Cleveland National Forest · California

Bear Valley

0.7 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 803 · trail class 3 · typical grade 10-12% · tread 36-48 inches wide · hiking, horse, 4wd, e-bike · motorized use allowed

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 32.7923, -116.5087 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Bear Valley Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Federal Lands Passes such as Adventure Pass Required: To purchase a pass for this location visit a Cleveland National Forest office, find a local <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=STELPRDB5181410&amp;width=full">Adventure Pass vendor</a>&nbsp;or purchase online at <a href="https://www.recreation.gov">https://www.recreation.gov/</a>.

Trail Views
Photo: US Forest Service

Bear Valley Trailhead

When area is closed due to wet weather vehicles less than 53 inches wide can still access the trails.

USFS approved Spark Arresters are required year round.

Green sticker riding season is year round.

Red sticker riding season is October 1 - April 30. (This also applies to OHVs that are registered out of state.)

Pets Allowed

Yes

Fees

Federal Recreational Lands Pass/ Adventure Pass Required

Hike/Ride Time

Full day

Difficulty

Easy to Moderate

Best Seasons

Fall, Spring, Winter

Location

Off I-8 at Pine Valley Road

Ranger District

Descanso Ranger District - (619) 445-6235

Bear Valley Trailhead is located off of the Pine Valley Rd. exit of I-8 and is one of the closest OHV opportunities in the Greater San Diego Area. Bear Valley Trailhead provides ample parking for larger vehicles with trailers. The trail leaving Bear Valley is an old road bed and provides a small loop in the end with a pretty vista. This trail was designed for beginners but provides a connection to the Corral Canyon OHV Area via Kernan Cycle Trail (Note Corral Canyon OHV area accesible only to vehicles LESS than 53 inches wide) which has a variety of difficulty trails to ride.

Available at this location are 2 portable toilets and 1 picnic table. There is no potable water. Passes can be purchased at the local ranger station or at stores in Pine Valley and Lake Morena

For a list of more trails to explore in your area, please see our Recreation Trail Guide

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Cleveland National Forest

All 125 trails in Cleveland National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.