Day & Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California. David Money Harris
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19 Wrightwood to Baldy
BEST HIKES WITH CREEKS
13 Whitewater River to Mission Creek
30 Kennedy Meadows to Kern River Bridge
BEST MEDIUM HIKES
13 Whitewater River to Mission Creek
BEST LONG HIKES
11 San Jacinto Loop from Idyllwild
16 Big Bear to the Mojave Desert
UNIQUE HIKES
1 Mexican Border to Lake Morena
13 Whitewater River to Mission Creek
BEST HIKES FOR CHILDREN
30 Kennedy Meadows to Kern River Bridge
Introduction
How to Use This Guidebook
THE OVERVIEW MAP on the inside front cover will help you find the general location of each hike. The summary of all of the hikes on the facing page will help you compare trips and choose one.
Each trip begins with a short summary, including scenery, difficulty, solitude, and suitability for children (on a five-point scale, with five indicating the most scenic, difficult, solitary, and child-friendly hikes); distance; elevation gain; hiking time; the best season to go; recommended maps; and the trip’s outstanding features. Hiking time accounts only for the time spent actually walking; most hikers will want to add time for lunch and breaks.
TRAIL MAPS
Each trip description contains a map showing the trailhead, route, and notable features in the area. A map legend detailing the symbols on the maps appears on the inside back cover.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates for the trailheads and key landmarks are shown on the maps. Although the PCT is generally marked well enough that a GPS receiver is overkill in normal situations, satellite navigation may help you drive to the trailhead or find your way back in a whiteout.
ELEVATION PROFILES
Each trip also contains a detailed elevation profile to help you visualize how the trail rises and falls.
COMMERCIAL TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
For all but the easiest hikes, it is prudent to know more about the surroundings than a map on one page of this book can show. Hikers have a variety of options to purchase commercial topographic maps with different coverage, detail, and pricing.
South Sierra Wilderness boundary (Hike 31)
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has produced a colorful PCT map set. Volume 1 covers the Mexican border to Big Bear Lake (Parts 1 and 2 of this book). Volume 2 covers Big Bear to Tehachapi (Parts 3 and 4). Volume 3 covers the Sierra Nevada (Part 5). These maps can be found at outdoor equipment stores or at www.pcta.org.
For those expecting to make multiple visits to a region exploring trails beyond the PCT, Tom Harrison’s series of topographic maps are more versatile and convenient. These sturdy, color waterproof maps accurately portray all of the trails in the regions. Most of the trips in this guide are covered by Tom Harrison Maps; where applicable, the name of the map is noted on the trip description. These maps are also available at outdoor equipment stores and at http://tomharrisonmaps.com.
Hikers in the San Jacinto region are fortunate to have the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument map. This well-designed map covers both desert and mountains and will give you ideas for dozens of great hikes across the monument year-round. The map is sold at ranger stations and hiking stores in the vicinity of the monument.
Erik the Black’s Pacific Crest Trail Atlas is a handy five-volume book containing maps, distances, and data regarding water and camping. Volume 1 covers the region between the Mexican border and Tehachapi Pass (Parts 1–4 of this book), while Volume 2 covers the Sierra Nevada.
Veteran hikers are accustomed to referring to U.S. Geological Survey maps. Unfortunately, the PCT is new enough in many areas that the USGS maps often do not show the trail. Moreover, the other maps recommended in this section are more cost-effective and convenient to use.
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