Cleveland National Forest · California

Secret Canyon

14 mi of trail, end to end · Pine Creek Trailhead: 13.8 mi one way in the Service's write-up · native material surface · trail No. 4E01 · trail class 2 · typical grade 0-5% · tread 18-24 inches wide · bike

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 32.8371, -116.5424 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Horsethief Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Connects to the Pine Creek Wilderness, the Secret Canyon Trail , and the Espinoza Trail . No fees are associated with this trailhead.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Pine Creek Trailhead 13.8 mi one way · the Forest Service's write-up

<a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/cleveland/passes-permits/recreation"><strong>Adventure Pass Required</strong></a>: 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> or purchase online at <a href="https://www.recreation.gov/">https://www.recreation.gov/</a>.

Trail Views
Photo: US Forest Service

Pine Creek Trailhead

Distance

13.8 miles one way

Pets Allowed

Yes

Fees

Adventure Pass Required

Hike/Ride Time

1 to 2 days

Difficulty

Moderate - Strenuous

Best Seasons

Fall, Spring, Winter

Location

Off Old Highway 80 just outside Pine Valley, CA. See map below

Ranger District

Descanso Ranger District - (619) 445-6235

This trailhead has a large parking lot to accommodate equestrian trailers and overnight enthusiasts. This trailhead connects to the Secret Canyon Trail which leads visitors into the Pine Creek Wilderness and great back-country areas. The trail follows Pine Valley Creek which provides for canyon views and at several locations there are pools where visitors often stop to cool off and relax. Secret Canyon Trail is 13.8 miles long one way and ends at Horsethief Trailhead . Many hikers choose backcountry camping as an option for this trail, making it a 2-day venture. Remote camping is available by permit only .

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.