Hidden Horsethief + Highpoint Brewing

Hike at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

Hiker along a wide trail overlooking the San Gabriels at Horsethief Canyon in San Dimas

{FEBRUARY 2024 NOTE: Stay safe. Wait until storms have passed before hiking any trails, and before heading out check official websites for updates on trail status, closures, hazards, etc. Expect wet, muddy, and slippery trails, and exercise caution and good judgment. We recommend waiting several days and for a decent timeframe of dry weather before heading out post-rains.}

Need a most excellent adventure? Head to San Dimas, the San Gabriel Valley city perhaps best known for housing famous metalhead time travelers Bill and Ted. Here, you won’t find a bogus journey but an epic canyon trail with radical natural highlights and totally awesome terrain via a 2.5-mile loop at Horsethief Canyon Park.

Hiker walking under a tree canopy at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

HIker walking a wide trail at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

Person sitting at a bench at a highpoint overlooking the San Gabriels at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

Leave your car at the lot for tucked-away Horsethief Canyon Park and find the trailhead flanking a gazebo at the north end of the lot. You’ll notice plenty of green space for recreation here, as you pass a horse track and a dog park early on. Just past the fenced-off pup area, head under a surprise grove of willows, palms, and pines. Soon the dirt track loops back and hugs the looming hill. Make a left when you see a steep trail behind a white gate—a gnarly ascent (about 600 feet) to the hill’s apex. At the top, killer views await. The panoramas over the seemingly endless San Gabriel Valley are the epitome of “most excellent.” Enjoy them from a picturesque bench between two towering pines, or from a picnic table under much needed shade from a welcoming willow. 

Hiker walking a ridge line at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

HIker looking at an old chimney remnant at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

Hiker overlooking a big view of the San Gabriel mountains at Horsethief Canyon Park

Look for prominent peaks as well, including the recognizable summit of Mount Baldy, before taking the northernmost trail down the canyon, where both pines and oaks are prevalent. Vistas facing the San Gabriels are also a nice change as you suddenly feel completely secluded. At the next junction, take a right onto the Poison Oak Trail (you won’t actually see many specimens of the much-maligned plant), a narrow singletrack that gently descends along canyon walls. At the clearing, you can check out ruins of an old chimney with an intact stone foundation. Take a right here and follow trail markers through Sycamore Canyon, passing an equestrian center on your way to the trailhead and your car. Excellent!

Hiker pointing out to valley views on a hiking trail at Horsethief Canyon Park in San Dimas

BONUS BREW: Head to a local watering hole for a well-deserved libation. Highpoint Brewing has tap handles that are nature-themed (check out one modeled after National Forest signage) and the beers are all great. We like Bad Kitty, a hefty triple IPA, and the Belgian Beach Party, a refreshing blonde ideal for a hot fall day. Get a flight to sample a variety. 

young person enjoying beer at Highpoint Brewing in San Dimas

Tap handles at Highpoint Brewing in San Dimas

Sign of Highpoint Brewing Company with 4 Sample Beers in glasses in the foreground

To get to the Horsethief Canyon Park lot and San Dimas Canyon trailhead, take the 210 Freeway to the San Dimas Ave. exit and head north. After 0.4 mile, turn right onto Foothill Blvd./Historic Route 66 and after 0.8 mile, turn left onto San Dimas Canyon Rd. Take the next two lefts—Sycamore Canyon Road and Horsethief Canyon Park Road—to get to the lot. Dog-friendly!

Story and photos by Matt Pawlik

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View