Directions to Trailhead: Via the Holy Jim route to the top of Saddleback: From Cooks corner accept Live Oak Canyon Road heading toward O'Neil Regional Park. Keep going until yous overstep Trabuco Creek, later which brand a left as well as caput upward Trabuco Canyon Road (a bumpy dirt road), if yous give-up the ghost on going on Live Oak Canyon Road yous volition come across the dorsum of Rancho Santa Margarita as well as own got gone likewise far. You volition gain the parking lot as well as trailhead inwards unopen to 4.5 miles on the dirt route (You volition cross Trabuco Creek several times), the trailhead parking expanse is but by the volunteer dismiss house. I would recommend a truck amongst proficient clearance equally some parts of the route are a piddling fossil oil as well as I would non utilization this route anytime later heavy rains. H5N1 Forest Adventure Pass is needed to green at the trailhead equally it is located inwards the Cleveland National Forest.
Holy Jim Falls). Make certain to select enough of H2O as well as sunscreen equally this hike tin larn deceptively hot, specially during the summertime months. The trail is good maintained as well as most probable when yous larn yous volition reckon person on the trail. From the split it volition live on almost four miles to the principal separate route where yous brand a left as well as follow the route all the means to the top as well as bask the views. This hike volition live on almost an 8 lx minutes hike for most. It all depends on how long yous bask the views at the top.
Further Thoughts: This hike to the top of Saddleback Mountain was a peachy autumn hike inwards Orange County. There were a fair pose out of people out enjoying the trail as well as heading to the top of Saddleback Mountain. The canyon piece of occupation of the Holy Jim Trail is awesome as well as is a welcomed escape from the urban landscape of Orange County. The canyon is covered inwards dense woodlands (mostly oak trees) as well as fifty-fifty inwards the belatedly autumn at that spot was soundless portions of the flow amongst puddles of water. On the means upward the mountain, several of the springs also had H2O inwards them equally well.
During moisture years, these springs mightiness live on a house to filter H2O from, nonetheless they should live on considered unreliable sources of water. Bear Springs is located at an elevation of almost 3,900 feet as well as volition live on located on the rights side of the trail earlier yous gain the principal separate road. During the autumn months yous volition discovery a large pose out of acorns inwards this area. Bottom-line is it was overnice to reckon all of the greenish works that was soundless at that spot on the mountain. One of the cool things almost this hike is seeing the sections of pino wood that be inwards the Santa Ana Mountains.
The ane neat affair almost this hike is that for the bulk of the hike yous tin reckon your goal, the top of the mountain. The antennas at the top are visible for most of the hike. Once yous striking the principal separate route as well as yous caput upward the dorsum side of saddleback, yous are rewarded amongst peachy views of the Inland Empire. You tin clearly reckon Mt. San Jacinto, Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy), as well as Mt San Gorgonio (Which is the tallest mount inwards Southern California at 11,501 ft).
On the means upward Saddleback Mountain, nosotros saw a lot of trail runners who were participating inwards a xxx mile race inwards the dorsum country. Needless to state these long distance runners were inwards amazing shape. Once at the top nosotros enjoyed a celebratory tiffin taking inwards the views of Southern California. There are multiple proficient locations to sit down at the top as well as bask the views. It was a beautiful 24-hour interval amongst peachy visibility for miles inwards all directions. The solely bad affair almost the hike was the large pose out of bugs at the top (lots of gnats). Make certain to select some type of insect repellent. It took us a full of 8 hours to produce our hike which included stops along the means equally good equally a 45 infinitesimal tiffin at the top of Saddleback Mountain. As ever select your photographic goggle box camera equally the views are breathtaking as well as yous also own got a proficient adventure at seeing wildlife.
Rating: Elevation Gain: 4,000 ft. (Strenuous), Distance: xvi Miles Roundtrip (Strenuous).
Time to Complete Hike: 6.5 - 8.5 hours.
Holy Jim Falls). Make certain to select enough of H2O as well as sunscreen equally this hike tin larn deceptively hot, specially during the summertime months. The trail is good maintained as well as most probable when yous larn yous volition reckon person on the trail. From the split it volition live on almost four miles to the principal separate route where yous brand a left as well as follow the route all the means to the top as well as bask the views. This hike volition live on almost an 8 lx minutes hike for most. It all depends on how long yous bask the views at the top.
During moisture years, these springs mightiness live on a house to filter H2O from, nonetheless they should live on considered unreliable sources of water. Bear Springs is located at an elevation of almost 3,900 feet as well as volition live on located on the rights side of the trail earlier yous gain the principal separate road. During the autumn months yous volition discovery a large pose out of acorns inwards this area. Bottom-line is it was overnice to reckon all of the greenish works that was soundless at that spot on the mountain. One of the cool things almost this hike is seeing the sections of pino wood that be inwards the Santa Ana Mountains.
On the means upward Saddleback Mountain, nosotros saw a lot of trail runners who were participating inwards a xxx mile race inwards the dorsum country. Needless to state these long distance runners were inwards amazing shape. Once at the top nosotros enjoyed a celebratory tiffin taking inwards the views of Southern California. There are multiple proficient locations to sit down at the top as well as bask the views. It was a beautiful 24-hour interval amongst peachy visibility for miles inwards all directions. The solely bad affair almost the hike was the large pose out of bugs at the top (lots of gnats). Make certain to select some type of insect repellent. It took us a full of 8 hours to produce our hike which included stops along the means equally good equally a 45 infinitesimal tiffin at the top of Saddleback Mountain. As ever select your photographic goggle box camera equally the views are breathtaking as well as yous also own got a proficient adventure at seeing wildlife.Rating: Elevation Gain: 4,000 ft. (Strenuous), Distance: xvi Miles Roundtrip (Strenuous).
Time to Complete Hike: 6.5 - 8.5 hours.
MORE TRAIL WRITE-UPS ON SADDLEBACK MOUNTAIN
Oct 20, 2013 (This Post)
View Top of Saddleback Mountain Trail Map (Cleveland National Forest) inwards a larger map