Hunter's Ridge
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:27 pm
Hunter's Ridge divides the San Sevaine and Coyote watersheds at the east end of the San Gabriel Mountains. It begins in the city of Fontana and ends at an elevation of 4100' in the San Bernardino National Forest, where it encounters the massive Lytle Creek watershed.
I'm calling this Hunter's Ridge because the trail starts in the Hunter's Ridge planned development in Fontana. More precisely it begins on Foxborough Drive. Look for an unmarked opening in the sidewalk fence, located 600 feet before the Panorama gated community.
The opening provides access to service roads for the electrical towers.
Follow the road to the upper tower on the left, a mere quarter-mile from the street. A bit beyond the tower is a small parking area.
You can actually drive to this spot via a dirt access driveway off Duncan Canyon Road and save yourself a half-mile of walking if you do an out-and-back. But this report is for a loop.
The trail continues steeply up the ridge and quickly offers broad views of the surrounding city.
It then eases up for a stretch and provides a more gentle ridgetop experience with a decent trail.
To the right notice Coyote Canyon (also named after a Fontana community).
After a little more climbing you come to a white cross, about 1.25 miles from the street parking.
This cross marks the boundary between Fontana and the National Forest. It is a neat place to take in the views and chill. And it should probably be your turnaround spot unless you are into horrible bushwhacking. For the remaining miles will take you through thick overgrowth with ticks and a little poison oak.
Basically, continue up the ridge. Use your route-finding skills to follow a heavily overgrown path which sometimes switchbacks up the steep slope and climbs over rock outcroppings. When you get to the bump above the Bullock Spur Road, you will be swimming in head-high brush with electrical poles visible to the right.
Go right, push through the brush, and stay ridgetop until you reach the first pole, then carefully drop down to the road.
Bullock Spur (1N36) was named for John Bullock, owner of the famous Bullock's department store. He built his ranch in Fontana and hunted in these mountains a hundred years ago. And like his department store, the Bullock Spur road doesn't really exist anymore. Oh, the basic structure is still there, but something else occupies it. And it's definitely not a Macy's. It's more like a tangle of various kinds of plant life.
Don't expect the "road" to get better, because it doesn't. You will be pushing through light to heavy junk nonstop. I suggest talking to the flowers. It helps to keep your mind in the right place.
Also, there are ticks in several areas. And watch out for snakes, though I only heard them rattling lower down the ridge before the cross.
The abandoned road first heads along the side of Hunter's Ridge. Then it begins weaving up a minor branch of the San Sevaine watershed.
Eventually you round a bend and reacquire Hunter's Ridge near the top.
Take pleasure in the views, because you sure as hell earned them.
In the distance is Cajon Mountain.
And down below is Lytle Creek wash.
There is no peaklet here. Just one brushy ridge T-boning another. But you can at least envy the brush-free San Sevaine Road snaking against the slopes down below. Bullock Spur continues up to meet it somewhere. But the Spur still looks horrible after this point. And by now I was done with bushwhacking. I turned around, satisfied with having made it to the top of Hunter's Ridge--and to some sort of impressive view.
For the return, I suggest following the Bullock Spur road all the way down to its beginning at the top of Foxborough Drive. Then walk through the private community of Panorama, back to the Hunter's Ridge trailhead. The community entrance is locked. Therefore you will have to wait for a car to open the automatic gate so that you can exit.
I'm calling this Hunter's Ridge because the trail starts in the Hunter's Ridge planned development in Fontana. More precisely it begins on Foxborough Drive. Look for an unmarked opening in the sidewalk fence, located 600 feet before the Panorama gated community.
The opening provides access to service roads for the electrical towers.
Follow the road to the upper tower on the left, a mere quarter-mile from the street. A bit beyond the tower is a small parking area.
You can actually drive to this spot via a dirt access driveway off Duncan Canyon Road and save yourself a half-mile of walking if you do an out-and-back. But this report is for a loop.
The trail continues steeply up the ridge and quickly offers broad views of the surrounding city.
It then eases up for a stretch and provides a more gentle ridgetop experience with a decent trail.
To the right notice Coyote Canyon (also named after a Fontana community).
After a little more climbing you come to a white cross, about 1.25 miles from the street parking.
This cross marks the boundary between Fontana and the National Forest. It is a neat place to take in the views and chill. And it should probably be your turnaround spot unless you are into horrible bushwhacking. For the remaining miles will take you through thick overgrowth with ticks and a little poison oak.
Basically, continue up the ridge. Use your route-finding skills to follow a heavily overgrown path which sometimes switchbacks up the steep slope and climbs over rock outcroppings. When you get to the bump above the Bullock Spur Road, you will be swimming in head-high brush with electrical poles visible to the right.
Go right, push through the brush, and stay ridgetop until you reach the first pole, then carefully drop down to the road.
Bullock Spur (1N36) was named for John Bullock, owner of the famous Bullock's department store. He built his ranch in Fontana and hunted in these mountains a hundred years ago. And like his department store, the Bullock Spur road doesn't really exist anymore. Oh, the basic structure is still there, but something else occupies it. And it's definitely not a Macy's. It's more like a tangle of various kinds of plant life.
Don't expect the "road" to get better, because it doesn't. You will be pushing through light to heavy junk nonstop. I suggest talking to the flowers. It helps to keep your mind in the right place.
Also, there are ticks in several areas. And watch out for snakes, though I only heard them rattling lower down the ridge before the cross.
The abandoned road first heads along the side of Hunter's Ridge. Then it begins weaving up a minor branch of the San Sevaine watershed.
Eventually you round a bend and reacquire Hunter's Ridge near the top.
Take pleasure in the views, because you sure as hell earned them.
In the distance is Cajon Mountain.
And down below is Lytle Creek wash.
There is no peaklet here. Just one brushy ridge T-boning another. But you can at least envy the brush-free San Sevaine Road snaking against the slopes down below. Bullock Spur continues up to meet it somewhere. But the Spur still looks horrible after this point. And by now I was done with bushwhacking. I turned around, satisfied with having made it to the top of Hunter's Ridge--and to some sort of impressive view.
For the return, I suggest following the Bullock Spur road all the way down to its beginning at the top of Foxborough Drive. Then walk through the private community of Panorama, back to the Hunter's Ridge trailhead. The community entrance is locked. Therefore you will have to wait for a car to open the automatic gate so that you can exit.
