While in the San Bernardino National Forest, I wanted to check out a new trail. I stumbled upon Little Green Valley Trail when everything else seemed to be closed for a mountain bike race. It was fine, and I didn’t want to do anything “too intense.”
Spoiler: The 500+ feet of climbing in 2.4 miles on the Little Green Valley Trail is actually fairly intense.
About San Bernadino National Forest:
The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States National Forest located in Southern California. It is made of 823,816 acres. The majority of the area is federal land (almost 700k acres).
It’s made up of two main divisions
- Eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains
- Northern Portion of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains
It ranges in elevation from about 2000 feet to nearly 11,500. The area I was in was about 6500.
The San Bernardino National Forest includes seven wilderness areas:
- San Gorgonio
- Cucamonga
- San Jacinto
- South Fork
- Santa Rosa
- Cahuilla Mountain
- Bighorn Mountain
You can learn more about the San Bernardino National Forest here.
About the Little Green Valley Trail:
The trail begins on the north side of Highway 18 between the two entrances to Snow Valley Ski area. It’s hard to see unless you’re looking for it. It climbs steeply north until you reach a meadow at the Forest Service Road 2N19. From there, you have a great view of both Snow Valley and Slide Peak.
The trail itself is mainly used by hikers, mountain bikers, and nordic skiers.
My Experience at the Little Green Valley Trail:
I was looking for something “fairly easy” that I could run, but it would provide some challenge. The first mile is the more challenging of the two, and the rest is mostly flat or fire road downhill. Despite being crowded for the mountain bike race, the trail itself was quiet, and I only saw one other person. If you’re ever in the area and want something easy, it’s a great option. For the most part, the Little Green Valley Trail is fairly easy. It does gain elevation, but it’s not too technical or rocky.
I would love to see the Little Green Valley Trail in the winter and covered with snow. I wonder if it would be good for snowshoeing.
You can see more trail runs and hikes here.
Questions for you:
Have you been on the Little Green Valley Trail?
What is an intense hike for you?