Cucamonga Peak offers amazing views over Southern California’s Inland Empire, east toward Apple Valley and beyond. The first part of the trail travels up forested Icehouse Canyon, criss-crossing a babbling creek and weaving among old cabins (and the ruins of others destroyed by past rock slides, floods or fires).
Did you know?
Icehouse Canyon once supplied blocks of ice to a burgeoning Los Angeles back in the days before refrigeration was commonplace. Blocks of ice and snow lingered into late spring. Industrious ice-preneurs carved them up and carted them down the mountain.
Cucamonga Peak Basics
- Summit elevation: 8,859′ (2,701 m)
- Vertical gain: 4,300′
- Hiking mileage: 11.6 miles
- Location: Cucamonga Wilderness within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
Hiking Cucamonga Peak
You'll need an Adventure Pass to park at the trailhead, and a free wilderness pass (self-issued at a box near the trailhead). Parking at this popular trailhead fills up early on weekends, so plan to carpool and get there early (or be prepared to walk quite a distance to get to the trailhead).
Trail Guides
Here are detailed trail guides to give you the information you need about each route:
- Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon – the original Six-Pack of Peaks route
- Middle Fork Lytle Creek – via California Wilderness Coalition. This trailhead leads up the canyon to Icehouse Saddle, where you can follow the directions for the original route from the saddle to the summit.
Travel Time
Times to Icehouse Canyon trailhead:
- Drive time from Los Angeles: 1 hour, 10 minutes (47 miles)
- Drive time from Irvine: 1 hour, 10 minutes (60 miles)
- Drive time from Riverside: 50 minutes (45 miles)
- Drive time from San Diego: 2 hours, 10 minutes (129 miles)
Local Tips
- The parking lot at Icehouse Canyon fills up early. Carpool and plan accordingly.
- An Adventure Pass is required to park at the trailhead
- The traverse on the north face can hold snow into June
- There is no water available beyond Icehouse Canyon
Latest Cucamonga Peak Trip Reports
These hike logs will give you a feel for what the current conditions are, and the experience from other Six-Pack of Peaks challengers.
View all Cucamonga Peak trip reports.
The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
This hike is part of the SoCal California Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, a series of challenging hikes up six, diverse and scenic Bay Area mountains. Sign-up to take the challenge today!
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