Today’s adventure was going to be a collection of HPS peaks near Silverwood Lake. I set off pre-dawn toward the 138 near the Cajon Pass. I had never gone east on this highway; my usual route is west toward the Baden-Powell trailhead. I soon turned off the highway and onto the forest road that would snake around the mountains and 4 of the HPS peaks. Initially, I was behind two trucks making their way up the dirt road ahead of me. One was pulling a trailer, so it was slow going, but before too long, they turned onto a private road, and I continued on the forest road. The first peak of the day was Cajon Mountain. I parked at the junction with the closed gate, grabbed my gear, and set off. Most of this hike would be on the closed road, with just a touch of off-trail fun at the actual summit. I had views of Mt. Baldy and Cucamonga from time to time. Their snow-capped summits shone in the morning sun. At the junction with the use trail to the summit, I opted to go to Cajon Lookout first, just a very short distance further. Here I had more views of the pass, and from time to time, the distant sound of a train whistle. Since I had a long day ahead of me, I returned to the junction and began working my way to the summit. There was both a register and a benchmark here. After signing in, I snapped a few photos and retraced my route. One peak down, four to go.
Cajon Mountain & Lookout
Sugarpine Mountain
Back at the car, I set off to my next summit, Sugerpine Mountain. I knew this was going to be a simple walk-up. I parked off the road, gathered my gear, and hiked up to this summit. Here, I only found the register tucked next to some rocks. While this was another road walk, the road was something beyond what my Outback could handle. Back at the car, it was time to drive to Bailey Peak, a short distance away.
Bailey Peak & Benchmark
The road became a bit rougher, but the Outback still had no problem. I again parked off to the side at a junction and set off for Bailey Benchmark first. There were two communications facilities, and the benchmark was atop a rock between them. A large wall structure was also there, of which I have no clue about its purpose. On the way back, I took a use trail to the summit of Bailey Peak. Sadly, I did not locate anything on the actual summit. Returning to the car, it was off to the last peak along this road, Monument Peak.
Monument Peak
This road did have one tricky section that I had to deal with, a sizable rut to straddle. I conquered it with relative ease. I walked up the road and found an actual monument erected here. It said,
THE MOHAVE INDIAN TRAIL: TRAVELED BY FR. FRANCISCO GARCES
MARCH, 1776 AND JEDEDIAH S. SMITH NOVEMBER, 1826.
I snapped a few photos and had a choice to make: which route back to the 138? I could completely retrace my route, or gamble by taking another forest road that would drop me into the community of Cedarpines Park. I figured I’d keep exploring. The road down was fine and dropped me at the western edge of the community. I weaved my way past all the cabins and eventually back onto the 138.
Cleghorn Mountain
I drove back north, parked at the Lake Vista parking area, and had my lunch. Properly fueled, I headed for my last peak of the day, Cleghorn Mountain. The road I was going to take is part of the Silverwood OHV area, so I expected to encounter some traffic. Not 5 minutes in, a group of off-roaders was parked. A Cybertruck had tried the technical shortcut and gotten stuck. I just missed the recovery. This route has a mainline road, which is not an issue; in fact, it was recently graded. But scattered along the way are side routes that are much more technical. I met a few others enjoying the road as I made my way toward Cleghorn Peak. I found a parking spot near the summit and parked. It looks like you used to be able to drive almost to the summit, but this road is fenced off, and debris is scattered across the former road. I walked up to the top and enjoyed one last summit vista.
I drove further westward until I reached a junction; one road continued west toward the 15, just before the 138. The other option went northward to the Summit OHV Staging Area, then on to the 138. I opted for the latter; in part, I wanted a cold Coke from McDonald’s. The drive was uneventful, and the staging area did have pit toilets (which I did not need, but good to know). Once at McDonald’s, the drive-thru line was pretty long, so I opted to grab a soda from the gas station next door. A small fire erupted just off the 215 but was quickly contained. The final stats for all these hikes were:
| Peak | Distance | Time | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cajon Mountain | 3.25 miles | 1:16 | 575 feet |
| Sugarpine Mountain | 0.3 miles | 12 minutes | 119 feet |
| Bailey Benchmark | 0.5 miles | 16 minutes | 95 feet |
| Bailey Peak | 0.3 miles | 20 minutes | 144 feet |
| Monument Peak | 0.1 miles | 5 minutes | 26 feet |
| Cleghorn Mountain | 0.25 miles | 11 minutes | 76 feet |
| Offroad Driving | 22 miles | – | – |
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails: San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!
In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer).
I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.