Location: Riverside, California
Distance: 5 Miles Out and Back Time: 2-3 Hours
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Elevation Gain: 1,100 Feet
Season: All (Summer can be unbearably and dangerously hot)
Foot Traffic: Light
Date Hiked: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Overview
The hike up Mt. Jurupa is a great, cardio inducing hike in the hills between the cities of Fontana and Riverside. At just under 5 miles and with a fair deal of elevation gain, this hike is sure to challenge many, while giving all visitors a pretty serious workout. The trail starts in the back of the Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park. It wastes no time in getting down to business as the trail steeply ascends over a rutted and cracked hillside beneath. Hikers can go as far as they wish before turning back but views of the Jurupa Hills and surrounding cities become better and better the higher in which one climbs. Vantage points are continuous throughout the whole hike and visitors will consistently find themselves peering over their shoulder to catch new glimpses of their surroundings.
Spring and fall are great seasons to hike here, as the weather is generally more mild and wildflowers can be exceptional. There are an abundance of lizards along the lower reaches of the trail in various colors and sizes. However, there are three main drawbacks to this trail. First, is the graffiti dispersed along the trail on most of the prominent rocks. Secondly, there is absolutely no shade and it can get very hot here. Lastly, the false summits can become a little agonizing. It often feels and looks as though you are almost to the top of Mt. Jurupa, only to realize time and time again that you aren’t.
Overall, Mt. Jurupa is an extremely fun hike, with surprisingly good views and sparse crowds. Bringing plenty of water is a must. The temperatures in these parts can become insanely hot and again, there is zero shade along the trail. As hikers near the Mt. Jurupa summit, the hike flattens and ends on a mesa with spectacular 360 degree views. Hikers should make sure to take the time to walk around and circle the mesa before heading back. Spectacular views await in every direction, including the pretty Oak Quarry Golf Club directly below. Enjoy the downhill hike back and watch your footing on the loose trail.
Trail Description and Scout’s Story
Having hiked the Mt. Rubidoux trail the day before, I decided to get on google maps and find another hike in the area. Stress and anxiety had been piling up on me and I was in desperate need of some serious exercise. The previous two weeks had been spent with my wife and I living at the Kaiser hospital in Fontana as our almost 2 year old daughter, Scout, had just undergone a nearly 10 hour tumor resection surgery on cancerous tumors in her liver and rectum.
After nine months of treatment, Scout had finally reached the juncture where her medical team was comfortable operating on her. Scout has done incredibly well with her recovery and we are hopeful she will get to go home in the next few days in time for her 2nd birthday. Additionally, we are nervous but hopeful and eager to receive her pathology results to help better understand how successful the surgery was.
Since Scout was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, our time and energy has been solely devoted to her and her treatment with very little time to focus on our well being or fitness. As Scout was recovering and sleeping on this day, I decided I needed to get out of the hospital and exercise, the same as the day before. The hospital staff was only allowing two visitors in the room at a time, so I once again switched places with my mother-in-law and made the quick drive down the street to the Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park.
Starting up the Trail from Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park
After reaching Martin Tudor Regional Park, I parked in the back of the parking lot and made my way up the grassy hill. To the right of the playground is a fence that I followed to its very far right side. The trail begins just past the fence line and to the left. As I began the trail, my sole intention was to get some exercise. I had no idea that Mt. Jurupa was even in the distance. My plan was to hike until I was on top of the mountain or until I felt exhausted. In a matter of minutes I realized I was gonna get exactly what I had come here for.
The trail ascended steeply, much more so than I had expected, and cracks in the ground made watching my step more normal than I was typically used to.
I was shocked when I found myself with my hands on my hips in a matter of minutes. The more I climbed the more the views opened up and the nicer the trail became.
At many points the trail was in pretty rough shape and there was no discernible single path. One trail would lead left, another right and another right up the middle. At the end of the day, all the trails lead to the same place and it more or less became about which direction would cause me the least amount of resistance.
