LET’S GO HIKING — Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout

By TIM WILCOX
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer

 

Where: Twin Peaks/Rimforest
Length: 3.1 miles (round trip)
Elevation gain: 385 feet
Challenge: easy to moderate+

 

An essential and historic structure is situated between Twin Peaks and Rimforest: the Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout. This 30-foot steel tower celebrated its 90^th birthday in late October 2023. Staffed by volunteers, it’s been a vigilant presence during fire season almost without interruption since 1933.

Sadly, the sibling tower on Keller Peak fell victim to last September’s devastating Line Fire. FYI, the six remaining lookouts are managed by the Southern California Mountains Foundation, which is pursuing plans to rebuild the Keller Peak facility.

OK, let’s take a hike from Twin Peaks up to what’s now the only fire lookout in the western San Bernardino Mountains. Parking is an issue in that community’s “downtown” area. As far we can tell, at least, there are no public lots. So. motor along Highway 189 to Grandview Road. Turn there and drive past the prominent sheriff’s station to Rotary Centennial Park. Ahhh. . . Public parking at last!

 

On the road

Leaving your vehicle behind, walk back along Grandview to the highway, watching and listening for oncoming traffic. Turn left and proceed past Rim of the World Masonic Temple and Twin Peaks Community Church on the left, then a small market and Antlers Inn on the right. At the half-mile mark, when you come to Bear Springs Road (to your right again), cross the highway. Now wind your way uphill, maintaining high traffic awareness. This is the steepest part of the hike and, candidly, there isn’t much to see except for rustic cabins on both sides. Push yourself a little to amplify the aerobic benefits.

Three-quarters of a mile into your jaunt, you’ll leave the cabins behind and enter undeveloped forest. Apart from an occasional passing vehicle, it’s noticeably quieter here. Then, at the 0.9-mile mark, where Bear Springs curves sharply to the left, you’ll see an oak ahead with pavement on either side and a small fire-lookout sign on its trunk.

Head past the tree and up this much-more-narrow road. Along the way you’ll notice pathways on either side that branch off from the pavement. These aren’t formal trails. Still, if you have extra time and are simply curious, you can take an exploratory detour or two.

Continuing your upward trek, you’ll come to a clearing at the 1.3-mile mark, where the road takes a sharp turn to the right. On clear days this wide-open space presents an inspiring vista of more than 240 degrees. In the distance to the left are San Bernardino Peak, Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto. Panning right as you look down into the valley, you’ll see Saddleback Mountain in Orange County. Then, casting your eyes even farther southwest, the channel beyond Long Beach appears and, possibly, the silhouette of Catalina Island – on an exceptionally clear day.

Now walk past a heavy swing-out gate and up the road. When you see a light-green water tank on the right, you’re almost there. Just beyond the tank is yet another vantage point, this one taking in Lake Gregory and, farther west, the San Gabriel Mountains. Down the slope to your left is a large, olive-green, bunker-like building that houses telephone equipment. From Highway 18 below, it looks like an intimidating mountain fortress.

Anyway, on to the fire lookout, which is now mere steps away. It’s surrounded by microwave towers that might be viewed as a protective presence but also are high-tech intruders on the historic lookout’s neighborhood. In particular, the relatively new structure next to the lookout is a 168-foot monster that looms over the entire compound.

Ignore that monster and climb up the lookout’s steps to be greeted by friendly, knowledgeable volunteers and treated to some breathtaking views. Please note that the tower is open from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day during fire season, which extends for months until the first significant snowfall.

All right, you’ve been greeted and treated. Now retrace your outbound route, gliding gracefully downhill all the way back to Rotary Centennial Park.

NOTES: You can drive to the Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout and park right next to it. But with hiking fun and health benefits in mind, why not trek up to the site from Twin Peaks? Depending on how much time you spend in the tower itself, the round trip should require between one and two hours. For detailed information about the fire lookouts and more, visit www.mountainsfoundation.org.