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Hike the Bedford Peak Trail (Orange County)

By Cris Hazzard, Professional Hiking Guide
Updated January 19, 2025

Hike Stats

Total Distance: 7.2 miles
Time: 3-4 hours
Total Climbing: 2050 feet
Difficulty: Hard
Crowds: Moderate
Dogs: Leashed
Gear: What I Use
Weather: Latest Report
Park: Trabuco Ranger District, Cleveland National Forest

If you're looking for a hidden gem, the Bedford Peak Trail is for you. You'll get an excellent workout climbing about 2000 feet in 3 miles, and at the top, you have gorgeous views of the Santa Anas, Angeles National Forest, Catalina, and on a clear day, the higher peaks of SoCal. Overall it's an underrated gem.

Parking for the Bedford Peak Trail

You'll want to use the (often closed) Maple Springs Visitor Center as your car's GPS destination. Use this address for the trailhead: 31330 Silverado Canyon Rd, Silverado, CA, 92676, USA.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 4 — You'll see the visitor center on your right.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 2 — And on the left is a parking area. We will drive two minutes to the next dirt parking area, just up Silverado Canyon Road.

If the gate into Silverado Canyon is closed, park here at the paved lot and walk up.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 1 — You'll need to have a National Parks Pass or Adventure Pass regardless of which lot you park in.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 3 — Once past the gate, the (closer) trailhead parking is about 1000 feet up the road.

Gear For the Hike

There's no shade on the trail to Bedford Peak, so bring plenty of water and sunscreen. If you like to climb with trekking poles, they can be helpful. The summit can get breezy, so extra layers will feel nice if you do the hike when it's cool out. Otherwise, it's not a technical hike and can be done with workout gear if you like.

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Bedford Peak Hike Trail Maps

Note that the main Bedford Peak trail has two names (for the same trail). Some maps list it as the Maple Springs Trail; others list it as the Silverado Trail.

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Elevation Profile

Hike the Bedford Peak Trail elevation — The bulk of the climbing happens right from the start. It's challenging but manageable; just take your time. The last section levels off, allowing you to catch your breath and enjoy the views.

3D Map

Hike Brief

Jack Bedford Historic — Here's John "Jack" Bedford and his wife, Lou. Bedford Peak was named after Jack, who settled in the Santa Anas in the 1870s. Born in Kentucky, Jack had an adventurous life, at one point working as a Pony Express rider and then a guide for wagon trains coming to California from Missouri. He died at 88 and is buried today in Santa Ana Cemetery.

Keep your eyes open for exposed rock layers along the trail. This area is home to the Bedford Canyon Formation. The formation is unique because it's one of the only exposed rock layers that show what settled on the seafloor here 180 million years ago. When this rock was on the seafloor, dinosaurs roamed the earth. You may be able to spot fossils of ancient clams and snails in the shale layers.
Exposed layers of the Bedford Formation along the trail.
The trail you hike up is sometimes called the Silverado Motorway, built years ago for cars to perform fire patrols, and now eroded into a singletrack trail.
The quaint town of Silverado, where the hike starts, was a booming mining town from 1878-1881. That's why you'll see a post office and other facilities in this remote area.

Bedford Peak Trail Directions

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 5 — The start of the trail is on the left side of the parking lot.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 6 — Go past the metal barrier.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 7 — And then pass the next barrier as you start the climb.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 8 — Right away you'll get great views up into Halfway Canyon, across Silverado Canyon.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 9 — The trail turns right and follows the gully. You'll see evidence of the 2014 Silverado Fire, which burned the entire area of this hike.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 10 — Continue climbing as you see the trail unfold in front of you.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 11 — Now you'll hike up a series of wide, sweeping switchbacks. You'll get nice views down into Silverado Canyon as you climb.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 12 — The peak ahead is not Bedford Peak, hidden off to the left.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 13 — Continue up the wide switchbacks. At one point you'll be able to spot the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 14 — The trail turns right and you start hiking straight up.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 15 — You'll start to get nice views of the higher peaks.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 16 — Then the trail levels out.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 17 — And you can see north to Ladd Canyon. The peak with the towers on the right is Pleasants Peak. Beyond these peaks in the valley is Corona, CA.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 18 — There's still some climbing to do as you hike along the ridge, but it's not as steep as before.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 19 — Modjeska Peak is in front of us here.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 20 — The trail widens and you reach a flat open area. Hike straight through.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 21 — The trail widens out and you have a short downhill.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 22 — You'll start to get views of Mt Baldy and Angeles National Forest to the north.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 23 — When you get to the gate, make the hard right onto Main Divide Road.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 24 — You'll see one of the welded-style trail signs at that junction.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 25 — There's a short section on Main Divide, which is usually open to (infrequent) vehicle traffic.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 26 — Keep on the road where you see a small turnoff. This isn't Bedford peak. You can take the turnoff if you'd like, it rejoins the road shortly.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 27 — Views of Lake Matthews to the east open up.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 28 — At the next turnoff, head up the steep hill past the gate.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 30 — There's a flat section at the top.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 31 — And then the summit sign will be on your left.

Bedford Peak marks the boundary between Riverside and Orange Counties.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 32 — From here you'll get views of Santiago Peak.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 33 — And back down into Silverado Canyon, with the ocean and Catalina in the distance.

Bedford Peak Trail Update 2022 34 — From here you just head back down the way you came.

Originally published April 27, 2022

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