Beeks Place Hike From Black Star Canyon

16 miles - Hard Effort
6-8 Hours (Total)
2,240 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 2,820 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The Beeks Place hike takes you to the ruins of an old cabin compound built at a scenic spot high in the Santa Ana Mountains. From Beeks Place, you can see from San Gorgonio to Mt Baldy to Catalina. The hike is challenging, taking you 2000 feet up fire roads through the mountains, and along the way, you get epic views, hidden pastures, and even a Native American settlement. While Beeks Place might not be a big-name peak bagging experience, it is a nice long mountain hike that you can do all year.

In this Guide:

Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions to Beeks Place
How to Get to the Beeks Place Hike Trailhead
Maps, Recommendations, and Tips for the Hike

Quick Links: Cleveland National Forest - NOAA Weather Report - Top Gear Picks (Sep 2023)

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

Where is the Beeks Place Hike?

Beeks Place is just off Main Divide Road, the rugged dirt road that traverses the Santa Ana Mountains, and you can actually drive up there in a 4x4. But what fun would that be? We'll hike to it instead. The most popular hiking route to Beeks Place is up Black Star Canyon Road, and that's the route covered in this guide.

Use this trailhead address:
13333 Black Star Canyon Rd, Silverado, CA 92676

Beeks Place Hike Directions 3 — The parking lot is massive but does get full. It's also the parking area for the popular (and shorter) Black Star Canyon Falls hike. And a popular mountain biking spot too. Good news is that parking is free.

There are no bathrooms or water fills at the trailhead.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 2 — The hike starts at the end of the road at the gate. Occasionally the gate is open, usually for local property owners, and rarely for the driving public. Check the status here.

Gear for the Hike

This is a long hike in the mountains, so prepare accordingly. I don't recommend doing this hike when it's hot out. There's almost no shade once you leave the canyon, and the temperatures can be brutal in Cleveland NF. Either way, bring 3L of water, snacks, and sun protection.

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Beeks Place Hike Trail Maps

This hike follows fire roads up to Beeks Place. In general they are wide, graded gradually, and easy to follow. Despite the fact that the hike is on fire roads and not single-track, it's still scenic and fun. Just watch out for mountain bikers who often fly downhill here; there's a local challenge to ride to Beeks Place and back in an hour or less.

There are a number of private land parcels along the hike, especially on the beginning stretch. They are well-marked, fenced off, and often have multiple warning signs. Just stay on the main Black Star Canyon Road and you'll be fine.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

Elevation Profile

Beeks Place Hike Elevation — There are two tougher sections on the uphill. First is just past the falls turnoff until you get up toward the Native settlement. Then you have a flat stretch to catch your breath, and then the trail heads uphill to Beeks Place. The distance and well-designed roads make the gradients easy to get a rhythm on.

3D Map

Hike Brief

Hidden Ranch On Beeks Place Hike 2 — There's a lot of history on this hike. In the middle of the climb you'll pass through some hidden pastures, which was once home to Hidden Ranch and noted on topographic maps. The ranch is gone, but the ranch vibe isn't. Photo Silverado Library

There are lots of fun haunted Black Star Canyon stories, and you can dive deeper on them in my hike guide to the falls.
In the middle of the hike you can visit a Native American settlement where the Tongva people would grind acorns and hunt the wildlife that came to drink in the creek. The settlement was allegedly the site of a massacre when local whites accused the people living there of stealing horses.
A few minutes past the settlement is Hidden Ranch, which is where in 1899 the owners got into a dispute about money owed (about $550 in today's dollars) and ended up killing someone. The trial was a big deal and the ranch owners ended up getting out free. If you want to dive deeper, see if your library has Shadows of Old Saddleback, which has a good history of the area.
And then there's Beeks Place. The first cabins were built in 1929 by Joe Beek, the the longest-serving Secretary of the Senate in California history (1919–68), and the guy who was attributed with developing the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach as a tourist attraction. The cabins once had a pool and wind-powered electricity. In the 1970s Main Divide road opened automobile access to Beeks Cabin, and vandals would come and steal, shoot, and destroy the cabins. Eventually they were abandoned. And today, according to this brochure, you actually buy it. It's a bit of a fixer-upper.

