Cucamonga Peak is hands down one of my favorite hikes in the Inland Empire thus far. Granted, I’ve only completed a couple of the big known hikes for the past year, so I don’t have a ton of hikes under my belt just yet. But one thing is for certain, you can’t beat the views once you’ve ascended Cucamonga Peak. Every time I go up there, I’m always taken back on everything that I’m seeing. Cities like Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, Riverside, Jurupa Valley, and even the sky-scrappers in downtown Los Angeles are all in your view. So this peak is definitely one that I recommend for all to try.

This peak finishes at a total distance of 12 miles. Which is broken down to 6 miles up the peak and then another 6 miles back down. So don’t let the 12 mile number discourage you from even trying this hike. It may seem daunting, but I promise you it’s not the worst thing in the world. Take into account that when I first did this peak last year, this was the very first hike I’ve ever done. Apart from hiking the Bridge to Nowhere, which isn’t even close to the elevation gain as this one, I too was able to complete this on my very first try. So If I was able to do this, I know you can too.

So let’s go straight to my thoughts on the hike. I loved it! Short and simple. If you’re looking to get away from those dirt trails near your backyard or just want a change of scenery, then I believe the Cucamonga Peak hike is for you. It has just about everything on what you would want to look for into a hike. It’s a hike that is surrounded inside the San Bernardino National Forest, which means lots of outdoor scenery, the wilderness, the trees, leaves, mountains, etc. It has it all.

There’s a bunch of stuff to see. You’ll come across cabin homes reminding you of the great outdoors located in our area. You’ll also come across a couple of chimney structures, or at-least what’s left of it, which signifies the past and what is left. (More pictures on those chimney structures below!). As you continue hiking the trail, there will be tons of opportunities to see the mountains across the Cucamonga Wilderness. Below is a quick video of the vast landscape.

The trail is a bit rocky once you reach mile #5. This is where I highly recommend wearing hiking boots. They will protect your feet and help avoid any major injuries. This hike can creep up on you physically. At least for those who are just starting out. And what I mean by that is the physical toll it can take on your body if you haven’t hiked all that much, if not at all. Especially on your legs/feet. When I first hiked up Cucamonga Peak back in 2019, I made the mistake of hiking up the peak with Nike running shoes. I regret looking back at it now. My feet were pretty sore for the next couple days and I remember limping all day at work. It sucked! It took a couple of days for the inflammation to go down but I couldn’t put much weight on my feet at the time.

This is why I highly recommend wearing hiking boots, opposed to wearing tennis or running shoes. The trail on Cucamonga Peak will become very rocky at certain points of the hike. So wearing shoes that will protect your feet during a 6 mile hike will come in handy. If Cucamonga Peak is the very first hike your diving into, that’s fine, but understand that you should come prepared. Making sure you bring the necessary gear and supplies that will help make this hike worth it. I will list everything that I used below.

I do believe that even beginners can push through to the top. And while I’m ranking this hike as a difficult one, If you’re someone who keeps yourself in shape then I believe you will be fine. However, if you’re someone who isn’t physically active, then I definitely recommend some smaller hikes before diving into this one.