Lake Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail Hike

4 miles - Moderate Effort
2:30 Hours (Total)
1,000 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 5,737 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

Feeling more like Joshua Tree than Lake Arrowhead, this short but tough hike to the summit of The Pinnacles rewards you with a stone perch where you can soak in 360-degree views from the mountains to the Mojave. The hike ascends through a granite boulder field to a small plateau, then after a last mild scramble to the boulder-pile summit, you reach The Pinnacles peak. It's a fun hike that's a bit off the beaten path; don't be surprised if you have the whole place to yourself.

In this Guide:

Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Hike Video
Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail Maps
How to Get to the Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail

Quick Links: San Bernardino 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.

As a bonus, the Pinnacles peak is part of the Sierra Club 100 Peaks (SoCal) list.

How To Get to the Lake Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail

The trailhead is in the Lake Arrowhead area, on the east side where the mountains transition to the desert. Getting to the trailhead is kind of tricky on paper but easy when you get there. The official trailhead is right by the Arrowhead Fish & Game Conservation Club (a gun club and shooting range). But the parking area is a minute or two before you reach the official trailhead on your left. When you're about 3-4 minutes out from the destination on your GPS, keep an eye open on the left for the trail sign and parking area.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 3

Use this address in Google Maps to get to the official start:

Pinnacles Trail 3W16, CA-173, Hesperia, CA 92345

The address for the parking area isn't on Google Maps, but you can use the geo coordinates:

34°17'39.3"N 117°12'47.6"W
34.294244, -117.213207

There are no bathrooms at the trailhead.

Since you're in San Bernardino National Forest, you need a parks pass or Adventure Pass in your window when you park.

CA-173 can close when there's a lot of snow and ice, check the conditions here if in doubt.

Deciding Where To Start the Hike

Why do I have two trailheads? Well, if you use the official trailhead, you need to walk down the road from the parking area. It's a short walk and not a big deal. Here's what the official trailhead looks, which is next to the fence of the gun club.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 4 — The official start of the trail is by the gun club fence. The Forest Service sign is no longer there (thanks to Theodore V.).

I choose to start the hike in the parking area, which is the way I've listed in the directions that follow. I like it better because I avoid the walk along the road and avoid getting closer to any shooting that could be happening on the gun club range. The gun range can get loud and is not my cup of tea when hiking.

You can certainly walk to the official trailhead and do the hike. I'll show you where you join the hike in the directions below.

Gear For the Hike

There is almost no shade on this hike, so plenty of water is a must. Otherwise you can probably get away with fitness gear, but I opt for my regular hiking kit here. There is a bit of boulder scrambling, so if you hike with trekking poles, make sure you can attach them to your pack when you need both hands to climb.

My Latest Gear Picks

Garmin inReach Mini 2 ( Amazon | REI )
HOKA Speedgoat 5 ( Men | Women )
Zpacks Sub-Nero Ultra ( Zpacks | Review )
Alpine Carbon Cork Poles ( REI | Amazon )

As a hiking guide, I test lots of hiking gear. On my picks page, I'll show you all of the gear that I actually use. I don't accept paid promotions or talk about the stuff that doesn't make the cut. It's just the gear that works best, so you don't have to waste your money.

All My September 2023 Top Gear Picks

Lake Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail Maps

As I mention in my directions below, there are a lot of side trails and splits. The area is popular with rock climbers and there are trails to various climbing spots. In fact, it's supposed to be one of the best climbing spots in the LA area, similar to Joshua Tree. So if that's your bag, you can climb too. But for the hike, I'd recommend referring to the GPX file if you come to a split and you're in doubt.

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

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

Arrowhead Pinnacles Elevation Profile

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Elevation

Arrowhead Pinnacles 3D Map

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike 3d Map

Lake Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions

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Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 2 — There's limited parking at the trailhead but it's usually pretty empty. Look for the big forest service sign. This is the "unofficial trailhead" that I mentioned earlier.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 5 — Head through the gate at the parking area and follow the trail through the meadow.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 6 — The peak you see in the distance isn't the Pinnacles, but rather an unnamed 5078 ft peak before it. You have another 700 feet to climb past the peak to get to the summit.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 7 — The beginning of the unofficial trail can be confusing. There are a lot of trails that cut across this little hill to get to the main trail. Most of the trails you see will bring you to the main trail. But follow these directions and you'll be golden.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 8 — Head over the wash and up the trail. You can also follow the wash up and over but it can get overgrown.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 9 — Head around the boulders to the ridge.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 10 — As you crest the east side of the hill, the main trail will be visible ahead. Head towards it on the narrower trail.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 11 — Head left on the Pinnacles Trail.If you came from the gun club trailhead, you'll be on that trail already.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 12 — There are some small stream crossings. Keep straight on the trail.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 13 — The trail starts to slope upwards.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 14 — Some sections become steep as you keep hiking.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 15 — Keep hiking uphill.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 16 — After you crest the last ridge, make the hard right down the steep hill. The post marks the spot.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 17 — Head up the hill after the short descent.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 18 — The trail mellows out before going up again, approaching the unnamed peak that's been looming in front of you from the start.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 19 — This next section makes its way through the boulders and can get tricky. Look for cairns to mark the way.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 20 — Where there are no cairns, you can always look for well-worn dirt after you cross rocks and boulders.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 21 — Keep picking your way upwards through the boulders and manzanita.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 22 — After you gain a small ridge, you'll see a trail marker confirming that you're in the right place.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 23 — The next stretch heads through a boulder field. There's some light scrambling as the trail goes up and over boulders.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 25 — Look for the cairns to confirm you're in the right place.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 27 — After the boulder section, the trail becomes a trail again. You're rewarded with a trail marker.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 28 — This part can get tricky. Shortly after the last trail marker you'll round a bend and hit an intersection. Make the counter-intuitive hard right down the steep hill.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 29 — Climb up from the last turn to the trail marker.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 31 — When you reach the marker, head straight.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 30 — Don't forget to turn around and soak in the views. The fire damage you see on the upper slopes is from the 2016 Pilot fire which didn't get too big but did close the PCT for a while.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 32 — The trail mellows out and is relatively easy to follow with cairns confirming you're in the right place.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 33 — Head up to the plateau near the summit.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 34 — Getting close! Ahead of you is The Pinnacles. You'll be climbing to the top of that hill of boulders soon.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 35 — Follow the markers for the trail. There are a ton of side trail splits to rock climbing spots. In general you're heading toward the huge pile of rocks ahead of you.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 36 — This section of the trail also has cairns marking the way (like in the lower right-hand corner of this shot).

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 37 — A marker shows you the start of the last stretch to the summit, which involves a bit of scrambling. Follow the trail and cairns.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 38 — There are a decent amount of cairns on this stretch. If you don't see any, try looking around for other routes. If you think you're in the wrong spot, go down and go back up.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 46 — This was the steepest section that you have to pull yourself up on. I needed both hands but it's doable. Nothing over 3 or 4 feet.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 39 — Eventually you get to this little nest at the summit. You made it!

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 44 — Ignore the graffiti and climb up on the rocks around the edge for the views.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 40 — There are great views east into the Mojave.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 42 — And west to Silverwood Lake and Mt Baldy.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 43 — There's also a register in a can floating around in the flat area.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 41 — That's the hike! From here just head back down the way you came.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 45 — A top on descending: look for the cairns on the boulder section to lead the way.

Arrowhead Pinnacles Hike Directions 47 — The views on the descent aren't too shabby either.

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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