ERIC'S REVEIW: Would I recommend this hike. 100% YES! Amazing hike. You can hike this trail in one day, but personally I wouldn't suggest that. Being that it is 22.5 miles round trip, 4688 ft. of altitude gain, and that it is the tallest mountain in Southern California at 11,498 ft. you might want to consider an overnight. Another reason to not rush it is that this area is BEAUTIFUL! Take a little time to soak it all in. We hiked to Dry Lake, camped there, then summited the next day. We left our backpacking gear at Dry Lake and only took a day pack with water and lunch to the summit. Wow! What a difference that made. We took the Sky High Trail from Dry Lake to the summit. Very nice trail. Great views. This is not the shortest route to the Summit, but it has beautiful views that you can only see from that trail. By the time we hiked to the summit, had lunch, hung out at the summit, and hiked back to Dry Lake we wouldn't have made it back to our car before dark. We camped at Dry Lake a second night. This to me was the perfect way to approach this hike. That is to plan 3 days with 2 nights on the trail. Just the right amount of challenge, not rushed, time to enjoy all that this trail has to offer. ERIC'S TIPS 1) There is ample parking and a restroom at the trail head. 2) Hike up South Fork Trail to a beautiful spot where the river crosses the trail. There is plenty of shade. It is a beautiful spot for a lunch break. You will know you are there when you see a sign that says “Do Not Camp Here”. 3) When you reach Dry Lake you can go left or right around the lake. Go left. You will reach the first camp group in a short distance. I recommend going to the second campsite. It's called Lodge Pole Camp. When we were there in August there was a steady flow of water in the stream for filtering water. Go on the San Gorgonio Wilderness website to see which streams are flowing.