descending hikers must yield, getting down can be an exercise in torture. There are also lots of large, slow-​moving groups, so sometimes you’re left cooling your heels for a while before you can get going again.
The Trail:
The fun starts at the Icehouse Canyon Trailhead. Park and hang your Adventure Pass, then enter the trailhead and grab a permit.
Shortly after entering the trailhead (about .10 mile), you’ll come to a wide rocky area. Cars or tents may be there. You may be tempted to veer right at this point to follow the river, but don’t. Look to your left and you’ll see the trail.
A couple of miles in, you’ll come to a junction where you can continue on this trail or take the longer but less steep Chapman trail. I find that trail really boring, so I never take it.
The trail is pretty well marked from here up until you enter the Cucamonga Wilderness, when you come to a rocky portion where the trail isn’t always completely clear. There are usually cairns unless some jerk has knocked them over.
After this part are the switchbacks, of which there are 13. Once you’re done with those, you’ll pass through a small manzanita forest and then you’re at the Saddle. If you’ve gotten an early enough start, almost no one will be there and it’s a good time for a break.
Cucamonga is straight ahead past the sign at the saddle. You’ll descend for a bit. Around this part is where I once saw a herd of Bighorn Sheep! It was amazing. I always look for them, but haven’t seen them since.
Be careful on this part of the trail. There are some very, very narrow and rocky parts where a slip could injure or kill you.
You will eventually come to a ridge with incredible views. And then… more switchbacks! I can’t remember how many, but I’d guess about 22. They’re very long.
Finally, after the last switchback, you’re almost there. Just head up until you see a sketchy looking stick with «Cucamonga» scrawled on it and head on up. The trail gets faint here, but just head up and you’ll get to the summit.
Minus a star for the crowds, but everything else about this hike is stellar!

DETAILED REVIEW FROM A BEGINNER HIKER!
Let me start by saying that I have done a few half marathons and work out on a regular basis 2−4x/week, doing yoga pilates, boot camp type work outs and cycling. I never push myself during my workouts to the point of pure exhaustion, since I am more about enjoying the ride than breaking records or getting shredded. I am not a «hiker» though… I got a 2L Camelbak as a gift, I don’t have hiking poles, hiking shoes, hiking pants etc. I hiked this hike in my Brooks running shoes, lululemon yoga pants and a light windbreaker. We hiked with a group of 7 people, this past weekend in May, and the weather had sun coming in and out, but temp probably averaged in the high 50s, low 60s.
Distance: 11.6 miles
Elevation: 4,300 ft gain
Peak at Top: 8859 ft
6 Pack: Second peak out of Six
Parking: Crowded at the bottom of Ice House Canyon
Time: We hiked at a moderate pace, taking plenty of short breaks as needed and ate lunch at the top, Total 7 hours time from 8am — 3pm
ALTITUDE SICKNESS?
I don’t hike on mountains on a regular basis. My hands swelled up like sausages, and I had a slight headache from the cold wind blowing on my head but otherwise did not feel any symptoms of altitude sickness.
WHAT SHOULD I PACK IN MY BACKPACK?
Back light because everything you carry will seriously weigh on your back as you hike. I brought one sliced apple, 1 light sandwich, 2 granola bars, 1 pack of carb jellies. I ended up eating some of my friend’s granola and another friend’s carrots so next time I will probably bring a little more food.
HOW MUCH WATER?
Depends on the temperature. It was pretty windy and cold so I filled my 2L camelbak and ended up only drinking about half. I took mini sips along the way but drank water the morning of and night before to make sure I was hydrated. I didn’t do this, but I would recommend bringing a separate bottle of gatorade in case your camelbak breaks or leaks. Someone in a previous review recommended filling your camelbak halfway and freezing it so you could have ice cold water throughout the day? Do this if you expect it to be hot. I did this thinking it was a brilliant idea! And then it was super cold… and I felt like I had like an ice pack on my back making me feel even colder. My friend did the same, and an ice cube froze on the spot where the tubing connects so she had to keep rubbing it with her hand to get water at the beginning of the hike. No bueno.
DO I NEED POLES?
No. I have hiked to ice house canyon before without it. This was my first time going the extra few miles to Cucamonga Peak and I did it without poles but I REALLLYYYY wish I had some. :(I saw people using it to support their weight going up and down the mountain. It looked very handy! Invest in some good ones… ! I bought some the day after for my next hike.
DO I NEED HIKING SHOES?
I did the hike in my brooks running shoes and was fine. No, I did not get black toes. Don’t go out and buy new shoes and wear them for the first time on this hike. 12 miles is a long way to risk. If you have hiking shoes, it would definitely help though! I plan on investing in some legit hiking shoes and socks since this hike was so effing awesome and I plan on hiking more in the future!
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Check the weather. Layer up. It’s that simple! I really wish I would’ve checked the weather because I was sooooo cold majority of the time. I was wearing a tank top and pants with a windbreaker thinking it would be hot since it was already May, but it was actually quite chilly. Pack light but bring an extra long sleeve if there’s any possibility that it could be cold.
CAN I REALLY DO THIS?
YES!!! I brought my fellow Unilocal Buddy for life, Matt L. and he had only hiked twice in his life prior to this! With determination and good company, he made it to the top like a champ! Just put one foot in front of the other and you can do it! And if you feel very tired or sick and can’t make it… then… enjoy the views that you do see, and try it again on a different day. The peak will always be there.
The views on this hike were SPECTACULAR. It was a beautiful trail, well marked, and very serene. I highly recommend it!

