Bonita Falls Trail -- Lytle Creek

As part of our 2024 healthy quest, we have started to plan ahead for the activities we do each week. My daughter gifted me a subscription for AllTrails+  and an apple watch for my birthday/mother's day. I hate to admit it, but I am struggling with the Alltrails+ site. Way too many of the paths near us are not included as an option. More frustrating, however, is the inability to access the maps while out on the trail.  

Downloading ahead of time is an option, which is not helpful when you are standing in the middle of a creek trying to figure out which direction the trail heads. Especially when the 'trail' and the rest of the area look the same. Just rocks, millions of rocks, from sand and pebbles to difficult to climb over boulders.                                                                                                               

 

Bonita Falls in Lytle Creek: 100 Foot Waterfall Near Rancho Cucamonga

Having planned this hike for a few days, and by plan, I mean pick it out as a 'moderate hike' near us, we discovered we had no signal to either of our phones. Just a twentyish minute drive up into the San Bernardino mountains off the 15 freeway and we were thrust backwards into a non GPS accessible world. Aaaaah! How spoiled we have become always having access to information we need, until we don't. 

The day started gloomy with the mountains completely encased in a blanket of fog. Still, with it being such a short drive, we headed out into the fog to check and see how viable a hike up to Bonita Falls near Lytle (Lite-all not Little) Creek would be. 

The public access, which is currently closed for remodeling, is a 4.1 mile hike. Though it is all an easy hike along the rocky shore of Lytle Creek, meeting up with the path we walked, I chose the shortest route up the mountain. An in and out trail measuring 1.5 miles for the complete hike. The husband's knees and feet are struggling a bit with our new climbing adventures, so short is better for now. 

The sun began to peek through the haze just as we arrived at Bonita Ranch Campground. There is a cost to park at the campground. $10.00 for our weekday parking, $20.00 on weekends. Discovering our lack of GPS, I had husband ask for directions to the falls when he paid for parking. Their answer was just follow any trail on up. We parked a block away, in their designated spot, and walked past the office again. I sent husband back in to get more detailed directions.

We received the same answer, "Just take any trail." Shockingly enough, we thought that meant following the trail would be easy. Past the campers, RVs and tents, we headed out into the floodplain of rocks. So many rocks, with no sign of a trail anywhere. Just rocks upon rocks upon rocks running both directions from where we stood. 

Directly across the open valley, a path rose straight up the mountain. And I mean STRAIGHT UP! 

While standing there discussing whether we thought either of us could actually climb that path, (We decided absolutely not!) we spotted movement near the steep path. Deer? Nope! Mountain goats!  There were three goats just chillin' on the mountainside. A fourth goat appeared just as the the first three were moving out of sight. A stunning start to add a burst of adrenaline to our hike! 

 

A cool day but the hazy fog was dissipating, quickly turning the grey sky a brilliant blue. We spotted a spattering of hikers walking next to the mountain on the opposite side of the gulch where we stood. Still not clear which direction Bonita Falls lay, asking fellow hikers seemed the logical choice. Having just recently been lost in the wilds of the Hollywood Hills, not asking for help seemed a bad idea. 

At 9 in the morning, hikers were already going both directions. The closest couple we choose disappeared moments after we decided to ask for directions. We never did not see them again in the vast flat plateau we were stomping through.

We walked straight ahead, towards our nimble goats chilling on the mountainside. We climb over rocks, through a dry creek bed and make a sharp turn west, (right) at the foot of the mountain. That is the moment we realized a compass would be helpful. Fortunately, our hiking adventures have been live and learn, thus far. I now have a compass added to my growing supply of hiking essentials on my travel belt. It holds water, gorp, my phone, dog watering bowl and more. 

Being reasonably logical, we decide to follow the graffiti painted so brightly on the rock faces. At last a plan is formed. I have read many reviews of hikers bothered by all the tagging. I am not one of them. After all, it is a mere 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles to Bonita Falls.

