Hiking Trails In and Near Oak Glen

Visiting Oak Glen and want to go for a hike? Unfortunately the majority of Oak Glen is on private property – you will see roads and trails up on the sides of the mountains, but most of these are inaccessible to the public. However, there are some great areas to check out for hiking in the area! 

In Oak Glen proper there is only one designated hiking area, this is located at the Oak Glen Preserve. Additionally, there are 2 other designated hiking areas just outside of Oak Glen that are beautiful and full of wildlife as well. Read on to learn about your hiking options in the area!

 #1 The Wildlands Conservancy Oak Glen Preserve

This free nature trail is hands down the most scenic and beautiful area to go for a walk in Oak Glen. Parking is at Los Rios Rancho located at 39611 Oak Glen Road. There is a trail map that can be found here. There are a number of meandering loops that go through forests and by ponds that are short and great to do with kids. If you are looking for a bigger challenge, There is a 2 mile out-and-back trail called “Preservation Point” that is steeper and features an epic view. 

Entrance to the Conservancy:

Here’s some of the scenery you can expect to find beyond the main entrance:

Alternatively, you can walk down through the southern end of the parking lot (where you will find an additional parking lot) to find the entrance to Preservation Point. Some of the scenery is just plain magical! Start off by strolling along the apple orchards (there will be a road to your right):

 

Enter in to the Oak Knoll Park picnic area:

Keep following the trail:

Walk through the park:

Keep following the trail to the trailhead of the stream trail. This will take you to the out-and-back entrance to Preservation Point, or you can skip that and it will loop you back up to the main entrance area.

#2 El Dorado Ranch Park

 Although this park is technically in the city of Yucaipa and not Oak Glen proper, It is just outside the official OG area. You may miss it since it’s on the Yucaipa side of Oak Glen. It is located at 37216 Oak Glen Road. There is plenty of parking, a bathroom and a few different loops of trail that are mostly flat. The main loop is around 2 miles total. It is a popular place for horseback riders & mountain bikers as well as hiking. If you go in the evening, you are more likely to spot wildlife (deer, coyotes, bobcats). 

There are plenty of dog walkers on this trail as well – keep your dogs on a leash.

Entrance to the parking area:

Entrance to the trail is behind the bathroom:

Head toward the signs and the trails go down into a valley:

 

#3 Oak Glen Schoolhouse and Park

This idyllic park is located at 11911 Oak Glen Road. This would be my pick for an outdoor adventure with small children. There is a wonderful park (with a bathroom), picnic table area and a very short nature trail area toward the rear of the park with signage for the different types of foliage along the trail. I would not call this an actual hike, but it’s a fun place to explore with the kiddos. To find the little trail, go back behind the climbing rock and you can’t miss it. 

Additionally, there is a fenced in dog park area as well as a fenced in tennis court area (perfect for pickleball!). The old one-room schoolhouse is a museum that is open on weekends for you to tour what life was like in an original, one-room schoolhouse that was operational in the early 1900’s.

 

 #4 Wildwood Canyon State Park

 If you are looking for some more challenging hikes in the area, check out Wildwood Canyon State Park. Again this is not technically in Oak Glen but just below in Yucaipa. The trails meander through some magnificent oak trees and rolling hills. There are a few different loops in the park that are easy-moderate. I recommend visiting the High Up House and Hunt Ranch. If hiking with kids, you can easily make this a short out-and-back walk OR you can hike up the Water Canyon Trail (to Hunt Ranch) which is about 2.5 miles round trip. 

I’ve seen deer, bobcats & bears while hiking this trail in the evenings. There are also mountain lions in the area, so exercise caution with young kids. The address for the parking lot is 12241 Canyon Dr, Yucaipa CA 92399. 

Entrance to the park:

(note: if you are coming DOWN from Oak Glen, this sign is not facing the road and it’s very easy to miss – take it slowly coming down the hill!)

Park in the dirt lot by this fence and walk up the roadway which will turn into the trail entrance.

Additional Area Hikes

Looking for a bigger challenge in the area? Check out Zanja Peak (trailhead located at 34300 Oak Glen Road), which is 4.2 miles round trip and steep. I don’t recommend this one during the day in the summer as there is no shade, but it’s definitely a good challenge with some nice views of the city.

There is also the Morton Peak Trailhead located at the 1N12 fire road parking lot right off of State Highway 38. This is a 5 mile trek to a fire lookout. FYI do NOT leave your valuables in your car at this trailhead as break-ins have been known to happen. This is also a no-shade hike.

For full day conquests, the trail head to Mt. San Gorgonio at Vivian Creek is in nearby Forest Falls, as well as the trailhead to San Bernardino Peak in Angelus Oaks.

I have personally hiked every one of these trails listed (and know about more in the area), so drop me a comment if you have any questions!