Cucamonga Peak, one of the six pack of peaks. As many of the six pack of peaks are, this hike is strenuous. Here are some numbers to keep in mind:
Distance: 11.6 miles round trip
Elevation at the top: 8,859 feet
Vertical elevation gain: 4,300 feet
The start of the hike is at the Icehouse Canyon. On Mt. Baldy Road, you will come to a fork, follow the signs for Icehouse Canyon which will be the right fork. The left fork will lead you to Mt. Baldy. When you arrive, there is a small parking lot and restrooms available. Don’t forget to put up your adventure pass which can be purchased at the Mt. Baldy Visitor Center or at outdoor retailers like REI, Sports Chalet, Big 5, etc. My friends and I arrived at 8am this past Sunday and there were plenty of spots left. However, it was also Mother’s Day so that’s probably why there were less people. To be safe, I would arrive here at least by 7am since this is a popular hike.
Before starting the hike, there will be a small box to your left with a form to fill out. It is to keep track of how many people are hiking the trail for fund data. Only one person out of your group needs to fill it out. The hike is pretty straight-​forward and ROCKY! I didn’t not expect the trail to be as rocky as it did. Watch your footing. Throughout the hike, the scenery was beautiful. Don’t forget to look up every once in a while. At the start of the trail, you will quickly past several cabins and eventually you will see signs point to Ice House Saddle. Mile markers are posted throughout the trail to let you know how far you’ve gone. They can be easily missed though. After arriving at the Ice House Saddle, you are 2.5 miles away from the peak! Hellooooo switchbacks (I think there were also switchbacks just before this part too). Our group got kind of lost just before the peak. It’s hard to describe but just know that if you’re almost at the peak and you’re going downhill, go the other way. Stay right and go uphill. When we were at the top, there weren’t too many people. There was about 15 people max. Although it was cloudy, it was super cool to be above the clouds with the fog rolling in. It’s like you’re on top of the world! I couldn’t find the USGS marker, plus a hiker told me there wasn’t one on the top :(
Overall the hike was great! It was a pretty cloudy day but it got quite warm as we were hiking up. The sun came out here and there and we all wore long sleeves and long pants. Thankfully we all also brought our windbreaker which helped at the top and on our way down. Remember, it is a lot cooler at the top. There was still some small patches of snow on the trail but nothing where you would need crampons or snowboots. Bring your trekking poles to help you out. It was super neat to see and hear the snow fall from the trees. It was very peaceful. When we were hiking back down, the fog really rolled in. It got cold and misty, but the scenery was so awesome with the green trees, cloudy and fog in front of us. It was as if it was from a forest scene in a movie. Also the perfect setup for a murder scene but all got out okay :) During the hike, we forgot to put our adventure pass in our car but thankfully we did not get a ticket! Thank you Hike Gods!

BLACK TOES MATTER
I forgot to update my review after the hike my two big toes were throbbing incredibly in pain. A week later, I noticed watery substance coming out from underneath my nails. After erasing my nail polish I saw to my horror that the entire nail was BLACK! And the nails were lifted off my skin– like hollow inside. Another week later the entire nail came off! =(
I posted pics but Unilocal deleted them hahaha! Geez I was just trying to warn people but I guess it’s too gross.
So please google Black Toes and be careful on what kind of shoes you wear ok your hike.