 It also reminds me of Pompeys Pillar in Yellowstone County, Montana. William Clark from the Lewis and Clark Exposition craved his name into the mountainside. Seeing this carving personally back  in 1969  was one of of my first true connections to real history. This happened on the same trip where, as a family, we listened to the first moon landing  while driving through the Montana wilderness. The past and the future uniting on the same day created such strong and emotional memories that still remain today. 

 

William Clark's inscription of his name and the date on the northeastern face of this huge rock formation is the only surviving physical evidence known to remain along the route of the explorers that was left by them and can be indisputably associated with the expedition. link

How is graffiti any different from carving your name in stone almost 200 years ago? A message stating "I Was Here!"

Finally, a nice younger couple (mid thirties, perhaps) gives us instructions to finding the base to the trail up to Bonita Falls. A steep path, but not nearly as straight up at the goats trail on the mountainside. By parking at the South Fork campground, we cut off over two miles of hiking, leaving the hike through the rock field to just over a half mile. The same distance we cover walking to our local Stater Bros. for Diet Coke and ice cream. 

The climb on this short hike is .28 miles. A very short distance, but 334 feet up is climbed in that quarter mile. One foot up for every three steps taken. Climbing over the creek on foot sized wet rocks. Over boulders, under trees. Both tiring and exhilarating at the same time. Truly a good thing the husband brought a walking stick. I am not sure he would have made it to the top without the stick.

Halfway up this mountain, I realize I once again forgot my inhaler. In the twenty plus hikes was have gone on now, I have brought the inhaler with exactly ONE time. Still, it is a short climb so not really an issue. Husband, however is have difficulty with is knees and ankles. He trudges on gallantly. The couple who gave us instructions, stops every 100ish feet up and waits for us to catch up. Such a very nice thing to do for complete strangers.

 

Up and over, around and under we climb with the gurgling sound of the creek singing softly beside us. With bees buzzing and dragonflies flitting, we go up. No snakes or coyotes or mountain lions, just the occasional squirrel and a multitude of birds.

Husband reaches the waterfall!

There are a half dozen other hikers at the top when we get to the falls, including our friendly tour guides. It is perfect...beautiful! Worth the trip!

A cool day. A nice walk/hike. And an amazing sense of accomplishment. We will be back!

We spend a good half an hour just taking in the beauty. A fine mist of cool water sprinkles on us the entire time. Music is drifting down from. A group of teens laughs and splashes around in the water at the base of the tallest falls. Husband takes a picture for them as they lounge in the pool. Perfection. Did I mention, we WILL be back?!? 

 

The climb down is easier and not. Loose sand makes the downward slope slippery. We climb over boulders and under trees, wave a few friendly bees away. The slip and slide pathway keeps us cautious and careful step after step. The sun shines brightly through the green leaf canopy before it opens up to the wide open field at the bottom. With the fog long gone, and the heat of the day is still a few hours away, the walk back is cool and comfortable. 

We walk down the center of the valley along the creek edge, the water still joyfully plipping and popping through the rocks. Crossing back over the creek on damp, slick rocks in managed one again with out getting wet. My not taking any photos of our creek crossings probably helped keeping my feet dry. 😊

 

The valley is filled with yucca plants in full bloom, crazy tall and beautiful. 

Back through the valley, there is no campground in sight. Perhaps we getting better at this whole hiking lifestyle. You know, learning how to navigate.  When spotting our super steep goat path, we turned left. Walking straight away from the mountain, we walk right across the valley and back into the campground. Maybe we are getting better at this hiking thing?

 Our trip home includes a stop on the side of the road to see a field full of alpacas, a stop a a place called 'Crunchy Chicken' that apparently doesn't sell chicken, and a stop for boba tea at the Dumpling Master in Rancho Cucamonga.

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A grand day and it still is before noon. What should we do next?