Silverado Canyon

[96XSport]

Silverado Canyon (Pics Added)

Today, Saturday January 3rd, a friend and I decided to find out for our selves what this Silverado Canyon Rd. was all about. We got on the 5 Frwy and headed North. We got off at El Toro Rd. and head East towards Saddleback Mountain. Took about 20 of driving on El Toro before we made a right turn onto Silverado Canyon Rd. We drove on that road for about 15 mins., the road runs thought a small town with homes on either side of the 2 Lane road. At the end of the road you will find a Ranger Station with a white gate to the left. The gate is closed during the Summer. As you drive in the gate you will drive on a poorly paved road for about 5 miles. On that road watch out for the pot holes that will "claim your soul" as my friend would put it. You make several water or "stream" crossing on that road.

Once you hit the dirt you will begin your climb. It is a some what of a steady climb for about 10 miles. The road condition is Hard Pack with Rock. At some parts of the road it is quiet smooth. The road is Regularly "Cleared" using a Bulldozer. The climb is nothing serious, seeing as how we were behind some old toyota mini-van, that eventaualy gave up.

Once you reach the summit or the fork you can go three ways.

1. To your right you will see the "Saddle" of Saddleback mountian. Also to your right is another road. We believe that road leads to the summit of the mountain where the Antennas are located, that gate was closed and locked.

2. The center trail is for guys that know what the hell they are doing, you basically need 4x4, its a very technical trail.

3. And the 3rd Trail on your far right is the trail we followed for about three miles. The trail runs along a ridge, we did not find out where it ends due to our fuel situation. But we could see it ran for quiet a while. At the Fork there are some amazing views of the valleys. I will have pictures up soon.

There are many little side trails and such to play around on, but that would be considered "off-trail-driving" which is illegal. So respect the trails stay on the marked roads.

The night before our day in the dirt it rained so it was quiet muddy but I never found myself in anything close to being introuble with my 2WD Sport.

Have fun.

*** IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PM ME OR JUST ASK RIGHT HERE! ILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE***

 

[GIJOE]

Well you can make any of the three trails in 2wd because I have already done all three trails.
The trail in the middle will take you out to corona around the I-15 it gets pretty rocky towards the middle and some of rocks are sharp I know this because that is the trail I blew my old tire out on I got a 3" cut on the inside sidewall of my rear tire. The others drop you off at about the 91.
Also another and an easier way to get there is to from the I-5 take Jamborree north and turn Right on Santiago Canyon Rd. and then turn Left Silverado Canyon Rd.

 

[96XSport]

GIJOE, you made it up the center trail?

 

[GIJOE]

Yes I have been on the center trail and I was wrong in my post above the center trail is the one that takes you to the I-15 and thats the one I blew my tire on.
Its pretty bumpy in some parts but you can maybe make it in 2wd.
The far right trail will take you to Modjeska Canyon Rd. and back to Santiago Canyon Rd. but the gate at the end is closed sometimes.
The trails I like the most are the trail on the left and the trail in the center.

 

[GIJOE]

Also there are some hidden trails that I want to find and checkout. My Thomas Guide map book says that they are there its just a matter of finding them and seeing if I can handle these trails.
Maybe one day we can checkout some of these trails out there.

 

[Stic-o]

i belive...

your talking about Santiago Peak, or 3s04 to 5s01. It's rated as a moderate trail. I was just about to ask if anyone had been on it. Answers that question though.

 

[GIJOE]

Its a cool trail.
I just do not like the rocks on that trail.

 

[Josh S.]

Its an ok trail in my book...more of a scenic long-ass tour like taking a bus tour with your grandparents...ok maybe that was a little extreme. but you get my point. Me and a buddy went all the way from ortega to corona and it was purty much just a dusty ass dirt road. If we wanna mess around locally, we just go up from the corona side cuz there's a lot more little trails in a short amount of time...just my .02

 

[96XSport]

When we went it was after a rain. The center trail's condition is going down hill. We had trouble in a 85' CJ7 in 4L! I guess i might be his driving.

 

[96XSport]

Here are some pictures.

No Flex.

OWWW AHHH

The Trail

A look down a side trail.

 

[Josh S.]

Sorry, didn't mean to bag on the place. I musta been pissed off at the world or something when I posted that. It is a fun place to go for a few hours or the day. Its even funner to go up there at night and sneak up on all the people doing it on friday nights in their cadillacs and hondas

One time me and some buddies were up there at night and there was this jeep cherokee parked kinda weird off the side of the road. We wanted to make sure everything was OK cuz they weren't really parked in a usual spot to...well get it on. We all blasted our offroad lights on the truck and yelled over the P.A...ARE YOU GUYS OK?!?!. LOL some dude stuck up his hand in the window then we were like oh ****, lets get outta here...maybe you had to be there but it was funy at the time.

 

[96XSport]

Josh-

HAHAHA. I have a small little Radio Shack 40 Channel CB and tryed hooking a PA up but i got too much feed back. I have some road rage so it would come in handy.

About those people and thinking there Honda Civic are a 4x4 monster. I got stuck behind like a 1980 Toyota Mini Van. When i finally got around them it came to my attention that it was a van full of foreiners (non english speaking), i pointed to the border and sent them on there way.

About those lights also, I have two ProComp 8'' 130 Watt Lights on the bumper of my rig and they come in very handy when some little rice rocket cuts you off. Flip those babies on along with your high beams and the sun just came up in there rear view mirror.

 

[Josh S.]

Duuuude thats hilarious! the border haha...anyways. offroad lights definitely do come in tremendously handy when you get cutoff or for that matter, pissed off at anybody! For instance...I hung out with this chick(ex-gf)...the other night and took her to coffee at Starbucks(nice gesture). We had coffee and a nice time, then I was gonna take her home. On the way back, some stupid little toyota or honda is behind me with its damn brights on, on a main freakin street!!! They weren't flashing them at me or anything cuz they were a ways back, so they just forgot they had them on or something...ANYWAYS, I start swearing(which I didn't want to do in front of the girl) then I slow down. I let them get ahead of me then jump behind them...I said,"whatch this" (to the chick). Then I blasted the PIAA 580XT's at them, right into their rearview mirrors cuz they are all low. Then I got up alongside them a bit up the road and it was just some girl driving it with her bf in the passenger seat...I felt a bit bad, but of course you can't show that in front of the chicks! needless to say it was a long story, so I'm deeply sorry for the long rant.

 

[DesertSpive]

It's fun during cold winter storms to go up there when it is snowing. I've done all those trails many times.

--Sean

 

[96XSport]

HAHAHA Josh. Oh man good times.

Sean-

Ya, we went up there in my buddies 85' Jeep CJ7 on friday during some crazy rain and it was absolutly frezzing up there. We were in the clouds and it was blowing and raining like crazy!

I think we all need together and go wheelin up there those are some fun trails.

 

[Josh S.]

Originally posted by 96XSport
I think we all need together and go wheelin up there those are some fun trails.

4 sure

 

[96XSport]

Anyone up for Hungry Valley? That place was so "Hungry" it ate my friends brand new Ranger. He Hydro-Locked his engine in the 4x4 Practice Area Mud Pit. Its was a fully loaded 4x4 2001. Cost him $500 to tow its down the t pass to the nearest ford dealer where they charged him $5200 for a new engine.

 

[Josh S.]

Originally posted by 96XSport

So don't be the "crazy tuff guy" and charge puddles that you don't know about. Cause they'll eat ya!

...whatevah...

 

[96XSport]

I just got owned.

 

[96XSport]

Thats insane! Where is that! Take me!