Went up Sunday ⁴⁄₂. I would say definitely bring microspikes and ice axes for this hike.
When I went, about a mile from the summit there are two possible routes. One is straight up the ravine and I would say ice axe and full crampons are required due to the angle. About 200 yards before the ravine there is a route around the south side. A group with just an ice axe and microspikes reach the summit via that route.

This hike was… amazing! This has to be one of my favorite hikes in So Cal and I highly recommend it. One warning though is that I underestimated the WEATHER! Make sure you go during a time when its optimal for hiking, such as the Spring or Summer. If you go in the Late Fall/​Winter you WILL encounter snow/​ice and that will not be fun especially if you don’t have the right equipment/​gear. This is coming from an avid trail runner and my cousin who is a serious body builder and is in tip top shape. I didn’t bring my Solomon trail shoes nor snow spikes! Big mistake! Ice was everywhere on the upper portion of the trail but somehow we persevered with some blood and bruises from falling (we’re crazy, don’t be dumb like us). Also bring some gloves because your hands will freeze! My cousin and I had our hands in our pockets the whole time LOL. Other than that what a beautiful hike, it took us longer than we expected and that’s because we didn’t have snow spikes! I’m sure this hike is much easier in the Spring/​Summer. I stress this as well — Bring a ton of WATER because you will definitely be needing it! Hydrate well the day before. Enjoy the pictures!

Definitely a great hike, but even better for ultra marathon training. I’ve been here before about 2 years ago and it was definitely no joke. When I first did this hike the ascent took me 4 hours and descent half that time. Now it’s definitely a moderate hike with little to no scrambling and sections that are great for running. If you’re into ultra racing it’s definitely a great way to practice your climbing and downhill running through semi technical sections. When I first came here I was surprised to see these people running up and only carrying 2 small 10oz bottles and trekking poles. Little did I know that these were ultra runners.
If you’re a beginner please bring nutrition with you and know how many calories to take in per hour, generally that number can be anywhere from 200 – 300 depending on the level of exertion. A great lightweight snack are Honey Stinger Waffles based off the European style of nutrition during mountain races which are 160 calories each and very good.
As for gear I usually bring my Ultimate Direction PB Adventure vest with 2 20oz bottles, a water filter just in case, base layer, and a simple kit you’re required to carry on races such as the UTMB, Angles Crest 100, or Western States races. Trail running shoes are a definite plus like the Nike Kiger or Wildhorse where a little bit extra cushion is nice to have. This was mainly a training run for the SoCal Triple Crown Challenge which is climbing Baldy, Gorgonio, and San Jacinto in 24 hours. Trekking poles are also a great asset but the European way of hands of the knees and pushing fowards works just fine too. Great little single track!

This is a moderate hike with gradual elevation gain up to just under 9000 feet. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this hike for beginners, and I’d recommend hiking boots/​shoes as there are many sections which are very rocky.
We arrived at the parking area around 7:30 am, and the lot was already full. We ended up parking on the outer edge of the parking/​roadway where there was just enough room to fit our SUV.
The hike begins with the trail along several flowing creeks. Both were flowing heavily which was both picture-​esk and soothing to hear. The trail is well marked, and markers notate the remaining distance at various points along the route.
We went in early fall, (October) so the temperatures were moderate, and the leaves were changing colors. (very beautiful) I really loved the juxtaposition of the grey background against the yellow changing leaves; it proved to be a stunning visual experience.
It was also really foggy at the summit when we reached it so there were no photo opportunities with backdrops.
I think the hike was most intense descending because of the rough terrain. The rocks on the trail were jarring to the knees and hips, and made the descend pretty time consuming.
The overall hike took about 7 hours at a moderate pace and was very beautiful the whole way. I really feel lucky living in Los Angeles to be so close to such natural beauty, as this hike did not disappoint.

The Summit view was incredible. I fell in love with the path towards summit. Id definitely do it again. Incline was a bit of a challenge. I also saw two caves .so much fun!

