Ontario Peak

Click here for driving directions to Ontario Peak. The parking lot is small and can fill up very quickly on weekends. If the lot is full, you’ll need to find street parking. Don’t forget to purchase your Adventure Pass. You can also use an America The Beautiful pass if you’re an annual pass holder. Permits are required to hike Ontario Peak and are stocked at the base of the trailhead. The permits are used to keep track of hikers in case an accident happens and you go missing. If there are no permits, fill out a blank piece of paper with your name, address, emergency contact information, and make and model of your car.

Novice Hikers: If you’re new to hiking, really consider if this hike is for you. This is a strenuous hike with unstable terrain. Hot summer days and any snow or ice on the trial during winter should exclude you from this hike. Those with physical limitations should not do this hike. I’d recommend hiking poles.

Advanced Hikers: This hike will be a challenge for advanced hikers. If setting out when there is ice or snow on the trail, make sure to have adequate equipment. To break this trail up into a shorter section, camping is an option.  

Expert Hikers: Those who have a lot of experience hiking in steep unstable terrain should have no difficulty. While it is a tough hike, weather conditions can make it harder. If you have proper equipment, you’ll have no problem. For those wanting more of an overnight experience, there are camping options which connect to longer trails in the San Gabriel’s. 

It’s always a good idea to be aware of what type of hiking level you’re at.

Fall and spring are the best times of year to hike this trail. Both seasons will offer cold peaks and warmer temperatures in the lower elevations. Fall colors do come to the trees that are lined along Icehouse Canyon Creek. There is a chance for ice and snow in the higher elevations as fall comes to an end, throughout the winter, and into spring. As spring comes around, there’s a wonderful show of wildflowers that start in the slower elevations.

In my opinion, summer is probably the worst time of year to hike this trail. Temperatures can be hot and just downright dangerous. That being said, in the beginning and end of summer there can be some cooler days to be found. Some species of plants bloom late into the summer at the peak. 

It’s always a good idea to check the weather before heading out on a hike.

The trail leading up to Onatario Peak is in very good condition and well market. There are two distinct sections to this trail. The first of these sections is what I think is the most difficult portion of the trail. The trail begins just outside of Baldy Village in Icehouse Canyon. At the trailhead there is a Wilderness Permit box with permits. These are required in order to hike the trail. Fill them out, keep a copy for yourself and put the other copy in the permit box. 

Icehouse Canyon to Icehouse Canyon Saddle

The trail begins leading up through Icehouse Canyon and parallels the adjacent creek. Almost immediately the trail begins winding up a series of switchbacks that lead up through the area. As the trail leads up the creek it passes by a series of old use cabins. Enjoy the views and the sound of the creek while you can.  As the elevation gains the creek fades and will soon be forgotten and replaced by the fact that you’re still going up switchbacks. 

The switchbacks lead up out of the canyon to a Icehouse Saddle Junction. The junction services other peaks that are in the range. Many people use this area as a pit stop before heading to their destined peaks. Some even use it to set up camp. However,the junction is usually the windiest part of the trail drawing in coastal air through Icehouse Canyon that splits between two different peaks. The Ontario Peak trail junction is directly to the right of Kelly Camp.

Ontario Peak and Kelly Camp

After leaving the Icehouse Saddle, the switchbacks are few and the trail becomes quite pleasant. The trail winds along the ridge above Icehouse Canyon and leads to an old wilderness hotel known as Kelly Camp. All that’s left are the aged and weathered stone foundations. This area is well sheltered and is a great spot for camping if an overnight trip is on the agenda. 

After Kelly Camp the mixed conifer forest gives way into an old burn area littered with dead trees. From here on out the trail follows a ridge that divides both the San Benardino National Forest and the Angeles National Forest. One the south side of the ridge will be the cities of Riverside, San Benardno, and Los Angeles County. In the far distance San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Peak Can be seen. To the other side of the ridge will be Mount Baldy, Mount Baden-Powell, and the rest of the San Gabriel Mountain Range that sprawls to the coast.

Eventually the ridge terminates at the famous Ontario Peak tree – an old dead pine which now serves the purpose of a photo op. There are also a couple of wooden signs that other hikers have put up there for people to take their summit picture with. After enjoying the panoramic views of Southern California, you can head back down the ridge. Some people also include Bighorn Peak with this hike which will add an additional two miles. 

As a reminder, rattlesnakes can commonly be seen along portions of this trail. Poison oak is unlikely but may be possible if one would wander along the creek where there’s persistent water and shade.