Chino Hills

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Geography

Chino Hills

Page Type: Area

Location: California, United States, North America

Lat/Lon: 33.90390°N / 117.7809°W

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Page By: Cedar

Created/Edited: Jan 17, 2008 / Jan 20, 2008

Object ID: 265716

Hits: 420

Page Score: 86.45% - 3 Votes

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Table of Contents

Overview

IF ANYONE HAS ANY IMAGES OF THE AREA, ADD THEM TO THIS PAGE. ALL OF MINE WERE RUINED DUE TO WHITE BALANCE ISSUES.

Chino Hills is located just north of the Santa Ana River near LA. The hills are run as the Chino Hills State Park which charges a $6 day-use fee. Biking is allowed on all fire trails which run through the park. However, bikes are restricted from hiking trails.

The area is mostly rolling hills and clouds. The highpoint of these hills is about 1,900' meaning a typically warm climate so there's no snow in winter. Note however, the park is closed for 48 hours minimum if it rains 1/4 inches within a 24 hour period so check the forcast (and the weather records).

Getting There

Map of the state park. Please see full size version for details.

Chino Hills is surrounded on all sides by towns and cities which results in easy accessibility. There are 2 primary entrances: Bane Canyon to the east and Carbon Canyon to the west.

Bane Canyon

Bane Canyon sits immediently above the city of Chino Hills. In fact, the entrance is secluded in a reesidential area.

On CA-71, exit at Soquel Canyon Parkway and head west (There is no east). Then, turn left on Elinvar Road and after a few hundred feet, right through the gates into the well marked Chino Hills State Park. The road steadily (actually, more "bumpily") climbs up along the side of Bane Canyon. The road terminates in Rolling M. Ranch which offers a number of trails heading off in different directions.

Carbon Canyon

Carbon Canyon is accessed by Carbon Canyon Road (CA-142) which runs along the bottom of Carbon Canyon. The road runs between Chino Hills at CA-71 and Brea at CA-90.

From Chino Hills, take the Carbon Canyon exit and head west. The road winds through trees down a usually dark canyon into the state park.

From Brea a few miles east of CA-57 on CA-90, take Carbon Cyn. Rd. north into the park. A few trails begin at the entrance station.

Also...

There is actually a third, though inprominent, entrace in Yorba Linda known as the Rimcrest Entrance.

On CA-91, take the Yorba Linda Blvd. exit north (across the river) to Village Creek Dr. Turn right and continue for about 1 mile where the road terminates in Fairmont Blvd. Turn left then right on Rimcrest Dr. The trailhead to the Easy Street Hiking Trail (no bikes) and the South Ridge Trail is here.

Camping

There is but one campground in the park located in the Rolling M. Ranch area. There are (I believe) 25 sites total. A $15/site fee is charged via a self-pay mechanism.

Notable Trails

Below is a list of some notable trails for biking.

North Ridge- The North Ridge Trail runs west-east along the hills' backbone. Upon leaving Carbon Canyon on Telegraph Canyon (see below), take the left fork of the Y to access this trail.

South Ridge- The South Ridge Trail runs from Rolling M. Ranch west through the Rimcrest Entrance and continues off for a few more miles west.

Telegraph Canyon- This begins in the Rolling M. Ranch and bisects the park in two. It runs along the bottom of Telegraph Canyon which boasts a seasonal (dry when I was there).

External Links

Below are a list of sites you may wish to visit before coming to the park:

Ca Parks: Chino Hills- The official site of the park. Check for updates on trail closures and construction projects if any.

Chino Hills Forcast- Always check the forcast before going or else you just might end up at a locked gate!