This hike marks my first encounter with altitude sickness. I’ve been skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, hiked Half Dome a few months ago, tackled Mt Baldy and Mt Wilson among several other higher elevation hikes recently and have never experienced anything like the nightmare I did during this hike.
I’m rating it 4 STARS because it wasn’t a 5 STAR experience for me. My experience was more like 1 STAR but the beauty of this hike makes it at minimum 4. What it is, is a very well marked trail which under normal circumstances makes ascending and descending to the peak pretty easy, with flowing water at the beginning and some nice scenery.
We started at 845A after scoring a spot in the parking lot and posting our $ 5 Adventure Pass. I was sick immediately so something was just way off with me from the start, but I still decided to complete the hike which was irresponsible on my part. I struggled the entire way, not because this is a strenuous hike but due in point to the crazy headache and elevation symptoms I was experiencing.
We packed in a few snacks, which I wasn’t very successful at eating due to not feeling well but I did finish my 2l camelbak upon approaching the parking lot at 515P.
It took us about 4 hours to reach the peak. If you are physically fit and not experiencing altitude sickness I’d say it should take less time than this. I was hiking extremely slow since I was really dizzy and out of it.
Although the weather was over 90 degrees, here in the Los Angeles National Forest the temps were much cooler (around 65 when we started) along most of the trail and shaded in several areas. Packing an extra layer would be a nice to have, as some areas are cooler and windy.
Although this hike is only supposed to be a little over 11 miles, some say 12. My fitbit clocked us at 16 miles. Maybe my baby steps, who knows.
We stayed at the top for a little while and then began to descend. I thought my headache would cure itself as we came down but it only got worse. My boyfriend was completely fine, so perhaps my level of exhaustion and fatigue from the weeks other workouts had just taken it out of me before this hike.
All in all, due to the experience I’m a bit turned off on doing this trail again although I’m sure it would be fine but I’m glad I can mark it off of the 6 peak pack challenge and move onto something else.
As always pack snackies, water, sunscreen, visor/​hat, tp, trash bag, charged cell phone etc.
Happy Trails! And if you’re feeling a bit off, I’d recommend stopping immediately and saving this hike for another day. Some advice I should have taken myself.

I loved this hike. It was hard, but there was a payoff. It’s not a beginners hike. Do not attempt if you have bad knees, weak ankles or are skittish about (very) narrow trails. Bring at least 3 liters of water. MOST of the hike is shaded, but don’t use that as an excuse to leave your sunscreen at home.

I have to say that if you’re thinking about doing this hike, check out Cris H. ‘s review and link to his blog. It was extremely helpful to me.
To keep it simple though… this is a 12 mi. hike that took us 8 hours to complete. We went with a group of 8 so we were waiting a while for everyone and took a long lunch break. This is definitely not an easy hike as there were some areas where it was steep, a lot of switchbacks, and some areas with a lot of scree. However, the scenery is beautiful and serene and the peak is well worth it.
DIRECTIONS/​PARKING:
Just follow the above address and it will take you to the parking lot. This one was pretty straightforward for me. Got there at 7:30am last Sunday morning and there were a few spots still open in the parking lot. There is a bathroom at the trailhead (bring TP), so go before you ascend.
Once you get to the trailhead, fill out a hiking permit in the brown box by the sign (it’s free, but let’s them know who’s hiking)
TO BRING:
— Sun protection (Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
— Hiking poles (Yea, they’re dorky but they helped a lot on this trail!)
— at least 3L of water (I personally drank about 2L for the entire trip but i’m a camel. Never bad to have extra)
— Wear layers (The temps when we went ranged from 60−80o). I got cold when we stopped and sat in the shade and then warmed up as we started ascending again.
— Lunch and snacks (if you can time it right, start around 7am you can make it to the peak at noon and enjoy your lunch)
— Adventure pass? (questionable as to whether you actually need it anymore) I had an annual so just used it.
THE HIKE:
So you start at Icehouse canyon trailhead and you continue on to to Icehouse Saddle. Once you get to the Saddle (which take about 3.5mi to reach) there are signs that direct you to the Cucamonga Peak trail (which takes another 2.5mi to the peak).
This is definitely a beautiful hike and the peak was exquisite. There were yellow wild flowers blooming everywhere and the sky was perfectly blue and clear. Definitely one of the most beautiful look outs that I have been to.

