Home Sweet Mountain Home

Solitude Hike on Mountain Home Flats Trail

Score solitude on a little-used trail in two scenic canyons on the lower flanks of the San Bernardino Mountains south of Angelus Oaks. The 3-mile (round-trip) hike on Mountain Home Flats Trail has a remote vibe, with invigorating bouts of navigational acumen and challenging terrain. Up for it? Start with a nice stroll through a grove of canyon oaks, and a handful of short, steep climbs. A few colossal cedars and their smaller offspring decorate the slope, along with pine and spruce trees. Scramble over some fallen trees and past a section of loose tread before dropping to the creekbed. Cross to the north side, following the boulder-strewn creek to a split at a wedge-shaped ridge. Look for a rock cairn and follow the south fork uphill, hopscotching enormous Coulter pine cones, the largest of any pine. Another cairn marks the way to an oak grove, and just past the grove the trail turns hard right, up a series of steep switchbacks to a monster-size pine at the top of the ridge above Mountain Home Creek. The spongy ground is a great place for a refueling break. The view of this deep canyon is excellent from here, but there is the option to follow the trail east, where it clings to the base of a high cliff wall. (Be very careful here, as the trail is washing out and loose; if in doubt, don't bother, especially if weather is a concern or there's been rain.) Halfway along the cliff you are treated to a beauteous vista of the entire canyon and, on a clear day, way down to the distant valleys. Soak up the solitude and head back over the ridge to return the way you came.

From Redlands, follow CA-38 for 12 miles to the giant hairpin curve at the turnoff to Forest Falls. Continue 3.4 miles to the bridge crossing Glen Martin Creek. Look for mile marker 38 SBD 18.44. There is a small gravel turnout at the south end of the bridge with room for just one car. A larger turnout is 0.25 mile north. (From the northern turnout, walk safely along the highway to the south side of the bridge.) The trail starts here and heads east into the canyon. Glen Martin Creek is dry much of the year, so bring water. Bugs like it here; bring repellant. Dog friendly!

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