Hike Coal Canyon Trail

10 miles - Moderate Effort
4 Hours (Total)
1,840 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 2,218 feet
No Dogs Allowed

Don't let the start of the Coal Canyon Trail, which is next to the 91 freeway, fool you. After a short stretch next to the freeway on the Santa Ana River Trail, you'll hop into a wildlife corridor and up into the northwest Santa Ana Mountains. Along the way, you'll have views of Angeles National Forest, San Gorgonio, and at the top, Orange Counties' "Mini-Moab." It's a bit of an under-hiked gem, so get out and enjoy it.

In this Guide:

Video and Turn by Turn Directions
Parking For the Coal Canyon Trail
What to Expect on the Hike

Quick Links:
Park Website - NOAA Weather Report - My Apr 2024 Gear

Where is the Coal Canyon Trail?

There is a large and free parking lot at the Santa Ana River Trail. The trail and parking area is mainly used by bikers, and can fill up early. I've shown up at dawn and the parking lot has been empty though. Use this trailhead address:
4995 Green River Rd #4915, Corona, CA 92880

There are no bathrooms or water fills at the trailhead, but gas stations and fast-food restaurants just up the road.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 2 — The parking lot is big, but can fill up early with people using the bike trail.

Gear for the Hike

This is a 10 mile hike so I recommend wearing proper hiking gear. The trail is entirely exposed; bring sun protection (or do it at dawn or in the winter). There's no water, bring 2L for the trip.

Gear That I Love Right Now

Nothing is sponsored or promoted, just the actual gear that I use.

Garmin InReach Mini 2If you are out of cellphone range the Mini 2 will reliably allow you to hit SOS via satellite. You can see my review here.

HOKA Speedgoat 5These are a great balance of comfort and performance. The high stack height leaves my feet feeling great after a hike.

Check out the complete list here.

Coal Canyon Trail Maps

Just a note on the trails. While beautiful, they're not pristine single-track through a forest. You'll have a short stretch in the beginning on a paved bike trail, and then take a sandy fire road to the top. Don't let that deter you, the hike is great.

Use This Map:
View in CalTopo | PDF Map | GPX File

How Will You Navigate?

Using the Apple Watch for Hiking

Garmin Fenix 7 & Epix Review For Hikers

How To Read a Topographic Map

Garmin GPSMAP 67i Review

Trail Marker — When you're on Coal Canyon Trail you'll see some mileage markers like this. Coal Canyon Trail is also known as North Main Divide Trail (officially once it enters Cleveland National Forest) and goes all the way to Saddleback Mountain.

Elevation Profile

Coal Canyon Elevation — After an initial flat stretch, you're pretty much going uphill all the way to the end.

3D Map

Hike Brief

Cupressus Forbesii — Keep your eyes open for trees that look like this, which is a Tecate cypress. Coal Canyon is the northern limit of their small habitat (which extends south to the Tijuana area). The Tecate cypress is the only plant that the rare Thorne's Hairstreak butterfly will lay its eggs on.

The Coal Canyon area first gained notoriety in the 1880s when oil was discovered here. The oil fizzled out and then there were some small mines which you can still see marked on topographic maps. Then the land just sat there, but the oil company ownership meant that development never happened.
From the 1980s to the 2000s the land became parkland and protected under strong bi-partisan support (remember those days?). Today the Coal Canyon Trail starts in Chino Hills State Park (no parking pass needed) and then heads into Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve.
Some of this hike burned in the 2017 Canyon 2 fire, and a large portion of it was destroyed in the 2002 Green Fire.
Fire department trucks pre-positioned along the hike in case of a fire.
I never see many (if any) hikers on this trail, but there are mountain bikers. Even then, it's not busy, but make sure you keep your eyes open for them as you hike.
The area is a haven for wildlife. Expect to see raptors and maybe a rabbit or two. I've spotted bobcats, mule deer, and snakes here over the years. The wide sand trails are great places to spot tracks.
Here's a bobcat track that I found on the day I created this guide.

Coal Canyon Trail Hike Directions

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 3 — Start the hike at the bottom of the parking area by heading onto the Santa Ana River Trail bike path. Don't take the road or first tunnels under the 91.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 4 — Go straight down the Santa Ana River Trail, sandwiched between the 91 freeway and the Santa Ana River. The traffic can be slightly annoying, but at least you're walking. And if you walked straight down this path, eventually you'll reach Huntingdon Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Today we're just doing about a mile before we head into the hills.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 5 — Keep heading straight down the bike path.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 6 — Keep your eyes open in the Santa Ana River, which is full of wildlife.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 7 — When the trail splits, head up to the left on the bike path.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 8 — After a little over a mile you'll reach the wildlife corridor on your left. On the right is an interpretive display.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 9 — Head under the 91, through the wildlife corridor.

This may look like just a creepy freeway underpass, but it actually has some significance. This was originally the Coal Canyon exit on the 91. In the 1990s a study showed that the 91 was blocking wildlife access from the Santa Ana Mountains to the foothills in the north. Animals were being killed trying to cross the freeway. So the California Department of Parks and Recreation bought Coal Canyon and the underpass to create a wildlife corridor between the two areas. It was the first time in California history that parkland was purchased for its connectivity value, and the first time that Caltrans decommissioned a freeway underpass for wildlife.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 10 — Once through the underpass, stay straight. The fenced off roads on the side used to be the old ramps for the Coal Canyon exit.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 11 — There's an overgrown sign letting you know that you're entering Chino Hills State park.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 12 — There's also a cool metal trail post that you occasionally see within Cleveland National Forest.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 13 — Head through the gate and keep to the right on the paved path.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 14 — The pavement ends and turns to dirt.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 15 — Keep right through the wash. There's another trail that goes into Coal Canyon to the left. After heavy rains this section get messy.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 16 — After the wash the climb starts, and a trail post lets you know that you're on the Coal Canyon Trail.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 17 — As you start to climb you can see San Gorgonio to the east.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 18 — The trail is steep in some sections, but overall well graded. If you're in shape, you can cruise up this climb in a good rhythm. When it's really hot outside, the climb can be brutal.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 19 — The trail feels a million miles away from the 91 freeway as you climb up above Coal Canyon, which will be down to your left.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 20 — After a bit of climbing, the high peaks of Angeles National Forest come into view.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 21 — When you get to the ridge, stay on the main trail.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 22 — When you come around the ridge you'll have views west into Gypsum Canyon and the 261 Toll Road. It's also a nice level section about roughly halfway to the top.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 23 — When you get to the Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve gate, go through the gate and make the hard right.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 24 — There's nice views here back to Coal Canyon, Chino Hills, and Angeles NF.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 25 — The land gets a little more wild within the Reserve.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 26 — And soon you reach the end of the hike at the saddle. Head right at the intersection.

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 28 — Keep going straight to the rock pile.

If you see "Area Closed" signs, they are referring to the side trails away from the rock pile. You ARE allowed to hike to the rock pile. The signs are place in front of it to discourage exploring. Thanks to reader Carmelita for the update!

Coal Canyon Trail Directions 29 — From here you can see the slick rock formations locally known as "mini-Moab." You can spot these formations from the 261 Toll Road and 91 Freeway.

Soak in the panoramic views and just head back the way you came to finish the hike. If you decide to climb down and explore the mini-Moab rocks, please be careful. The rocks are fragile and crumble very easily.

Need More Info?

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

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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!). You can stay up to date with my new guides by following me on YouTube, Instagram, or by subscribing to my monthly newsletter.