Of the 6 peaks of Southern California (although I have not done San G or San B yet), this by far is my favorite summit hike and definitely a hike I would do over and over in the future. Like the other summit hikes in Southern Cali, it is fairly long, but it’s doable. It’s tough if you’re a newbie or fairly new to summit hikes. I don’t recall any overtly tough sections, it’s pretty gradual with just a few steep sections. The hike itself is pretty straight-​forward with signs leading you to the top. Tip, if you are going when the temp of the day is around 75 – 80, it will get chilly because of the wind. It was windy at halfway up and a lot of my friends were wearing minimal clothing and pretty cold on at the halfway point going back down.
My favorite part about this summit hike verses any other I have done was the astonishing view once you hit the top. Bear in mind though that hitting the top is not necessarily the top of the mountain, it’s a peak of the mountain but it is still pretty high up. If you come on a semi cloudy day, you will see an AMAZING view of the clouds and it will look like you are on top of the clouds (see my profile picture). Unfortunately there is no plaque or sign signifying that you are at the top of the peak.

One of the tougher hikes I have done due to the altitude and the increased speed at which my friend was going.
It was supposed to be a really hot day so we wanted to get to the peak as early as possible. We started the hike around 5:10AM in complete darkness. Headlamps are a must. The first couple of miles were not awful until we started the uphill battle. That’s when things got rough but we kept on trekking along and after a couple of questionable «where do we go» moments, we made it to the top around 8:30AM.
The view was amazing and definitely worth it. We sat around resting, refueling and taking pictures but after about 45 min, we decided to head back down since it was already way too hot.
Must:
–Bring water a good amount of water. I only brought 1 regular water bottle and it definitely wasn’t enough
–food/​snacks because you will run out of steam if you don’t
–bug spray!!! You will get attacked.
–sunblock
–adventure pass to park. Hiking is free… you just need to sign in so they know youre out there.

Started this hike at 8:30am (I have bad knees) and took the chapman trail up to the Cucamonga peak. And arrived at 3pm. Trails are good and clean and are very beautiful. Once I reached the ice canyon saddle it was beautiful but then decided to go to the Cucamonga peak. It started pretty easy but got really narrow at times and rocky. And then the incline hit! What a incline lol. It’s only 2.5 miles but felt like it wouldn’t end yet once u get to the top u feel like u defeated it! Such an amazing view. Came down fast and left the top at 3:15pm and came back down thru the shorter trail that’s steeper and rockier but has small creeks to get water. Was at my car by 6pm. I took 4 liters and had ran out it was about 100 degrees. So take more water!!! I would do this trail again. Even with my bad knees :)

Hands down one of the best and most fulfilling hikes in the Inland Empire! It’s11.6 miles round-​trip via the Icehouse Canyon Trail, which in and of itself wasn’t very difficult in my opinion. The incline is gradual and gets steep at times, but even then it isn’t unbearable and doesn’t last long. There are quite a few switchbacks, but they’re short and not obnoxious to traverse.
My friend and I started at 6:45am. The path is obvious until you reach the rocky area — pay attention to where you’re going! Definitely look ahead to see where the path winds, otherwise it’s very easy to lose you’re direction since all you see is a white mesh of boulders. Prior to that, you’ll come to a fork marked with «SCE.» Like another reviewer noted, ignore it and go left. Once past the boulders, you’ll come to another sign after the 2 mile mark. Go right for the Icehouse Saddle which is another 0.6 miles up. We reached the halfway point (the saddle) at 8:30am. Most people recommend stopping by these logs to rest up/​eat snacks/​rehydrate before the last 2.4 miles to the peak, and it’s a good place to do so because it’s heavily shaded. We stopped for ten minutes before continuing, and we reached the summit at 10am. The views are spectacular! Definitely better than Baldy which is the neighboring hike. You can clearly see Jacinto and Gorgonio in the distance, as well as downtown, the OC, and even Catalina Island without even trying too hard to squint. There’s some shaded area up top as well to enjoy lunch, which my friend and I did. We went back the way we came, and it only took three hours to descend, and we were going at a pretty leisurely pace. Definitely going to return to this trail to try the other summits!

