Cucamonga Wilderness
Designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act as one of the first wilderness areas in the nation, the Cucamonga Wilderness sits near the town of Mt. Baldy and rises steeply from the urban San Bernardino Valley, climbing from roughly 5,000 feet to 9,000 feet. The area offers a convenient retreat into a beautiful subalpine setting, with about 18 miles of trails. Popular routes include the Three T’s Trail (237W06), Chapman Trail (237W07), Icehouse Canyon Trail (237W07A), Ontario Peak Trail (237W08), and Bighorn Peak Trail (237W08A). Of the 13,007 acres in the Cucamonga Wilderness, 4,202 lie within the Angeles National Forest, while the remaining 8,805 acres are administered by the San Bernardino National Forest.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 13,007 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.24° N, 117.60° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 7 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
11 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 27 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cucamonga Pk- Icehouse Saddle ↗ | 7.7 | |
| Middlefork - Wilderness ↗ | 3.9 | |
| Chapman Trail | 3.5 | |
| Icehouse Canyon Trail | 3.1 | |
| Three T'S | 3.1 | |
| Ontario Peak Trail | 2.6 | |
| Middlefork Non Wilderness ↗ | 1.4 | |
| Stonehouse - Stonehouse Cut-Of ↗ | 0.8 | |
| Bighorn Peak Trail | 0.6 | |
| Timber Mtn Trail | 0.3 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedAnf/Rx Burn
10 mi from the center point
- WildfireGreen
34 mi from the center point · 55 acres
- PrescribedGreater El Cariso Rx
45 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 3.3 miMaloof, Sam and Alfreda, Compound ↗Alta Loma, CA
- 3.7 miEuclid Avenue ↗Upland, CA
- 3.7 mi
- 4.6 miPadua Hills Theatre ↗Claremont, CA
- 6.3 miPacific Electric Etiwanda Depot ↗Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- 6.7 miRains, John, House ↗Cucamonga, CA
- 6.9 miDeWenter Mansion, Guest House and Grounds ↗La Verne, CA
- 7 miCucamonga Service Station ↗Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for California
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Cucamonga Wilderness?
13,007 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Cucamonga Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Cucamonga Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Cucamonga Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Cucamonga Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Cucamonga Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.240° N, 117.599° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Cucamonga Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Anf/Rx Burn at 10 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Cucamonga Wilderness?
The National Register has 40 listings within 15 miles, including Maloof, Sam and Alfreda, Compound and Euclid Avenue.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.