Overview
Silver Peak is a prominent desert peak on northern slope of the San Bernardino Mountains. Even though it is a San Bernardino Mountains peak it has a Mojave flora. The peak has seen tremendous mining all over it slopes and summit. Silver Peak is on the Hundred Peaks List of the Sierra Club. Silver Peak has a prominence value of P916 and is the ninth most prominent peak in the range. The views from the summit are outstanding especially of the Ord Mountains just to the north and of the eastern Big Bear region to the southwest.
Getting There
Take SR 30 to the SR 330 eventually hitting SR 18 in Running Springs. Drive east on SR 18 to the dam at Big Bear Lake. Turn left on SR 38 and drive through the little town of Fawnskin. Continue east on SR 38 for 6.5 miles to the junction of SR 38 and SR 18, north of Big Bear City.
Drive east on SR 18 for 7.5 miles to a dirt road on the right. This is at mile marker 62.00 (call box).
Route
From the parking area hike east along the dirt road 0.3 mile to a fork.
Keep left (north) for 0.2 mile along the road to a parking area, and then farther along the dirt road down into a gully. Turn left at the gully and hike up to where it runs into a dirt road. Turn right (east) onto the road and follow it to a large graded area. Turn north up the canyon, bypassing a abandoned mine, and head up to the top of the ridge. Follow the spur ridge up to the main ridge where you meet a dirt road. Turn right (east) and follow the road up to the open summit. On the summit is a old mine shaft be careful approaching its loose edges.
Roundtrip is 3 miles and 1000 feet of gain.
External Links & Red Tape
You will need a
Adventure Pass for parking at the turnout.
Silver Peak is on the
Hundred Peaks List.
For camping information and current conditions go to the San Bernardino National Forest for
current conditions website.
Go to
California Mountain Atlas for more prominence information.
tarol - Mar 20, 2013 12:04 pm - Hasn't voted
No Adventure Pass RequiredThe closest location that requires one is Cactus Flats Staging Area, but you will likely park much closer than this for your hike up Silver Peak.