- Ride Details
- Distance: 13.3 miles
- Summit Elevation: 1573′
- Total Ascent: 1396′
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Que Sheet: Download
The west side of Chino Hills State Park (CHSP) is dominated by Telegraph Canyon that runs from the Brea entrance to the center of the park. There are three primary trails that run from west to east, Telegraph Canyon Trail through the center of the canyon, and South Ridge and North Ridge Trails that run along the ridges on either side of the canyon.
North Ridge Trail has been closed for a number of years making South Ridge the most popular climbing route in the park. Most folks park in Carbon County Regional Park which is adjacent to CHSP. It is $3 to park on weekdays and $5 on weekends. Enter the park and head as far east as you can go. You can also park at the Discovery Center in CHSP, but it’s a little more expensive on weekdays and they close their gates fairly early (I’ve returned to a crabby ranger about to lock my car in the lot).
There are some free alternatives for parking as well. We generally park in a residential neighborhood in Brea and ride through Carbon Canyon Regional Park. It adds about four miles to the route that are easy, pretty, and have bathrooms and water. There’s no water in this part of CHSP so make sure you bring enough for the ride. You can also park near the Rimcrest Trailhead which is handy if you live in the Yorba Linda area.
You’ll start the ride through a trail running east through the native garden and drop into the parking lot for the Discovery Center in CHSP. Keep heading east through the parking lot and you’ll enter the Telegraph Canyon Trail.
About a mile and a half into Telegraph Canyon, you turn right onto Diemer Trail. This is a steep half mile climb that will take you South Ridge Trail.
Turn left at the top of Diemer and continue to climb. In another mile or so, you’ll reach a flat area with great views. On a good day, you can see most of Orange County, Catalina Island, and the coast. On a really good day, you can see Long Beach Harbor and beyond.
You’ll drop down Glider Hill (named for flying gliders in the area) after this. At the bottom of that hill is the Rimcrest Trailhead. Watch for hikers and bikes entering the trail.
You’ll start starting climbing again at this point. There are a few breaks in the climbs to catch your breath until you finally reach the Bovinian Delight Trailhead. Turn left and follow the singletrack down for about a mile. This is one of the most fun trails in the park with lots of twists, turns and rocks to keep you on your toes. It’s time to turn on your handling skills. As always, use good judgement.
Bovinian ends at Four Corners where you’ll find a picnic table, some shade, and a porta-potty. It’s a good place for rest and a snack. This is the center or endpoint for a lot of rides in the park so if you hang out long enough, you’ll see someone you know.
The hard part of this ride is over. The six mile ride down Telegraph Canyon Trail from Four Corners is easy and fast. There are a few steep parts, but it’s mostly a gradual descent. Be on the lookout for bikes, hikers and even the occasional horse coming up the canyon. The closer you get to the entrance, the more of them you’ll see.
This route is also fun in the other direction but a bit more challenging technically.