Along this beginning section, lizards were everywhere. Big ones, small ones, blue, gray and black ones. It was cool to stop and admire them while also giving me an excuse to catch my breath. A few sections briefly leveled out but the trail repeatedly just went straight back to climbing. This is where I began to think my hike was over. I checked my phone and answered a text from my wife, telling her I would be heading down the trail and would be back soon. I could now see a summit up ahead of me and I accelerated my pace to finish strong.
False Summits and the Second Half of the Hike to Mt. Jurupa
As I neared the boulder outcrop, I noticed two hikers sitting down and was excited to be finished. Just before I reached what I thought was the end, I could see the mountain up ahead open up with another peak in the nearby distance. I was a bit frustrated but at this point wildflowers were everywhere and the views were gorgeous. I quickly made my way towards the next peak. As I reached the next peak, I again realized that this was another false peak. The trail and landscape around me was now changing, and I could tell I was getting deeper into the hills. As I looked back, I could no longer see any of the discernible areas from earlier.
At this juncture I just assumed that all of the upcoming peaks would be false summits but I set my sights on continuing forward until I reached whatever unknown summit it was that I was striving for. Clouds were now above me and I had a real feeling of being in the mountains. This is not what I had anticipated the surroundings on this trail to be like. I climbed around a few more rock outcroppings and arrived at several more false peaks. Finally, a massive, dry, flat section was just in front of me. I knew that this had to be it. A large mesa was just off in the distance now. I quickly made my way towards it across the now flat open area.
Reaching the Summit along the Mt. Jurupa Hike and Finishing the Trail
Wherever I was about to end up was gonna be my stopping point for the day, one way or the other. I climbed a short, steep, crumbly hill and reached the top of the flat mesa. I had no idea where I was but I knew I was on the actual summit of some area. Quite a bit of time had lapsed since I had falsely stated to my wife that I was heading down, so I knew I needed to hurry back now. First, I decided to take a quick lap around the mesa. The views were phenomenal with the Oak Quarry Club now sitting in the far distance below me.
Before turning back I ran into a wooden makeshift sign that had been painted with the words Mt. Jurupa.
This excited me. For the first time in an hour or so, I knew where I actually was.
As I wandered along the mesa top, I couldn’t stop thinking about my wife and daughter. These were endeavors that they would always join with me in and it felt weird not to have them along. I was so happy to be in the mountains but I was even more excited to get back and see my wife and daughter. I wasted no time in making my way down and jogged nearly the entire trail back. It never ceases to amaze me at how long it can take to get up a trail and how little time it ultimately takes to actually get down.
Finally, I reached the car and hurried back towards the hospital. My wife gave me a bit of a hard time about what had taken me so long, but she has come to know me too well and stated that she figured that I would go further and wasn’t actually turning around when I texted her that I was. I was so happy just to have had the opportunity to start focusing on my health a bit more. The following days would consist of getting Scout healed up enough so that we could take her home.
Scout would be two in four days and I didn’t want her spending her birthday in the hospital. A lot of emotions were running through me. Ultimately, I knew that we would soon know our next steps in Scout’s fight and that we were anxious to keep pushing forward.
Getting to the Mt. Jurupa Trailhead
The Mt. Jurupa trail begins at the Martin Tudor Hills Regional Park. From highway 60, take exit 48 towards Valley Way (coming frrom 60 East). Turn left onto Mission Blvd and continue .5 miles before turning left onto Valley Way. In .5 miles continue onto Armstrong Rd. Follow Armstrong road for .5 miles and then turn left onto Sierra Way. Follow Sierra Way for 1.7 miles and then turn left into Martin Tudor Hills Regional Park. The trail begins near gated fence in the back of the park.
11925 Sierra Ave., Fontana, CA 92337
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is this a fee area?
- No. There is no fee to park at or hike the Mt. Jurupa Trail.
Are dogs allowed on the Mt. Jurupa Trail?
- Yes. Dogs are allowed on the Mt. Jurupa Trail, however, they must be leashed and kept in control at all times. Please pick up and properly dispose of all animal waste.
Are there restrooms at the parking area/trailhead?
- Yes. Restrooms are located in front of the dedicated parking lot.
Another Great nearby hike is the popular Mt. Rubidoux trail.
Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers, and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others.