1. Parking pass
2. permit (which is free) Both of those you can get at the Visitor center/​Information center on the way up the mountain.
3. Arrive @ 7:30−8am (I started at 8:30 but I was hustling passing people who started at 7:30)
The hike starts at ice house canyon. Which is pretty easy to find. Park at the intersection of Ice Canyon road and Mt. baldy road.
The hike in the beginning is pretty easy in the first 10 – 15 mins you’ll see a sign «SCE» I believe it was with an arrow pointing right. Just ignore it and continue the rock path on the left.
once you hit the rocks the elevation starts picking up. The path is very very clear you won’t get lost. I went alone but there are a lot of hikers. Once you get to the half way point which is saddles camp/​ranch I’m not to sure of the name. It’s pretty obvious once you arrive cause the trail splits up into 7 – 9 different trails. Look for the sign that says cucamonga peak and you will continue for 2.4 miles. Just take a break on the logs for 10 – 15 mins cause it’s about the same as the first half. In the last hour of the hike it’s pretty steep and tough but don’t get discourage cause the View is Amazing!!! I enjoyed the view more than Mt. Baldy! Safe travels My Friends! It’s 100% Worth it.
I took 6 water bottles and 1 Gatorade. I finished 5 bottles and the 1 Gatorade before arriving to the top. So pack enough and check the weather.
I started at 8:30 arrived at the peak at 11:30 — 11:45. Arrived to my car around 4:15pm.

5 stars for the workout and the views
This hike is 12 miles roundtrip, out and back, with 4,300′ elevation gain/​loss. It is definitely not for beginners. The trail is mostly single file with lots of varying sized rocks under foot.
If you take Ice House Canyon Trail (instead of the Chapman Trail) to Ice House Saddle, you will have a good, uphill workout with a steady incline most of the way. You will pass several cabins in the first ½ mile or so, and this part is pretty easy. Once you pass the last cabin, look ahead and the incline will get noticeably steeper. It’s pretty much uphill from there. The incline is not severe to the Saddle, but it does give you a good leg and butt workout and it is hard work.
Ice House Saddle is located in a heavily wooded setting and is very peaceful. There will be signs for longer and more difficult hikes, such as the 3 T’s and, of course, Cucamonga Peak, which is 2.4 more miles.
Once you pass the sign and continue around the other side of the mountain, it gets very windy. Even at the end of April, it was only in the 30’s early AM, so check the weather before going and dress accordingly. After a short, easy bit, the trail becomes more difficult than the trail to Ice House Saddle and the altitude can cause fatigue. However, once you reach your destination, you will be rewarded with gorgeous views and interesting rock formations. It’s quite stunning.
parking — lot located at the start of the trail that requires an adventure pass

This hike is definitely not for beginners. For me personally I would consider it a ⁹⁄₁₀. (I’ve hiked majority of the trails in Griffith Park, Runyon, Malibu, Santa Ana; Work out 3−4x a week/​cardio & light weight lifting) This trail is DIFFICULT (but don’t let it discourage you!). Let me break it down for you.
–My friend and I arrived 7:30 AM on a Saturday morning. Asked around and the «regulars» said we did not need a parking permit.
–I was really intimidated. Every single person we saw in the parking lot was geared up! I hiked it with my nikes (not free runs, a little bit sturdier, forgot which kind), running pants, ankle socks, tank top, sweater, and jacket over everything. The day that we went it was extremely chilly. When we got to the top it was REALLY windy. Definitely would recommend wearing layers, longer socks (my ankles ended up getting sunburned), and hiking shoes if you have them. Something very sturdy and with ankle support. A lot of rocks you have to step through.
–We packed 2 large bottles of water, 3 sandwiches, 1 banana, 2 tangerines. Ran out of food and water during the hike. Pack A LOT of water, and A LOT of food.
–It took us a total of 8 ½ hours to complete the hike. At one point I was about to have a mental break down (lol) I was cold, hungry, and my legs were hurting so badly. But once I got to the top it was SO worth it! The first 3 hours were okay. A lot of rocks to hike through, slight incline. The last hour was really difficult. Steep incline, narrow walkways, icy areas, extremely windy (my face got chapped). Really felt like I was battling it out with nature. The 4 hours down was hard on my knees and ankles. My calves are still burning and sore right now.
–Friend and I got lost twice. There are not a lot of signs and the trails were a bit confusing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! If it wasn’t for the other hikers we would’ve ended up God knows where.
Overall it was a GREAT experience. I just wish I came a bit more prepared. If you stock up on food and water/​wear the right shoes i’m pretty sure you will be fine :) This hike helped me realize my love for hiking. I am planning on investing into hiking gear and start hiking outside of my comfort zone of the basic Griffith… Runyon.Etc.
Sidenote: A hiker asked which trails I’ve been on. When I told him he responded with «Those are considered strolls» Oh Geeze.