Beeks Place Hike Directions

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Beeks Place Hike Directions 5 — The beginning of the hike is a downhill stretch on an open road. Go straight down the road.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 6 — At the bottom, bear right.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 7 — There's a sign at that junction. 7.3 miles to go! Almost there!

Beeks Place Hike Directions 1 — Black Star Canyon Road winds around and heads into the lush canyon.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 9 — At the big junction, go straight.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 10 — You'll see lots of private property here. Avoid the side trails onto private land and stay on the main road. All the private property is well-marked.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 11 — Cross over the bridge.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 12 — And eventually yet another bridge.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 13 — And then the trail eases uphill as it goes up Black Star Canyon.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 14 — When you get to the sharp turn by the turnoff to the falls, about 2.5 miles in, make the left to continue on the road.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 15 — Here's a closeup of the turnoff to the falls (that you don't follow). If you want to hike to the falls, check out my guide here.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 16 — Okay, now you've got some work to do as the trail gets steeper and climbs out of the canyon.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 17 — Eventually the trail winds around and you can see Pleasants Peak with the radio antennas.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 18 — You'll be able to see the trail winding up ahead of you as you continue to climb.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 19 — When you get to the Mariposa Reserve sign, continue straight.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 20 — The Mariposa Reserve is a 800-acre area nestled in the middle of Cleveland National Forest. It's named after the wild mariposa lilies which often bloom in the spring.

The Mariposa Reserve is owned by the Wildlands Conservancy, a great non-profit organization that protects natural spaces. Wildlands also hosts great hikes like the Santa Margarita River Trail, Whitewater Preserve, and Mission Creek Preserve.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 21 — Don't forget to look back as you climb. Here you can see Newport Beach and Catalina Island.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 22 — Three are some small paved sections along this stretch.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 23 — Shortly after entering the Reserve you'll get some good views down to the top of Black Star Falls. There's a small trail down to the top of the falls that I marked on the map. It's okay but I usually give it a skip. There's not a safe way to hike down to the bottom of the falls. Be careful if you explore down there.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 24 — You'll start to see a small white dome, which sits just above Beeks Place, and is the KSOX Doppler radar tower. If you watch the local weather reports, this is used by Live Mega Doppler 7000HD on ABC 7. It's a good point to use as reference for the end of the hike.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 25 — Keep your eyes open for a small trail off to the right, about 5 miles in, which goes into the Native American settlement.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 27 — The settlement is worth a look around. These holes are mortars used to grind acorns. There's also a viewpoint or two in the area.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 26 — Another example of grinding mortars. Pretty cool to think that people were living off the land here.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 28 — Head back to the trail and continue. The pastures that you'll pass are the Hidden Ranch area that I mentioned earlier. Today it's abandoned. If you look around in there you can find some old concrete foundations but not much else.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 29 — When you leave the Reserve the trail tilts uphill again. It'll be a climb from here until the end.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 30 — As you climb you'll be able to see the trail up ahead.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 31 — You'll get some nice views into the Hidden Ranch area that you just hiked through.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 32 — When you see this turnoff to the left, hike right to stay on Black Star Canyon Road.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 33 — Pass through the gate.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 34 — And then make the right onto Main Divide Road.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 36 — To the left you can see Angeles National Forest and Mt Baldy.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 35 — And straight ahead you can see San Bernardino National Forest and Mount San Gorgonio.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 37 — Veer right off of Main Divide Road to enter the Beeks Place cabin area.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 41 — What are these large towers? I've heard from other hikers that they're wind-vanes, but I also read that they are fire towers built in 1941.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 38 — You can see the effects of vandalism: tags and broken glass. It's a shame that humans are such filthy animals but that's how it goes.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 39 — Poke around to find other structures, but just be careful. There is a cistern and a pit that looks like a cistern but was actually built as a refuge from wildfires.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 40 — You can hike a steep 0.25 miles up to the KSOX Doppler if you'd like. It offers some views to the east.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 42 — When you're done, just head back down the way you came. The descent is nice, you can cruise down the dirt roads easily and often see the trail in front of you.

Beeks Place Hike Directions 43 — And oh yea, it's usually pretty breezy on this ridge. Hold onto your hats!

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!).

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