Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon Trail and Chapman Trail - September 26, 2026

Cucamonga Peak is an 8,859-foot summit located in the San Gabriel Mountains within the Angeles National Forest / Cucamonga Wilderness of Southern California. The trailhead begins at Icehouse Canyon, just past Mount Baldy Village, roughly an hour’s drive northeast of Los Angeles. 🗺️ Map out this exact route on AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/ca... If you enjoyed this trail guide, don't forget to 👍 LIKE the video and 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more hiking adventures across California and beyond! _________________________________ 🥾 THE HIKE DETAILED IN THIS VIDEO: Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon Trail, returning by way of the Chapman Trail loop. Filmed September 26, 2026. Stats from the day: 📍 Distance: About 14 miles (taking Chapman Trail adds extra mileage) 📍 Elevation Gain: ~4,500 feet 📍 Time on Trail: 8.5 hours 📍 Timeline: Started around noon, reached Cucamonga Peak around 3:00 PM, caught sunset on the way back, and finished the last few miles in the dark. Icehouse Canyon is one of those trails that just keeps climbing. The switchbacks start to wear on you, but Icehouse Saddle shows up at a pretty good time for a break. From the saddle, there are several options for continuing deeper into the San Gabriel Mountains; this time we headed for Cucamonga Peak after doing Ontario Peak on the previous trip. The upper section toward Cucamonga has some mild exposure as the trail wraps around the mountain, plenty of loose rock and scree, an old mine opening, and some great views along the way. It’s not a technical hike, but the distance and climbing definitely take some conditioning. Trail footage from the full route, including Icehouse Canyon Trail, Icehouse Saddle, Cucamonga Peak Trail, Cucamonga Peak, and the Chapman Trail return. _________________________________ ℹ️ LOGISTICS & PERMITS: 🚗 Parking: Requires a National Forest Adventure Pass ($5/day) or America the Beautiful Pass at the Icehouse Canyon lot. Lot fills up incredibly early on weekends! 📝 Wilderness Permit: Free, self-issued permit required at the trailhead kiosk before entering the wilderness area. 💧 Water: Columbine Spring (approx. 2.5 miles in) is typically the last source to filter water before the summit push. _________________________________ 🎥 GEAR I USE & RECOMMEND: • Hiking Shoes: Topo • Backpack: Teton 15L • Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max w/ DJI Osmo Gimbal _________________________________ #CucamongaPeak #AngelesNationalForest #CaliforniaHiking #HikingVlog #SanGabrielMountains