Good Morton!

Hiking to Morton Peak Lookout in the San Bernardino Mountains

Hiking to Morton Peak Lookout in the San Bernardino Mountains

The greatest payoffs often come after the toughest challenges, so it’s no surprise that the panoramic views from Morton Peak Fire Lookout are some of the best in the San Bernardinos. To get there, you’ll need to endure a 5.25-mile (round-trip) grind that climbs 1,400 feet on an out-and-back fire road that offers little sun protection and lots of calf-burning ascents.

Park in the dirt lot at the trailhead just off Highway 38 and stretch those legs before hitting the dirt path, which wastes no time starting the uphill battle. The more you hike, the grander the views get, with Mill Creek below and San Bernardino Peak looming in the east.

You’ll pass under a couple of towering oaks, but you’ll mostly enjoy yucca, laurel sumac, sagebrush, and manzanita among other chaparral favorites. After a mile, you’ll reach a junction—take the gated route to the left and continue your switchbacking routine.

At nearly two miles, the fire lookout comes into view as you ignore a narrow use trail (the Santa Ana River Trail) and curve around the southern side of the mountain. After the final stretch, you reach Morton Peak (4,619 feet) and the lookout, where you will most likely be its sole admirer, unless a volunteer is tending to the structure and doing observation duties.

The peak and tower are named after R. B. Morton, considered to be the first official member of the Redlands settlement in the late 1800s. Appropriately, you get an incredible view of the much-more-populated town, along with neighboring Yucaipa. You can also see the nearby San Gabriel and San Jacinto Ranges, as well as the Palomars to the south. Originally built in 1934, the current tower is a product of a 2001 refurbishment project.

After you’ve admired the vistas, enjoy a snack or lunch at a picnic table under the tower and two towering pine trees before the knee-busting descent to your car. Don’t forget the binoculars!

undefined

NOTE: Take the I-10 to the University St. exit in Redlands. Head north on University St. for a mile before turning right on CA-38. Continue 9 miles. The trailhead and dirt lot will be on your left. Bring plenty of your own water. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View